La Salle

LaSalle was a luxury car brand that was part of General Motors' Cadillac division from 1927 to 1940. The brand was created by Alfred P. Sloan, who aimed to fill a perceived gap in the General Motors product portfolio by introducing four new marques, including LaSalle. While LaSalle cars were manufactured by Cadillac, they were priced lower, shorter, and marketed as the second-most prestigious marque in the General Motors lineup. LaSalle cars were titled as LaSalles, not as Cadillacs, and were named after French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, similar to how Cadillac was named after Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac.

Alfred P. Sloan, General Motors' CEO, created the LaSalle as a companion marque to Cadillac to fill the gap that existed between it and Buick. LaSalle automobiles were manufactured by Cadillac but were priced lower than Cadillac-branded automobiles and were marketed as the second-most prestigious marque in the General Motors portfolio. The LaSalle was designed by Harley Earl, and its introduction in 1927 is widely regarded as the beginning of modern American automotive styling.