I caught up with Brady and Vickie Richard and their stunning 1931 LaSalle 345A at the recent gathering of a few members of the Classic Car Club of America hosted by Mike and Joy Ames on their expansive lawn in South Arlington.
āāFor those not familiar with the CCCA, the organization consists of members who own a āFull Classicā ā defined as a distinctive automobile built only between 1915 and 1948.Ā
āāSo, the Amesā annual gathering of about 20 of these unique vehicles offers an opportunity to see some truly amazing and rare domestic and foreign-made automobiles.
āāEvery year four or five members in attendance with recently acquired Classics arrive ahead of the audience to ādebutā their cars. They are lined up, fully covered, in front of where everyone will be assembled so they can be rather dramatically revealed along with their stories that are always special.
āāThese ādebutantesā are the center pieces of the occasion, surrounded by the other cars brought by the other guests – some that have occupied center stage in previous years.
āāBrady explains his recent acquisition while remotely attending an auction when the LaSalle arrived on the platform: āIt just looked too good, and I had to have it.ā
āāIt was a short and simple declaration, but it captured the essence of a pre-war General Motors vehicle without a familiar GM name.
āāFounded 94 years ago by GMās then-chairman Alfred Sloan to fill a gap between the companyās Buicks and Cadillacs, LaSalles were produced until 1940. Named after French explorer RenĆ©-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, it was considered the second-most prestigious marque in the companyās portfolio.
āāToday, however, its standing in the world of collectors has brought an enhanced pedigree because of its rarity. There were only about 10,000 of the 1931 version like the Richardsā produced that year while GM was delivering some 620,000 Chevrolets and 139,000 Buicks occupying first and third place among all domestic cars built that year.Ā
āāWhen the LaSalle was first introduced in 1927 it came with an evolutionary design created by GMās 30-year veteran Harley Earl, who would eventually control all design and styling for the big company.
āāItās interesting to realize this innovation in style was taking place while Henry Fordās Model T had only slightly evolved since its introduction in 1910. GMās approach was to make annual appearance and model name changes across all its brands.
āāWith the introduction of the 1931 Series 345-A, the LaSalleās V8 engine was upgraded and additional optional equipment was added. That included the Goddess hood ornament that you could get for an additional $20 to further compliment the trademark āLaSā badge cast into the horizontal tie bar between the front lights.
āāConceptcarz.com summarizes the ā31 model with these details: āThe 1931 LaSalle was offered as a single model – the 345-A Eight and was similar to the previous yearās 340 except they had a new oval instrument panel and a single bar bumper replaced the prior yearās double-bar setup. The 353 CID engine delivered approximately 95 horsepower at 3,000 RPM and was backed by a three-speed selective, synchromesh transmission with a twin-disc clutch and shaft drive.ā
āāWikipedia offers a view of a poster hanging in dealer showrooms promoting the LaSalle as a European theme with images that it was a worldly vehicle fashionable in all settings and places.
āāIt also gained notoriety in the 1970s television series āAll In The Family,ā when Archie and Edith Bunker sing, āGee, our old LaSalle ran greatā in the opening theme song, āThose Were the Days.ā And it is the car the character Marcus Brody drives when he visits Indiana Jones in the film āRaiders of the Lost Arkā in 1981.
āāWith such a history, itās easy to see why Brady Richard said he āhad to have itā and now shares it with fellow CCCA members and the rest of us.
