Cadillac & LaSalle Club Discussion Forum

Cadillac & LaSalle Club Forums => General Discussion => Topic started by: Tom Gibson on November 29, 2021, 05:26:48 PM

Title: 1940 LaSalle Commercial Chassis
Post by: Tom Gibson on November 29, 2021, 05:26:48 PM
Found about 3 years ago when I was looking something else, this image of three 159-inch LaSalle Commercial Chassis, loaded and ready for transport.
It was the first time I'd seen such an image - just passing it along for interested parties.

TG
Title: Re: 1940 LaSalle Commercial Chassis
Post by: harry s on November 29, 2021, 05:36:03 PM
Very cool. Thanks for posting.     Harry
Title: Re: 1940 LaSalle Commercial Chassis
Post by: V63 on November 30, 2021, 06:28:03 AM
Pause for thought,
their Probable participation in the  (unknown at imaging) ... looming war.
Notice one ordered with white wall tires.
Title: Re: 1940 LaSalle Commercial Chassis
Post by: Carfreak on November 30, 2021, 06:39:45 AM
Interesting as is the transport vehicle.
Title: Re: 1940 LaSalle Commercial Chassis
Post by: harvey b on November 30, 2021, 06:44:02 AM
Wonder where they were headed?,if they were to be hearses or ambulances i thought there would at least be a cowl and at least the 2 front doors,or did those companies make that too.where was the picture taken at? the cadillac plant or maybe a railway yard?.A really neat old photo. harveyb
Title: Re: 1940 LaSalle Commercial Chassis
Post by: Tom Boehm on November 30, 2021, 08:27:24 AM
Hello all, Thanks Tom for posting this picture. I can answer some of the above questions. My car is a 1940 Lasalle woodie station wagon built on a commercial chassis. The wood body was built by Meteor Motor Car Co. of Piqua Ohio. They are better known for building hearses and ambulances. The build sheet for my car indicates that the cowl, instruments, and wiring were shipped separate on a different purchase order. White wall or black wall tires were optional because there is a space for that specification on the build sheet. My build sheet specified 7.00x16 Firestone whitewalls 6ply and you can still buy those exact tires from Coker and others.
I learned something from your picture. There is a space on the build sheet for the shipping company and it says W.S.T. Co. According to the picture that stands for White Star Transport Company.
The total cost for the 50 series Lasalle commercial chassis, hood fenders, tires, and other fees was $744.39. That did not include the cowl, instruments and wiring.
The hearse and ambulance body building companies made their own doors because doors were particular to each companies' own body design. 
Title: Re: 1940 LaSalle Commercial Chassis
Post by: Tom Gibson on November 30, 2021, 01:02:08 PM
Thanks for the informative reply Tom - I knew we'd hear from from you. I was curious about the chassis price, the white and blackwall tires, and am glad you gleaned some new info about your car. That's pretty cool about the W.S.T. Co. spot on your build sheet, too.
I found your AACA Forum thread on the LaSalle's ongoing restoration - a project not for the faint at heart! Your image there of the cowl in primer adds good context to the WSTC picture. Have you determined how many wagons Meteor built on the 159-inch commercial chassis in 1940, and if there was more than one LaSalle? That it survived at all is remarkable. 
As noted, the image popped up online some time ago while I was looking for something else and got filed it away. If you do a Google search on it, you'll find about six places (5 or so from the same source) with no details.

TG
Title: Re: 1940 LaSalle Commercial Chassis
Post by: Tom Boehm on November 30, 2021, 09:15:30 PM
Hello Tom, I am aware of only 3 Lasalle woodie station wagons in existence. One is a 1928 Lasalle woodie custom built in 1928. I think it is in Connecticut. The other two are 1940 Lasalles both built by Meteor Motor Car Co. Mine is one of those. The other has the same body design as mine but it has 4 doors per side instead of two. The commercial chassis was actually extended. That car has been restored and is now in San Jose California. It recently was for sale at the Mecum Pebble Beach auction. It was bid up to $210,000 but did not make the owners reserve.
It is easy to assume that there were more custom Lasalle woodies made by any body builder throughout the 14 years of Lasalle production. I have not heard of any others alive or dead.