Author Archive: Tom Laferriere

1932 Lasalle 345-B 5 Passenger Sedan

Motor no. 1100385
Body no. 293

115 bhp, 353 cu. in. L-head V-8 engine, three-speed manual transmission, front and rear leaf spring suspension with floating rear axle, and four-wheel drum brakes. Wheelbase: 130 in.

Nineteen thirty-two was a magnificent year for automobile styling, and few cars looked better than the “junior Cadillac,” the LaSalle. Dignified and subtly streamlined new styling wrapped around a magnificently engineered chassis, carrying a more refined 115 bhp eight-cylinder engine, fully synchromesh three-speed transmission with “Triple Silent” helical gears, and a modern mechanical fuel pump. Buyers responded strongly for an expensive automobile in the worst year of the Great Depression, buying 3,386 LaSalles – 700 more cars than the Cadillac V-8 model of the year.

The five-passenger sedan offered here was the 385th LaSalle built for 1932. According to its build sheet it was originally [...]

1933 Packard Eight Convertible Victoria

Vehicle No. 627-33
Motor No. 371726
Body No. 3050-6246

130 bhp, 320 cu. in. L-head inline eight-cylinder engine, three-speed synchromesh manual transmission, four-wheel vacuum-assisted mechanical brakes, leaf spring suspension, and live hypoid rear axle. Wheelbase: 136 in.

This wonderful eight-cylinder Tenth Series Packard unusual as a original export model, brought to the United Kingdom by official Packard concessionaires, Leonard Williams & Co. of Piccadilly, London, whose sales plate is still on the dashboard. Vehicle no. 627-33, as noted on its original firewall tag, was originally built with right-hand-drive, and also fitted with a single sidemounted spare, a configuration common to British-delivery automobiles in the Classic Era.

A photograph of the Packard, from the files of noted collector Tom Mix, shows it in England, likely in the 1950s, painted [...]

1934 Packard Super Eight Convertible Sedan

Vehicle no. 763-41
Frame no. 753432
Motor no. 753351
Dietrich Body no. 6654  

Series 1104. 145 bhp, 384 cu. in. L-head inline eight-cylinder engine, three-speed synchromesh manual transmission, front and rear semi-elliptic leaf spring suspension with variable-pressure shock absorbers, and vacuum servo-assisted four-wheel mechanical drum brakes. Wheelbase: 142 in.

Hailing from what is widely considered the most prestigious and beautiful year of Packard, this handsome Super Eight Convertible Sedan boasts wonderful and satisfying authenticity. Its original vehicle number plate identifies it as having been the thirtieth example built, sold new by the Packard Motor Car Company of New York on June 14, 1934. It is further confirmed as retaining its original coachwork by the surviving Dietrich body number plate, which remains in place.

Longstanding rumor is that the original owner was Henry Morgenthau, Jr., then beginning his eleven-year service as United States Secretary of the Treasury, [...]

1959 Triumph TR-3

Details soon.

 

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1941 Buick Roadmaster Convertible Sedan

Chassis No. 24178041

Series 70. 320-cid, 165-bhp inline ohv eight-cylinder engine, three-speed manual transmission, coil spring independent front suspension, live rear axle with coil spring suspension, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. Wheelbase: 126 in.

Introduced in the mid-1930s as a more comfortable alternative to the open phaeton or touring car, the convertible sedan soon faded from public favor. After 1940, the model all but disappeared, except at General Motors. For 1941, The General offered them in no fewer than three marque lineups, Oldsmobile, Buick and Cadillac. Built by GM’s Fisher Body subsidiary, they were based on a common understructure but given marque-specific sheet metal where necessary to preserve corporate president Alfred Sloan’s dictum of a “car for every purse and purpose.” They were the last of this rare breed, disappearing after World War II halted production. Post-war, production centered on mass market styles to fulfill pent-up demand. Not until Kaiser [...]

1939 Lasalle Convertible Coupe

Chassis no. 2300244
Body no. 460

125 hp, 322 cu. in. side-valve V-8 engine, three-speed manual transmission, independent front suspension, semi-floating rear axle, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. Wheelbase: 120 in.

LaSalle, Cadillac’s famed “junior marque,” rolled into the 1939 model year boasting freshened styling, including a new tail and a narrow grille, flanked by smaller sets of louvers, with additional ventilation panels along the sides of the hood. In a bow to modern trends, running boards were now an optional feature. The car looked lighter and sportier, and they handled that way, too, thanks to redesigned suspension, one of several mechanical upgrades that also included a revised radiator core. In sum, the 1939 models went down in history as one of the most beautiful LaSalles – built only a year before the marque would disappear into the history books, but helping to ensure its lasting reputation for fine quality [...]

When the 2004 Pontiac GTO was released, it was “introducing a car that needs no introduction.” The GTO is fondly remembered as the type of car that once the key is turned, there is no going back. Power; unadulterated and pure.

Rhys Milen has confirmed with me via Instagram message “This was the show car that GM built in 2005 while the race car was competing.”  The build quality is superb!

The vibrant yellow and purple paint combination, along with the numerous body modifications make it an eye-catcher, and its 6.0-liter LS1 V-8 engine with six-speed manual transmission provides the commensurate power to impress. Among the additional equipment is Racing Hart five-spoke aluminum wheels, Sparco Pro2000 bucket seats, Sparco three-spoke steering wheel, cockpit rollbar system, racing-type pedals, front spoiler, raised rear wing, lower bodyside [...]

1948 Lincoln Continental Convertible

One of only 452 Convertibles for 1948. 130 bhp, 305 cu. in. L-head V-12 engine, three-speed manual transmission with Columbia overdrive, solid front and live rear axles with transverse semi-elliptic leaf springs, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. Wheelbase: 125 in.    CCCA Classic!

This Lincoln V-12 runs very nice and is quite smooth.  It drives nicely going down the road, stops and steers properly.   Nice maroon paint (originally green), interior, good chrome.

The next owner of this Lincoln should be a tinkerer for the following known issues.

• No tail or brake lights
• Overdrive not engaging
• Convertible top power mechanism not connected, but responds to the switch and motor runs and top has a few tears
• Clutch adjustment, must go to floor to fully disengage.
• Only electric fuel pump, mechanical pump does not work and engine stalls if electric pump turned off.
• Power windows work but slow on the down [...]