Throughout the 1920s, General Motors offered “a car for every purse and purpose”; in 1927, the company introduced the LaSalle marque to sit between Oldsmobile and top-of-the-line Cadillac. Renowned for their brilliant Harley Earl styling, the first LaSalle automobiles led to the designer’s promotion to head of GM’s new Art and Colour department.

Styling ultimately saved the LaSalle brand, which was scheduled for termination in 1933. Jules Agramonte, part of Earl’s Art and Colour team, is credited with the 1934 LaSalle’s brilliant aircraft-inspired Art Deco design, which featured a streamlined body with a narrow front grille, bullet-shaped lamps, pontoon fenders, biplane bumpers, porthole vents, and chevron accents. Described in period advertisements as “streamlining refined to beauty,” the 1934 LaSalle was not just a styling sensation; its smooth Oldsmobile-sourced straight eight, independent front suspension, and four-wheel hydraulic brakes also made it a pleasure to drive.

Of the 7,232 LaSalles built for 1934, just 786 were completed as Fleetwood-bodied two-passenger Coupes, style no. 34-178. Today, just seven of these handsome cars are known to the Cadillac & LaSalle Club.

According to a copy of the factory build record, this 1934 LaSalle Coupe, carrying Fleetwood body no. 742, was originally painted Sheridan Blue with Morton Blue wheel discs and upholstered in Gray Highland Twist Cord. Factory equipped with an optional Torpedo mascot, flexible steering wheel, ash tray, license frames, and U.S. Royal tires, the new LaSalle was delivered to Eldridge Motors Inc. in Spokane, Washington.
For decades, the LaSalle was owned by a gentleman in Washington State, who nicknamed it “The Untouchable,” a reference to its unrestored nature. Around 2001, the LaSalle was sold to Robert Sondheim of Seattle, an active member and two-time president of the Cadillac & LaSalle Club. In a 2004 issue of Sallee Speaks, the LaSalle Appreciation Society’s newsletter, Mr. Sondheim describes his experience owning this rare Series 350 Coupe.

Smitten with its Art Deco design and unrestored condition, Mark Smith later acquired the LaSalle and displayed it in the “Cars of Harley Earl” class at the 2020 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. Today, it presents in largely original, unrestored condition, except for a 1960s-era repaint in metallic blue. The 39,450 miles showing on the odometer at the time of cataloguing may well be the original mileage from new.

*Please note that this Lot, like all vehicles in this Auction, has been in long-term static storage and may not be currently operational. It will require mechanical attention prior to any road use.

Gooding & Company presents and conducts the Estate of Mark Smith Auction under the authority of John J. Rendemonti, Executor of the Estate of Mark J. Smith, duly appointed by the Circuit Court of the State of New Hampshire, Probate Division, Case Number 312-2022-ET-00072. The Estate has compiled available title and/or registration paperwork for the Vehicles offered in the Auction and will provide such paperwork to the Buyer if it is available. However, as set forth more fully in the Conditions of Sale, neither the Estate nor Gooding makes any representation or warranty with respect to any existing certificate of title or registration with regard to any Lot in the Auction. Any Lot may be sold on a Bill of Sale. By participating in this Auction, all bidders and buyers recognize that Estate and Gooding have expressly disclaimed all such warranties concerning the availability or sufficiency of any title or registration documentation.