Memories of the La Salle of 1957
We like to associate Americans with conservative cars and a lack of innovation. However, the La Salle Sports Coupé from 1957 impressed with a number of pioneering concepts: V6 engine, rear independent suspension and a design that, while reminiscent of the early Corvette, also bore its own traits. However, it remained a show car and production was never planned.
La Salle already had a long history at this point. From the 1950s onwards, the brand was (unfortunately) only used for prototypes and concept cars.
The brand had started successfully in 1927 and was regarded as a trendsetter. According to General Motors, La Salle's task was to cover a customer segment in the large GM range that had not previously been covered by the existing brands. The cars were built by Cadillac, but were intended to be more agile and modern, which was achieved. Despite some success, particularly in racing and high-speed driving, the brand was discontinued in 1941 and the niche was filled by other GM products.
