So what’s a car maker to do when their lower-priced offering is interfering too much with its flagship model? Well, eliminate it, of course! And that’s exactly what GM did with the LaSalle in 1940, or at least it’s a popular theory, as by this time the car was completely Cadillac-built and cutting way into sales of their more expensive brand. Maybe a hearse isn’t what immediately comes to mind for most prospective buyers, but if you’ve got a wild streak and have been in the market for an unusual LaSalle this 1940 model 52 Wagon here on eBay might interest you. The buy-it-now price has already been lowered during the last couple of days I’ve been watching this one, and it’s now down from $22,500 to $19,500 with a make-offer option, so I think the seller is ready to listen if you’re wanting to take this on as a project. The wagon is located in Menifee, California, and we’d also like to thank Barn Finds reader Kyle K. for the tip here!
Nothing instills more confidence in me if I’m considering a vehicle purchase on another coast than a video, and we get a 6-minute ride along in the LaSalle followed by a 2-minute walk around, including the hood up with the engine running. The seller states that the engine runs great, and it does seem to propel the wagon up to 50 MPH without much strain, plus when the seller pulls on the carburetor by hand I’m not hearing much knocking or other mysterious noises inside the motor. There’s a three-on-the-tree manual transmission, which seems to shift decently, but the tires are probably going to need replacing if you’re planning on doing much more than short-distance occasional weekend drives.
The owner is billing this one as a hearse/ambulance combination, and with that right-opening rear door and suicide doors on both sides, it looks like a casket or a patient could be put in almost effortlessly. Hopefully, the days of it being either are over and the next owner will have to decide whether to just drive the wagon as-is for a while or take it to a higher level. The body seems reasonably straight for the most part, although there are some nicks and dings in several areas, with the paint showing considerable patina so I don’t think it’s been resprayed recently.
Inside is one of the areas the seller mentions as needing attention, and it’s pretty much devoid of a headliner with door panel coverings sparse, but I guess the good news here is a blank-slate concept for the future owner to do whatever he wants in there. That seat is also ripe for replacement or a complete reupholstering, and the new aftermarket wiring harness is definitely function over form, but the seller says it works great. What do you see as the best course of action for this one? Just put a makeshift coffin inside and drive it around on Halloween, or take things to the next level?
What a cute little air filter ! I didn’t know they made them that small. 😂😂
Back then, the air was much cleaner than today…. :-)
Hardly; they just didn’t evolve filtering technology yet.
Not if you were in Pittsburgh, The air quality was SIGNIFICANTLY WORSE in 1940 than now.
Dude, I’m SO SORRY! I did not mean to hit the “Report” key! I don’t know how to undo that, I’m so sorry!
HA, the air filter looks just like the PAIR of filters looked like on a 1800CC Beetle engine back in the early 80’s.
I had a pair of those small filters on the stromberg 97’s on the Ford flat head sports car I built in the 50’s.
It would also be great for chasing spies driving Sunbeam Alpines down mountains!
But look closely, when you drive it off a cliff , it turns into another kind of car entirely, then blows up !
Yes, it turns into a British Humber Super Snipe hearse. Those were cheaper and much more common in Britain and Nassau.
Love it i will go ten large
I agree at maybe 10k. Needs total interior.
Check out the other video on the partial restoration on the ,40 lasalle hearse from Mexico.
I’m so embarrassed for reporting another poster’s comment which didn’t warrant reporting. I hit the wrong key and don’t see how to undo that. I was going to give input on Lasalle’s influence, but after that I’ve forgotten what I would have posted. I’m very sorry, Big Al!
Cut yourself some slack, T!
We all thumb it once in a while.
Thank you for the apology Tony. Accidents happen.
My post is up ….No harm done.
I like it, I like it a lot! Reminds me of the Aurora model I
had of this car in 1966. I was 12 years old back then and I thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Had a great time using some of Mom’s aluminum foil to make the chrome for it instead of trying to paint it on with a brush. Mom helped me put real curtains in the side and rear windows by using small swatches of cloth she had in her sewing box. In all, it turned out really nice–so much so that our local hobby shop put it on display for a month. As for this car, not enough photos. I’d like to see more of it to make a better print of it.
You reminded me of my model car days- sewing pin/copper tubing working dipsticks (with black paint oil level), ball point pen spring suspension, sewing thread plug wires, working lights, etc. Fun times- I actually won an AMT contest once (where is that trophy?). This came in handy later in life. I flunked out of Russian language school in the USAF, so while I was waiting for my next assignment (Air Recon school), they had me building models of Soviet military vehicles and aircraft as teaching aids for the instructors. Sadly, it didn’t turn out to be a permanent gig, despite my best efforts to convince my boss otherwise. Later in my enlistment, however, I helped design full scale mockups of Soviet SAM systems and radar equipment for pilots to attack on a gunnery range- more fun times. I think that I still have a tube of Testor’s plastic glue in a drawer somewhere. Thanks for the walk down memory lane…
Helluva lot of wood framing there. Rear door is all wood structure. Sides appear yo have mostly wood supporting sheet metal and windows. Apparently the coach builders were a few years behind GM on going to metal structure.
Just a thought – How about a 1930’s version of a Ghostbusters car? Lots of old vacuum tube equipment and other steampunk-ish stuff added. People could be outfitted like the GB crew, but dress up as the Marx Brothers. “One morning, I captured a ghost in my pajamas. How he materialized in my pajamas I’ll never know.”
Not to be negative, but I was hoping that we could avoid a GB reference on this vehicle- it happens every time a hearse or ambulance shows up on BF. When all of these coachbuilt, irreplaceable cars have been “customized”, all we will have left of the originals (if anyone even cares at that point) will be photographs of them. That would be a huge loss in my opinion- they are a part of automotive history.
I had the Aurora model kit of this car in 1966. I was 12 years old back then and I thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. I took great del8ght in using Mom’s aluminum foil to make the chrome trim instead of trying to paint it on with a brush. My
Mom made real looking curtains for the side and rear windows
using small swatches of cloth she had in her sewing box. The end result was so nice that the owner of our local hobby shop displayed it there for a month. As for this car, it needs more pics
so the buyers can decide whether it’llbe worth it. Great find, great memories..
Just FYI. It’s a Model 50 not Model 52. 52’s we’re the Torpedo body and I don’t believe any were on a commercial chassis