Cadillac's Forgotten Child: The Rise and Fall of the LaSalle

You know how Cadillac killed off its sidekick, the LaSalle, in 1940? Well, turns out they weren't done toying with us. They kept bringing back the idea of a fancier, sportier Caddy – even did full-on concept cars! Here's the lowdown:

Why LaSalle Died (The First Time)

The '30s were rough, but LaSalle hung on while some other brands didn't. Problem was, by 1940, it was basically a rebadged Cadillac anyway, fighting for the same customers in the same price range. Made no sense for GM. Luxury was the future, and Cadillac was gonna OWN it.

But What About That '41 Model?

They actually DID design a whole new LaSalle for '41! Two cars, even – a swoopy fastback and a more traditional sedan. Think updated classic LaSalle style, but with that chunky early-'40s look. Sadly, with LaSalle canned, these just became Cadillacs instead.

Harley Earl, Defender of LaSalle

The legendary designer behind the first LaSalles never gave up the dream. Fast forward to 1955, and BOOM – he whips out TWO LaSalle II concepts for the Motorama show:

• The Flashy One: Corvette vibes all over, tiny, with those wild side scoops. Even had a special prototype V-6 engine!

• The Weird One: Stubbly little sedan, back doors open backwards, super-low roof... honestly, it was kinda dorky.

The problem? These looked a LOT like other GM dream cars. The public was like, "Wait, haven't we seen this before?"

And Thus, LaSalle Died Again

The name popped up now and then, but Cadillac was smarter this time. They knew the only way to win was going ALL luxury, no "lesser" models. The LaSalles remind us what could've been... which is why car nerds still obsess over them today!