1932 LaSalle 345-B

Produced by General Motors as a companion marque to Cadillac, the LaSalle was marketed to buyers who wanted luxury and performance at a more accessible price point. The 1932 LaSalle, designated the Series 345-B, was advertised as a sportier, "junior Cadillac" that featured a stronger GM family resemblance with softer, more rounded, and flowing lines.

Several body styles were available to buyers, exclusively built by Fisher Body, and included two-, five-, and seven-passenger coupes and town sedans as well as desirable open-air two-passenger convertible coupes.

Under the hood, its robust 353ci V8 engine, which was shared with the Cadillac line, now delivered 115 horsepower thanks in part to improvements to the fuel system. The increased power was delivered to the rear wheels through a three-speed manual transmission equipped with Synchro-Mesh synchronized gears and "Triple Silent" helical gears.

Despite the marque's updated design, mechanical advancements, and several body choices, the economic realities of the era took a toll. As the Great Depression deepened, luxury car sales plummeted. LaSalle's annual sales crashed from nearly 23,000 units in 1929 to about 3,300 by 1932, only 223 of which were convertible coupe models.