1940 LaSalle Convertible Dual Side Mounts -------- 1 of 6?

[Steve-V]

Wondering if any Cadillac/LaSalle experts can give me a little insight.
As far as I know it is a Model 50.  YET it has dual side mounts.  As far as I know, this is a 1 of 6 car manufactured.

Car# 16202  Body# 40455  Engine# 22372
 

My question is, how many of these cars were made with Dual side Mounts, and is it a Model 50?

Thanks in Advance.

 

Edited May 23, 2017 by Steve-V (see edit history)

[Guest BillP]

I think in 1940 they called them Model 52. I don't know about the sidemounts, without factory docs showing the build, it might have been a fender swap from long ago.

[61polara]

Post a photo of the data plate on the firewall and we can tell you a lot more.  Why do you think it is one of 6?  If it was a special order placed through Cadillac I would expect the body number to be between 1 and 6 not 16202.  You can order the build card on this car from GM Heritage.

[tripwire]

Yes, I believe this car is a 50 series.  In 1940 there was a 50 Series and a 52 Special Series.  The bullet shaped taillights are a giveaway. The series 52's used taillights as shown in the photo below.   Any chance you could post a photo of the data tag?  The experts will want to see it.  The style no. should be 40-5067,  If I'm not mistaken there will be a 6W on the lower right corner if this is indeed a sidemount car from the factory. 

Here's a picture of the back of a 52 Series. You can see the difference in the tail lights.

Also, you might think about posting this question on the Cadillac / Lasalle club forum. I'm sure there are experts on that forum that will answer all of your questions.

Edited May 23, 2017 by tripwire
finish a sentence (see edit history)

[Dave Henderson]

In 1940 there were two distinct LaSalle series, the 50 and the 52.  The 50 series, the black car,  was a carryover  body style from 1939.  The 52 series, the green car, was a new body style in 1940.  There were 599 50 series convertible coupes and 425 of the 52 series produced in 1940.

[Steve-V]

How many of these had the Dual Side mounts?  6?  10?  100?

 

Edited May 23, 2017 by Steve-V (see edit history)

[F&J]

1 hour ago, Steve-V said:

How many of these had the Dual Side mounts?  6?  10?  100?

 

Not sure it matters in the real world today.  Many people prefer no sidemounts on later cars....then again, there is always that one buyer that does 

[Steve-V]

3 minutes ago, F&J said:

 

Not sure it matters in the real world today.  Many people prefer no sidemounts on later cars....then again, there is always that one buyer that does 

 

In my opinion, Side mounts Matter.  
 

 

[F&J]

The ONLY reason I posted what I did....is after 50 long years in the car hobby, often, rather too often, people try to make a big deal out of having a "one of Two" car that had some option, and think it is the most rare car in the world and must be worth millions

 

Not pointing fingers  at your tastes at all.  I had no idea if your question was as to that issue or rather, that you were interested in the "history" of options ....just as I am REALLY interested in.  I like searching data, even if it has no real monetary /desirability meaning to the hobby.  And That last sentence is not aimed at sidemounts at all, just meaning any uncommon option.

[F&J]

Steve, as you now know from our PMs,,,I am quite obsessed with Lasalles.  I thought I'd share a tidibit in public on your thread.  It may be useful to other GM body tag misinformation that we had once taken for face value.

 

 

As you may know, many decades? of GM autos has the firewall Style/Job numbers plate.  I was always told that the first two numbers are the year of that car model, and all the years seeing these plates, I agreed.

 

I bought 4 Lasalles total, most are parts cars.  Three 34s and one 35.  The 34 was the last year of the Fleetwood built bodies on LaS, then in 35 they used only Fisher bodies.  The Fleetwood 34 has a fabric roof insert on closed cars were Fisher 35 was all steel turret tops,  Also 34 was single flat windshield and 35 was split twin windshield.   

 

One of my 34s, a sedan, had a 35 on that tag, so I assumed someone switched it....but it said Fleetwood?  The body was all Fleetwood badged in 6 places...sill plates, body tag, cowl side exposed decorative logo emblem..  It had all the 34 features.  I was stumped, as the tag looked unmolested.  I then went into the Standard Catalog of US cars.. and one thing popped up that surprised me.  The book gave starting engine number, as well as ending number for "a 34 Lasalle"  but right after that last number, in parenthesis, it said "( includes Jan. Feb and March of 1935)" 

 

I now believe that the all new fisher was not ready for market on time.  They must have run the 34 car right until March...much like I believe the popular 69 Camaro did.  A 69 could be had in 1970, new.

 

Food for thought in some cases?

[Steve9]

Yep, side mounts matter. It's good too when your car isn't a full classic.

[John_S_in_Penna]

I think you'll find that substantially fewer cars

were ordered with sidemounted tires for 1940.

Sidemounts were sort of old fashioned and didn't

go with the streamlined look--or so people thought.

And who needed TWO spares when tires were

more reliable?

 

Steve, I think your car looks good with sidemounts.

Note, too, that some people restoring cars would

add sidemounts when their car didn't have them

from the factory, just because they preferred the look.

Edited May 24, 2017 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)

[Grimy]

Sidemounts were available on 1939 50 series cars (all body styles), but not on the 52 "torpedo body" cars.

 

If your paint is excellent on the sidemount covers, I recommend you carry your REAL spare wheel and tire in the trunk as on 5-wheel cars and put a shelf above it for tools an baggage.  You will definitely scar the sidemount covers' paint the first time you actually remove the cover.

[Matt Harwood]

Regardless of how many were built, it's unquestionably very rare and I think it's especially cool that you have the build sheet. It's a matter of taste, but obviously someone liked it in 1940 and continues to like the look today. I'm on the fence--it's similar to the '39 Buick Specials with the droopy sidemounts or the Packard 120s with the tires perched up too high; I think those cars are too small to carry them gracefully. However, I'll also say that they look better on the LaSalle than on the other two I mentioned, maybe because it's a slightly bigger car. Either way, if you're selling the car, all you need to do is find the one guy who is crazy about the sidemounts and he's your buyer. Ignore the guys who say, "I'd buy it if it didn't have them..." and wait for that guy who wants sidemounts. I guarantee he's out there. Remember, whenever you see a car that makes you say, "WTF?" there's a guy who loves it.

 

Do sidemounts add value? Unlikely. But they do make the car interesting and to the right guy, that's going to hit all the right buttons.

[39BuickEight]

I agree with Matt.

 

I'll also add that, to me, sidemounts really set these cars apart.  I have one of those 1939 Buick Specials he is referring to, and given the choice, I would have them on there too lol.

 

That build sheet is great!

[FLYER15015]

The sidemounts sold me.

Had the "Baby" been something (less /different), I would have had to think long and hard about the purchase.

 

Just a thought..............

 

Mike in Colorado

[kgreen]

14 hours ago, Steve9 said:

Yep, side mounts matter. It's good too when your car isn't a full classic.

I'm interested in your comment: good not to be a full classic?  You may have an obvious answer, but then you might have an answer not quite to obvious to me.

[Steve9]

Kgreen, 

Sorry, I should have said "if" your car isn't a full classic. I mean to say most of the pre war cars with side mounts were full classics, most but not all.

[C Carl]

On May 22, 2017 at 6:13 PM, 61polara said:

  Why do you think it is one of 6?  

 

You state : "As far as I know , this is a 1 of 6 car .................... "   Just what evidence do you have ? I agree that every trivial and not so trivial aspect of old cars is subject to discussion. How fortunate we are to have this modern format to engage in any related conversation. I am sure most of us in your position , operating on a good lead would like confirmation. But Dave's question was asked early on , and the answer you give to this , could be the answer to your question ! Your LaSalle is so beautiful that it is magnificent no matter where it carries its spare tire(s). Yes , how do you know what you suspect ?   - Carl

[Willie Wurke]

I recall the 50  series had running boards and the 52 series did not. I think the ones with  runningboards look better.

 

I might add that AACA classes all LaSalles as classics. I have owned mine 66 years!

[tripwire]

I found this quote on the Cadillac - Lasalle forum where this question came up a few years ago.

 

" According to Matt Larson's tedious research in the wonderful text, "LaSalle Cadillac's Companion Car", p.310 #2 Of the 21,799 factory built LaSalle production cars , only two had a single right hand sidemount and 226 were equipped with dual sidemounts. Additional commercial chassis and CKD export Sedans were equipped with sidemounts.

For 1940 Series 50 page 345 #9 it was the last year of the sidemount fenders as an option on Cadillac motorcars. Of the 9321 Series 50 LaSalle passenger cars built, only 161 were ordered with sidemounts - their time had passed. There were none on the series 5011/5011A; 147 on the 5019; one 5019A; three 5027; four 5029 and six 5067 cars shipped with sidemounts. Sidemount fenders were not an option for the Series 52 LaSalles.

We are very fortunate to benefit from the toil of Ron Van Gelderen and Matt Larson. Gratitude gentlemen."

 

The entire thread:  http://forums.cadillaclasalleclub.org/index.php?topic=121009.msg211656#msg211656

 

 

[John_S_in_Penna]

Tripwire, thanks for the statistics.

 

It's important to remember that we hobbyists

sometimes ADD options to cars that weren't

built with them.

 

Whether from the factory, or rescued from some

junkyard, Steve's sidemounts look great.

[mercer09]

to me, the sidemounts make that car.

 

wouldnt want it any other way.................................!

[Grimy]

1 hour ago, tripwire said:

For 1940 Series 50 page 345 #9 it was the last year of the sidemount fenders as an option on Cadillac motorcars. Of the 9321 Series 50 LaSalle passenger cars built, only 161 were ordered with sidemounts - their time had passed. There were none on the series 5011/5011A; 147 on the 5019; one 5019A; three 5027; four 5029 and six 5067 cars shipped with sidemounts. Sidemount fenders were not an option for the Series 52 LaSalles.

We are very fortunate to benefit from the toil of Ron Van Gelderen and Matt Larson. Gratitude gentlemen."

Indeed!  Matt and Ron examined each and every LaSalle build sheet at Cadillac Historical for their extremely authoritative book.  I'm proud to have known both of them since 1968 in the DC area.  RIP Ron.

[1935Packard]

I haven't seen side-mounts on a '40 LaSalle, but I have them on my '38 LaSalle and I think they look great.  I think they look very good on the '40, too.

 

I see side-mounts as something like running boards, hood ornaments, and rumble seats. They're things that we associate with cars of a particular era, so having them tends to differentiate those cars all the more from cars today.  A good thing, in my view.

[SJ C.]

Sorry I'm a late comer to this thread. My family actually has one of the 4 40-5029's that were manufactured with the dual sidemounts. I can't get the build sheet for the car, which I would love to have as both VINs were removed in a restoration prior to us. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.