1940 LaSalle Original 322ci V8 3-Speed Manual/Wide Whites/Bedford Cloth Interior

1940 Other Makes Description

1940 LaSalle Series 52 Special Coupe

Boy the way Glen Miller played,
Songs that made the hit parade,
Guys like us we had it made,
Those were the days,
And you know where you were then,
Girls were girls and men were men,
Mister we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again,
Didn't need no welfare states
Everybody pulled his weight,
Gee our old LaSalle ran great,
Those were the days...

From a time when the world was different and maybe even better, we give you a 1940 LaSalle Series 52 coupe. 13 years ago, it underwent a restoration of the engine, drive train, brakes, body and paint, and other extras. Our current consigner although reluctant to see his baby go away, cannot drive anymore due to orthopedic issues. A good driver that has a crack in the rear driver's side window, but otherwise she's very nicely done and preserved. 44,675 original miles makes it special as well.

Exterior
This design leader in the form of a Series 52 Special bears Harley Earl's latest "torpedo" look. Sealed beams are now down into the fenders. Body lines are gently rounded and clean, and the trademark LaSalle grille arguably reached its pinnacle: still slimmer than Cadillac's but artfully shaped. Like the '39s, this 1940 models wears vertical brightwork in the "catwalk" areas between grille and headlamps (another Earl idea), but the catwalks are now wider and fully integrated with the fenders. This two door coupe is bathed in what the consigner calls white, I'll call it vanilla cream because it is delicious, nice and shiny and very nicely preserved from 2013. Extra accessory bumper is now in in addition to the standard fare, and it is all nice and mirror like. From its pulled back rear window, to the trunk lid and rear quarters that look like they are going 100MPH while standing still...the lines of this car are just magnificent. Red steel wheels with some dish trimmings and moon caps in chrome with red centered badges, I'm the boogie boogie bugle boy of company B!

Interior
A swing the door, and suede in tan covers the door panels and greets one with a smile. Some stitching creates faux panels, and nicely polished knobs and handles are on. Slipping inside I can place my torso on to the wide split bench in striped broadcloth coverings for the front and rear seats, and suede bolsters that match the door panels are carrying on throughout. A simple but effective dash, in light tan topper and darker brown dash front, houses art deco styled instruments, and plenty of vertical chromed ribs for the center with the radio. A nice banjo styled steering wheel in good condition with a bakelite surround in light cream, has a badged center, and a horn ring rounding it 3/4 of the way around. A heater box, and an aftermarket water temp gauge hang above pristine tan carpet flooding the floor. Upper interior pillar surfaces and the headliner are covered in more suede which is overall fairly tight.

Drivetrain
Under the hood is a dusty but rust-free engine showing in 322ci and V8 setup. There is a single 2-barrel carburetor by Carter now on top, underneath the oil bath air cleaning system. On back is the original 3-speed manual transmission, and this pushes power back to a 3.92 rear axle. Has an added electric fuel pump and an electric radiator fan.

Undercarriage
Under this car is a structurally sound X frame with clean floorpans and rockers. Some earlier repairs have been performed but very nicely, and all appears to be good underneath. Independent coil springs for the front suspension, and leaf springs for the rear, and drum brakes all around leave us with a structurally sound frame and undercarriage.

Drive-Ability
Our crash test dummy decoder (although he's a genius and far from a dummy, I just said that because he proofs these descriptions!) took this one for a ride and described great acceleration, nice handling, and a great ride, with very smooth shifting. He also reported the radio, and heater blower are inoperable. Plenty of power for this LaSalle

Wonderful would describe this 1940 example, where Harley Earl was at his finest. Great flowing lines, giving this car a moving while standing still pontoon styled look. The interior is just beautiful, and looking original but all buttoned up, and the wide whites with that sexy grille is worth the price of admission.

TRIM TAG DECODE
STYLE NO 40 5227G- 1940 Series 52 Special 2 Door Coupe
BODY NO 2513
TRIM NO 51-Two Tone Tan Bedford Cloth
PAINT NO 1-Black

Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special interest automobile showroom, featuring over 600 vehicles for sale with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle barn find collection is on display.
This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914. Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.