1940 La Salle Series 52 Special
Engine: V-8
Displacement: 322 Cubic Inches
Horsepower: 130 BHP
Cost New: $1,440
         General Motors President Alfred P. Sloan created La Salle in 1927 to bridge the gap between Buick and Cadillac. Harley Earl was hired specifically to design the new line and his designs led to La Salle outselling Cadillac by 1929. La Salle, considered the poor man's Cadillac, is one of the first mass-produced vehicles to be created by stylists, rather than accountants. The car was immortalized in the theme song from the top-ranked sitcom "All in the Family," with Archie and Edith Bunker singing "Gee, our old La Salle ran great...those were the good old days."
         La Salle was redesigned in 1940 and canceled the same year, though the new design was well received. Packard was outselling them and Cadillac developed a lower-priced option that made the La Salle obsolete. You will notice on the back windshield in a black and white "A" sticker. This is from World War II, when gasoline was rationed to save fuel and rubber for the war. The "A" designation was the lowest, given to vehicles that were used for non-essential purposes. You were allowed only four gallons of gas per week and, for nearly a year, all A-stickered cars could only be driven to work or for the war effort.