1937 LaSalle

[Bob Laughon #18623]

This month's Automotive Quarterly has an article on LaSalle, and includes a photograph of a '37 business coupe.  Did LaSalle produce a business coupe, in 1937 or ever?

[Warren Rauch]

   Cadillac produced the business ( 2-passenger) coupe most if not all years in the LaSalle line. In 1937 it was body style 37-5027. They also made them in  other series  including the V-16 models.Warren

[Bob Laughon]

Well, I'm kind of a nit-picker, and I guess I'm asking about terminology.  If you consider every coupe with no fixed rear seat a business coupe, then you're correct.  On the other hand, I thought a "business coupe" had no rear seat (or perhaps a completely removable rear seat?) to provide additional space for salesmen and other business people to carry their samples and stuff.  The '37 LaSalles all had fixed fold-down "opera" seats and are commonly referred to as "opera coupes."  Coupes that have a full fixed rear seat are called "club coupes."  I think some manufacturers actually used the tern "business coupe" for their product, Chrysler Corporation, for example.  And I thought LaSalle never used this term.  The official LaSalle terminology for the '37 coupe was, I think, "sport coupe."  I guess what I was really wondering about was whether LaSalle ever produced a coupe with no rear seat of any type, and/or whether they ever used the term "business coupe."