Bortz LaSalle Restoration


Joe Bortz rescued the 1955 LaSalle Roadster in the Warhoops Junkyard in 1988 along with other significant General Motors Dream Cars/Concept Cars that had been sent there to be destroyed in the late 1950's. The 1955 LaSalle Roadster was one of General Motors star cars featured at the General Motors Motorama in 1955 that served to showcase the car designs of the future. Please check back for updates on the restoration of the 1955 LaSalle Roadster and its companion car, the 1955 LaSalle 4-door Sedan .

"Videos of the 1955 LaSalle"

1955 LaSalle Roadster Restoration April 21, 2012. Click here.

1955 LaSalle Sedan General Motors Motorama Car. Click here.

Rides with Chuck - Video #1 Joe Bortz Interview on Rides With Chuck Click here.

Rides with Chuck - Video #2 LaSalle II Part 2 of the Bortz Electric Dream Car Project Click here.

Rides with Chuck - Video #3 It's Alive!!!Click here.

Rides with Chuck - Video #4 LaSalle Roadster, Baby's First Steps Click here.

Rides with Chuck - Video #5 LaSalle Roadster drives down the road! Click here.

LaSalle video at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance 2008 & factory photos. Click here.

"News on the 1955 LaSalle Roadster Restoration"

A 1950s Electric Concept Car? by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant, Auto Restorer June 2011.Click here to read it.

Picture Perfect Rescue by Angelo Van Bogart, Old Cars Weekly May 19, 2011. Click here to read it.

1955 LaSalle Roadster by Joe Bortz, SAH Journal Jan-Feb 2011. Click here to read it.

The French Connection by Karl Ludvigsen, Corvette Magazine June 2011. Click here to read it.

GM's 1955 LaSalle II Motorama Cars by Michael Lamm, Collectible Automobile February 2000. Click here.

"Joe Bortz Restoring of the 1955 LaSalle Roadster", aftermarketcarparts.biz. Click here.

"Collector electrifies a 1955 LaSalle Roadster", AutoWeek.com Oct. 29, 2010. Click here.

1955 LaSalle Roadster

The 1955 LaSalle Roadster - this is what John Bucci started with when he glued the pieces together. Circa mid 1990's.

Debbie Reynolds in the 1955 LaSalle Sedan


1955 LaSalle Roadster at Warhoops Junkyard 1988	1955 LaSalle Roadster - Phase I of the restoration process - gluing the pieces together.
1955 LaSalle Roadster - shown at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance 2008.	1955 LaSalle Roadster - current condition October 2010.

Recommended Reading: Corvette American Legend 1957 Fuel Injection/283 V-8, by Noland Adams.

Harry Warholak sent Joe Bortz this book and made reference to the fact that GM had planned to use the 1955 LaSalle styling ques for the proposed 1957 Corvette shown above in a full sized rendering, shaded to show detail, photographed on February 1, 1955.


Coming 2013!
The 1955 LaSalle 4-door Sedan Restoration! This great old LaSalle Sedan is in the process of being restored to its original state. This is one of the cars that were dug out of the Warhoops Junkyard, Sterling Heights, MI in 1988.
Click here to read more about the 1955 LaSalle Sedan from Car Styling.