This LaSalle was purchased new by Donald Hendrix of Pasadena, CA.  According to accounts, he and his wife Phyllis were both shorter and they wanted both the look of a Darrin and the practicality that the lowered LaSalle provided.  But as with a Darrin, this wasn’t lowered per se.  The entire horizontal length of the car was sectioned by six inches, thus the missing fake hood vents and the sexy increase rake of the rear end of the car.  In custom terms, this sectioning is known as “pied”.  In addition, the entire body was dropped into the chassis rails, otherwise known as “channeled”.  And finally, he removed the running boards, which anyone would agree adds to the sexy curves.  These three major customizations give it that European flair and, frankly, make the driving experience much more Bugatti-like.

Mr. Hendrix was an optical engineer specializing on cleaning lenses for major observatories throughout California.  As such, he was known for driving the LaSalle in a spirited manner through the long and twisty roads leading up the mountains to the observatories.  After the war, when LaSalle was obsolete, Mr. Hendrix was rightly concerned about the availability of parts for the drivetrain.  As such, he installed a 1951 Cadillac 331 CID V-8 and upgraded the transmission to a three-speed manual transmission with overdrive.  To say this LaSalle is a blast to drive is an understatement.

Please watch the video of the car in 1958 with both Don and his son, Robb Hendrix being shown.  Also in the video is the last owner of the LaSalle, the newborn baby and Don’s granddaughter!!  While Don passed the day after Christmas in 1961, the LaSalle was then cared for by Robb.  By about 1972 the LaSalle was stored in Pasadena until exhumed by the granddaughter (from the 1958 video) in January 2001.  In 2004, she sent the LaSalle in its “as-found” condition to a LaSalle restorer in Little Rock, Arkansas.  Over the next three years, a complete restoration was commenced leading to the gorgeous example presented today.

It’s Burgundy livery is in excellent overall condition, with a few small cracks and imperfections, but still very much show quality.  The wheels have wide white walled radials and the chrome and stainless are in very good overall condition.  The tan canvas convertible top is complimented with maroon trim, giving it a terrific and sporty look.  We think it looks just as great with the top up as with it down.  The tan top boot also is in excellent condition.  The maroon leather seats and carpeting are all excellent and as-new.  The woodgrained dash is done beautifully as well and the gauges all work well.

Under the hood is the 1951 Cadillac 331 CID overhead valve engine.  The engine compartment is in show condition today.  She runs very well and drives brilliantly.  The chassis has been fully cleaned and painted.

The LaSalle comes complete with a full documented history, including photos, receipts and more.

For more details and information, please call, text or email Harry Clark at +1.623.404.9042 or sales@classicpromenade.com.  The LaSalle is in our showroom in Phoenix.

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The LaSalle has benefitted from a full restoration.  We have a substantial amount of documentation from its previous owner, and the restoration is still very nice today.

The rich Oxblood Maroon Iridescent (Paint Code 58) livery has exceptional depth and luster and is complimented by the clean white Haartz cloth canvas convertible top.  The paint has a beautiful show-quality finish with excellent shine and luster.  The white convertible top looks terrific with the wide white wall tires and the abundance of chrome.  All the chrome has been redone and is in very good to excellent condition throughout, with a small circular blemish on the driver’s side engine compartment trim.  We love the gold plating on several of the trim pieces as well as the white accents throughout the front grill (We suggest you review the photo gallery for the detailed shots of this LaSalle styling cue).  This LaSalle comes with a driver’s side view mirror and auxiliary fog lights.  The running board delete and the lack of side mounts further accentuate the curves of the body.  This is the ideal style for a 1939 LaSalle and underscores the art deco design theme developed by GM’s designers who were guided by Harley Earl himself.

The saddle vinyl trim is beautifully presented. Although the upholstery is done in vinyl, it is the highest quality vinyl we’ve seen with properties just like leather.  The vinyl looks almost identical to leather.  The interior is equally as nice, with the vinyl, tan woven carpets and saddle trim all looking new, clean, and free of blemishes. The tan painted dash and chrome window surrounds throughout are also very well done and in very nice condition.  The tan dash compliments the tan woven carpets.  The maroon deluxe steering wheel is in excellent condition as well.  The rear folding jump seat allows for ample storage of luggage but can accommodate two people for short distances (i.e., driving to dinner and then the opera!)

With only 1,044 Convertible Coupes produced, it’s very rare to see such a nice example today.  Cadillac sincerely believed that no one could drive a LaSalle and not wholeheartedly desire it.  We are impressed with this LaSalle, and we are quite certain that its next caretaker will share the same sentiments.

Mechanically this LaSalle is in very sound running condition. There are no issues with the motor, transmission, or brake system.  The car shifts smoothly and easily and starts right up.  It is so much fun to drive!  Its original 322 L-head V8 engine and 3 speed column shift transmission are powerful and dependable.  The chassis and undercarriage are all well painted, cleaned, detailed and free of any history of rust.

For more information and details, please call, text, or email Carey Nelson at +1.480.772.8251 or carey@classicpromenade.com.  The LaSalle can be viewed in our showroom in Phoenix, AZ.

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The paint is a nice deep maroon that looks wonderful in the sunlight.  The paint has a nice luster and finish, but there are many areas where the paint has been touched up over the years.  The chrome and stainless on the bumpers, door handles and trim moldings look great.  We love the art deco stylized airplane wing bumper guards.  The running board rubber is in acceptable condition while the trim along the running boards rougher than the rest of the chrome.  The off-white convertible top is older and fits well.  It has some soiling and wear to the drivers side header, but is very serviceable as it is.  The top boot also fits very well.  The twin spot lights look terrific and gives it a classic appearance.  We love how the LaSalles look without the side mounts making them much more streamlined and modern in appearance.

The interior has newer tan leather that looks terrific with the maroon and feels very soft and supple.  The tan carpeting shows more wear and it would benefit from the carpeting being replaced.

The LaSalle 322 CID V8 is said to produce 130 hp and performs well with its three-speed transmission that has the column shifter.  It has benefitted from a new wiring harness and the engine compartment has been recently detailed and looks nice.  The carburetor has just been rebuilt.  The chassis has not ever been painted but looks very solid and honest.  The Series 50 has the 123 inch chassis.

For more details and information, please call, text or email Harry Clark at +1.623.404.9042 or sales@classicpromenade.com.  The LaSalle is in our Phoenix showroom.

The post 1940 LaSalle Series 50 Convertible Sedan appeared first on Classic Promenade.

This is body number 423 of the 530 Convertible Sedans produced for 1937.  Believed to be a western car from new, it was acquired by David Litwiler from Jefferson, Ohio in the 1990’s.  By May of 2007, it was sold to Patrick Comeskey of Utica, NY.  Mr. Comeskey sold it to Nicholas Belezos of Brighton, MA on the 16^th of January, 2013.  Mr. Belezos invested considerable sums to complete the restoration.

The Briarcliff Blue (Paint Code 25) is a beautiful color that shifts from gray, green and blue, depending on lighting conditions.  The paint quality is very nice with some blemishes on the drivers side front fender, as shown in the photo gallery.  The running board rubber is in great condition, the chrome and stainless is all very nice to excellent throughout.  The tan Haartz cloth convertible top is nearly new.  The glass, lights, and trim are all in very nice condition.  One of the “L” letters on the passenger side hood is missing.  The BF Goodrich Silverton tires are all newer and in excellent condition.

Sally’s interior overall is very nice for touring.  Her dash is finished correctly, with the faux wood grained center dash with her incredible art deco instrumentation.  The light tan interior is a mix of leather and vinyl.  The upholstery is overall in nice condition, very suitable for touring but overall is the weakest point for concours judging.  The carpet is in very nice condition as well.

The venerable new Cadillac 322 CID V8 was rated at 125 hp and performs unbelievably well.  In fact, LaSalle had broken the Indy stock speed record with a 1937 LaSalle and it was the official Indy Pace Car.  The engine compartment is in very nice condition, being well detailed and reflecting a significant investment in its rebuild and restoration.  The stack of invoices attests to the investment made to make Sally a great driving car.  The chassis is also well detailed for show.  Refer to the photo gallery for the details.

With her 124” wheelbase and powerful Cadillac V8, this seems to be the fastest accelerating classic era car we know.

For more details and information, please call, text or email us at +1.623.404.9042 or sales@classicpromenade.com.  Sally is with her cousins in our showroom in Phoenix.

The post 1937 LaSalle Convertible Sedan appeared first on Classic Promenade.

Offered for auction is this beautiful 1939 LaSalle Series 50 Convertible Coupe (body no. 930) that is an excellent car to take to concours or enjoy on tours. It was acquired several years ago at Hershey and has been part of a private collection in Denver, CO.

While the restoration was performed under previous ownership and is not presently documented, this LaSalle recently benefitted from a full restoration.   

The dark maroon livery has excellent depth and luster and is complimented with the white Haartz cloth canvas convertible top.  The paint has been professionally wet sanded and polished to a beautiful show-quality finish.  The white convertible top looks terrific with the wide white wall tires and abundance of chrome.  Due to the convertible top being white, there is some soiling evident in the photos, which has now been fully cleaned (thank you, Woolite!).  The chrome has all be redone and is in very good to excellent condition throughout, with a small circular blemish on the drivers side engine compartment trim.  This LaSalle comes with a drivers side view mirror and auxiliary fog lights.  We love the running board delete and the lack of side mounts which accentuate the curves of the body.  This is the ideal style for a 1939 LaSalle and underscores the art deco design theme developed by GM’s designers whom were guided by Harley Earl himself.    

The saddle vinyl trim is beautifully presented. Although the upholstery is done in vinyl, it is the highest quality vinyl we’ve seen with properties just like leather.  In fact, we even had to do the “smell test” and had to check the underside to verify the material, it’s that good.  The interior is equally as nice, with the vinyl, tan woven carpets with saddle trim all looking new, clean and free of blemishes. The tan painted dash and chrome window surrounds throughout are also very well done and in very nice condition.  The tan dash compliments the tan woven carpets.  The maroon deluxe steering wheel is in excellent condition as well.  The rear folding jump seat allows for ample storage of luggage, but can accommodate two people for shorter distance (as in driving to dinner and then the opera!).  

With only 1,044 Convertible Coupes produced, it’s very rare to see such a nice example today.  Cadillac sincerely believed that no one could drive a LaSalle and not wholeheartedly desire it.  We are impressed with this LaSalle and we’re quite certain it’s next new owner will share the same sentiments.  The LaSalle comes compete with the owners and shop manuals, a car cover and more recent receipts.  

Mechanically this LaSalle is in very good running condition. We did not find any issues with the motor, transmission, brake system; our conclusion is that this is a mechanically sound vehicle ready to be driven.  Its original 322 L-head V8 engine and 3 speed column shift transmission are powerful and dependable.  The chassis and undercarriage are all well painted, cleaned and detailed and free of any history of rust.

For more details, please call, text or email Harry Clark at +1.623.404.9042 or sales@classicpromenade.com.  The LaSalle can be viewed in our showroom in Phoenix, AZ.

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