90 Years: First-Ever LaSalle
"The New Pleasure in Motor car Driving"
March 5, 1927 was the debut of the first-ever LaSalle. "Cadillac born and bred", the LaSalle was developed to fill a gap in the market and bring new customers into the luxury car market.
Lawrence P. Fisher, general manager of the Cadillac division, had been impressed by the methods of Harvey Earl who had been creating custom builds for Hollywood's elite. Earl was commissioned to design the 1927 LaSalle for Cadillac's companion marque. The tremendous success of the LaSalle convinced General Motors president Alfred P. Sloan to create the Art and Color Section of General Motors. Of course, they named Harvey Earl as its first director.
Under Earl, the Cadillac LaSalle's style began the modern American automobile design. Instead of cookie cutter following a set pattern, Earl's LaSalle was agile, stylish, elegant, and built to a high standard that became the luxury vehicle of the future.
Trend-setting and eye-catching, LaSalle was photographed driven by everyone in the in-crowd. From Clara Bow, the newly proclaimed 'It Girl' (top left), to the newest American hero Charles Lindbergh, every one wanted to be seen driving a LaSalle.
A high-quality car with the prestige of Cadillac but style all it's own. The LaSalle was ground breaking in many ways. From its two-toned paint, an industry first, to its marketing campaign geared toward the young, the LaSalle commanded attention wherever it traveled.
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'90 Years' blog entries will feature historical happenings and news that surrounded the Long family at the beginning of our Cadillac dealership in 1927
