GM discontinued the LaSalle line after 1940 but Harley Earl revived the name for two 1955 Motorama show cars, a sleek fastback sedan and a more radically styled two-seat roadster. Neither made it into production, and their fuel-injected DOHC V-6 engines were non-functional. 1958 GM cars would use the sedan’s roofline while the Roadster’s side coves would appear on ’56 Corvettes. Don’t mistake the Roadster for a Corvette knock-off; with a wheelbase of 99.9 inches and a length of just 151.7 inches it was a lot smaller. Supercollector Joe Bortz has restored the Roadster to its Motorama condition and it’s the subject of this really fine model in Minichamps “Real Dream Cars Collection.” Its resin body and Pearlescent White/Bahama Blue paint are literally flawless and every piece of trim, no matter how small, is either plated, photo-etched, or printed chrome over relief castings. Scale fidelity is virtually perfect, too. Check out the ultra-thin red/white/blue-on-chrome hood emblem, equally thin, but legible “LaSalle II” and “LaS” badges, and printed three-color circles on the accurate wheel hubs. Interior detail is done to the same degree with accurate upholstery and trim and legible gauges, though photos show black faces. Dimensions are right on 1:43 scale – tiny. —Wayne Moyer
1:43 | $95
