LaSalle

LaSalle was a brand name of automobile made by General Motors from 1927 through 1940. It functioned as the Cadillac's companion car—smaller, less-expensive, but still upmarket. LaSalles shared many parts with Oldsmobile, GM's mid-range make, but were sold exclusively through Cadillac dealers. The two were linked by similarly-themed names, both being named for explorers—Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac and René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, respectively.

Unlike many old makes, such as Rolls-Royce, LaSalle maintained no traditions of a trademark radiator shell. In fact, the firm changed styles quite readily.

The LaSalle proved to be valuable in helping Cadillac and its dealers weather the depression years of the 1930s, when costly, top-of-the-line models sold poorly. LaSalles today are very collectible.

Ever since the name disappeared, there have been periodic rumors that it might be revived. The Buick Riviera and Cadillac Seville were both rumored to be slated to carry the LaSalle name while they were in the development stage.

La Salles did not share parts with Buick, the make between Oldsmobile and Cadillac, because Cadillac was in competition with that make. At times, Buick was the fourth best-selling car in America, just after the low-priced three. Buick had some models that competed directly with La Salle. In GM's corporate culture, a transfer of parts from Buick to Cadillac would be credited as sales of Buick.

One of the most famous popular culture references to the LaSalle is in "Those Were the Days," the theme song to the TV show All in the Family, with the line "Gee our old LaSalle ran great." In later seasons they carefully enunciated this line, because with the disappearance of the car from the market, viewers could not figure out what it referred to.

See also