Before the hegemony of Lincoln, Cadillac and Chrysler, America in the pre-war years abounded with luxury motor manufacturers competing with each other to make the most beautiful, opulent and sophisticated cars. One such marque was LaSalle, which enjoyed only a very brief existence from 1927 to 1940. Unlike many of its older-established rivals, it never existed as an independent venture but was brought into existence by General Motors, which was seeking a smaller and slightly cheaper companion to its flagship Cadillacs. The LaSalle concept was the brainchild of none other than famed stylist Harley Earl. While other marques also introduced their own cheaper companion brands, it was only really in terms of size that LaSalle differed from Cadillac; to begin with, in terms of specification and quality, it was the equal of its sister.
Ben Rhinehart of Ohio is the proud owner of a 1933 LaSalle 345-C, powered by a 353ci (5.78-litre) V8, hailing from LaSalle's last year as a true miniature Cadillac. From 1934, they were downgraded a little and would have either straight-eights or pressed-steel body shells which were shared with Oldsmobiles and Buicks.
Ben's LaSalle was bought new by his great-aunt, Jay Wannamaker Miller of New York, for $2245. Having been garaged from new, it has always been immaculate and now survives as one of the most original preserved examples, with even the New York Yacht Club membership sticker from 1933 still stuck on one of the windows. 'Aunt Jay' sold it to her son-in-law, Ben's father, for $75 in 1955. In 1956, Mr. Rhinehart's sister, a model, drove it to the Classic Car Club of America's annual show in the Pocono Mountains, driving it with gusto along with twisty passes with skis strapped securely to the luggage rack. It was Mr. and Mrs. Rhinehart's only car for a while, but after Ben came along in 1960 it was being gradually retired and used for gentle Sunday drives, with a Volkswagen Beetle taking over everyday driving duties. A delighted Ben received it as a present on turning 17 in 1977. "It's the most expensive free car I ever owned," he jokes. After a few years of use, the engine started to grow weak, prompting Ben to subject the LaSalle to a full restoration between 1985 and 1995, remaining totally faithful to its original factory finish. Its remarkable story and condition led to it being honoured as an exhibit at the Automobile Hall of Fame in Dearborn, Michigan, from 2003 to 2004, but it was not the only impressive car his family owned in the '30s.
Uncle Edward's Cadillac
His great-uncle Edward J. Benney, a fur importer, also of New York, had an even more upmarket 1933 Cadillac seven-passenger limousine with either the V12 or V16 engine. The photograph shows it on the day of purchase, with Mr. Benney standing on the left with a crowd of friends. It would have cost around $4000 when new, a colossal sum at the height of the Depression, which is why 1933 apparently saw Cadillac's lowest post-Great War production numbers. Styling for 1933 was unique as it marked a kind of transition between the flat-fronted '32s and the extremely modern, curvaceous and streamlined '34s. Ben's family naturally prefers to believe that the car was a V16, of which only 22 were made in 1933 with around 14 believed to have been limousines, and one was rumoured to have been bought by Katharine Hepburn, but the Cadillac Club has been unable to verify the engine. Sadly, its whereabouts have not been known since it was sold out of the family in 1958, but Ben still has the original Cadillac-branded blanket which was supplied for the benefit of the rear-seat passengers.
As the Cadillac was such a rare car, Ben believes there's a very high chance it survives, if only it could be positively identified. Are any readers able to help? As it still existed in 1958, very much in living memory, somebody somewhere must know something...
Perhaps you have a car with a special story attached to it, or you're searching for one which you lost track of a long time ago? We'd be interested to hear about - let us know by writing to editor@prewarcar.com.
Words: Zack Stiling; photographs: Ben Rhinehart
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