The 1936 LaSalle offered here was the recipient of an excellent restoration in the early 2000s. It is finished in a two-tone Maroon and Red exterior and has a Red leather interior with Black cloth top. It was formerly owned by an East Coast collector well known in the concours community before being sold to the current vendor. It is equipped with dual side-mounted spare tires with full painted metal covers and wide whitewall tires. The front seat displays very limited wear, and the overall presentation of this automobile from the exterior paint and trim down to the engine bay is exceptionally pleasing. The open LaSalles of the mid-1930s are considered to be the most stylish examples and are certainly the most desirable. The LaSalle is built on a 120-inch wheelbase chassis and is driven by a 248-cid, 105-hp L-head inline eight-cylinder engine. The manual transmission is a three-speed floor-shift.

Although General Motors was run in the teens and twenties under the motto of “coordinated decentralization,” there did come a point when that philosophy conflicted with a newer strategy, “a car for every purse and purpose.” The policy was crafted when the brass realized that the divisions were competing with each other rather than the independent manufacturers. Now, price ranges for the GM products were positioned adjacent to each other rather than overlapping. Management then realized there was a gap between the Buick and Cadillac brands, and thus the LaSalle was born.

Conceived as a “baby Cadillac,” the LaSalle was first introduced in 1927 and is most recognized as the first car to incorporate the concept of styling, led by designer Harley Earl, from the beginning of development. It featured smooth rather than sharp corners and had a long, low stance, a trend that would continue throughout Earl’s career with the company.