Grand Old Dame: 1931 LaSalle Sedan
The Cadillac division of General Motors added the Lasalle to fill the gap between the Buick and the Cadillac. Harley Earl designed the Lasalle and it is said to be the first time that styling was more important than engineering in an American car. It was not only a smaller car built to Cadillac quality standards, but also stylish. This Lasalle is listed on craigslist in Rome, Georgia for $25,000. It is completely original but the engine is frozen and the interior has succumbed to time and rodents.
The interior is complete except for the headliner but in need of complete restoration. The back seat upholstery is completely gone.
The engine is all there but it is seized. There is no word on how many decades this has been sitting.
This Lasalle certainly has a presence. It would be great to have the money to restore it and a place to keep it. The asking price is, well, very high. Nice, running examples of similar cars sell for $50,000 to $60,000. There is a really nice coupe convertible listed on eBay for $52,500. One would be upside down very quickly restoring this car, but perhaps with engine and interior work, it could be a nice driver. Do you see any hope for this old Lasalle?
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Comments
I’m in (at half the ask).
It looks like it has a high compression head on it. Asking price is stupid for a seized motor and an interior that needs complete restoration.
People in Hell want ice water too.
There are so many great cars that could be saved ,but money is the reason they won’t be saved ,if you love a car who cares if you might spend to much restoring it as long as you love it ..Cold hard steal will last longer than papper time for a nother drink
How big were those rodents? They sure did a number on the rear seat.
It was probably my boss. He’s a rat AND a roach.
One would be upside down buying this car with out the rodents
Upside down money wise after a restoration is a fact of life! Turn on the TV and watch a classic car auction. When your dream car crosses the stage ask yourself “Could I do that for a lower price?” If you can weld, fab, paint, machine and wrench the answer is a definite maybe, everyone else should bank a wad of cash!
All these folks who spend so much on a restoration only to sell it later. I want to find one I can give 30K to who will hand me back 60K. So much simpler than doing all that frustrating labor. lol
With the prices on 20’s & 30’s cars dropping at ever increasing rate this one is way overpriced.
I found this convertible that has $50,000 in work that drives and a nice interior for $39,000. Sounds like you could drop the $14,000 difference just getting this one running.
http://owlshead.org/gallery3/index.php/35th-Annual-New-England-Auto-Auction/1931-LaSalle-345A-Roadster
Will the market turn around on these older cars eventually somewhere down in time? I think taste will change and people will scoop up these older vehicles and a rebirth comes to life! There is also the possibility of these vehicles leaving the country and we lose our history!