Lot 320

Hershey 2024

1933 LaSalle 345-C Convertible Coupe

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$100,000 - $125,000 USD 

United States | Hershey, Pennsylvania

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Engine No.
2000404
Documents
US Title
To be offered on Thursday, 10 October 2024
  • One of just 146 built, of which only five surviving examples are listed in the Cadillac LaSalle Club directory
  • Meticulously restored under prior ownership; enjoyed and cherished by a short chain of marque enthusiasts
  • Finished in Autumn Blaze Mist Red and Grey over red leather with black convertible top
  • Wonderful period-correct accessories, including dual Trippe lights, luggage rack, woodgrain dash, and uncommon radio
  • CCCA Full Classic eligible and show-ready for all club events, CARavans, and concours

In the late 1920s, companion cars were all the rage at General Motors. By 1932, Marquette and Viking were dropped; Oakland, too, having been usurped by its understudy Pontiac. Inside GM, there was talk of dropping LaSalle, which bothered styling chief Harley Earl tremendously. LaSalle was, after all, his baby. The struggling early-thirties economy made it a tough go for automobiles, especially upstarts like LaSalle.

The 1933 model year was an important one for both Cadillac and LaSalle in terms of design evolution. All models were introduced early in the year showing startling styling changes that marked a sharp break from the past. Gone forever was the cobbled-up, rectangular look. The new trend was toward streamlined, integrated body lines with an abundance of curves, which flowed smoothly from bumper to bumper. Changes included skirted fenders, a V-shaped radiator shell and grille, horizontal hood ventilator doors, and the streamlined "Torpedo" radiator ornament with which the marque hoped to appeal to younger buyers. LaSalle, arguably GM’s most stylish model line of the era, continued in production until 1940, when the marque was discontinued.

This rare and very early Convertible Coupe with rumble seat is the eighth of only 146 examples of this stellar model produced by Fisher for the 1933 model year, of which only five survivors are recorded within the Cadillac LaSalle Club directory. Long enjoyed and cherished among a short chain of marque enthusiasts, this 345-C benefits from a meticulous, frame-off restoration executed in Canada while under the care of a previous owner. The car presents beautifully today thanks to its high-quality, concours-grade restoration, during which it was expertly finished in Autumn Blaze Mist Red and Grey over a dark red leather interior and crisply trimmed black cloth convertible top. The elegant body moldings, also in Mist Red with gold pinstriping, greatly enhance the allure of this open body style.

A desirable suite of authentic, period-correct features includes an accessory trunk rack, Trippe lights, Jaeger instrumentation, a beautiful woodgrain dash, and a pair of side-mounted spares to accompany the lovely set of color-matched wire wheels shod in Firestone wide whitewall tires. Among all of these notable items, the car's extremely scarce period-correct radio is perhaps the true standout.

As presented today, this beautifully restored 345-C is ready to show and enjoy, making it an excellent, fully eligible option for Classic Car Club of America CARavans, club events, tours, and preeminent concours across America.