The Cadillac XLR is probably the worst example of Cadillac trying to build its own Corvette…it’s merely an overpriced, overstyled, old-man example of a Corvette. I’m not sure why ANYONE would buy one.
Back in 1955, Cadillac had a go at reviving the “La Salle” nameplate that they had stopped producing back in 1941. What they came up with were 2 models, a sedan and a roadster. The roadster is very interesting, a low slung, strangely designed, overly complex, italian-looking design with some pretty cool design features. It looks about the size of an original Corvette, and even has some similar proportions—however i think it actually looked much cooler than those early Corvettes. Harley Earl was in charge of this project as well….and its destiny was solely confined to the concept car wasteland!
This car was sent to the junkyard to be destroyed…..but apparently a man in Michigan FOUND the car there, and has plans to restore it.
recent photo of it:
IEDEI 
Yep, the LaSalle II (XP-32, in GMese) was might avant garde for it’s day. I mean, it had a deDion rear axle, integral brakes in the cast aluminum wheels and a DOHC all-aluminum V6. The sedan wasn’t quite as weird in the rear as the roadster as you can see below…
The LaSalle name was almost revived two times later. First time was in 1961 when GM’s styling supremo Bill Mitchell unveiled the XP-715…
Aimed at Cadillac for a sportier coupe, that division got into a kind of bidding war with Buick over who would get the car. Buick won and the XP-715 was the basis of the ’63 Riviera.
Then in the mid-70s this…
… came within an inch of being sold as the LaSalle by Cadillac rather than the Cadillac Seville. But that’s another story altogether.
ahhh, the mid-70s Seville…a very fancy Chevy Nova, don’t ya think! I LOVE that model of Buick Riviera….it’s just brilliant. I had no idea that was originally meant to be a Cadillac…would have made a very ‘modern’ La Salle OR Eldorado i suppose…