# Archie Bunker's LaSalle **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [June 18, 2025, 11:59am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/archie-bunkers-lasalle/200712 "2025-06-18T11:59:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RandomTroll](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/randomtroll/32/12184_2.png) [@RandomTroll](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RandomTroll)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2025, 11:59am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/archie-bunkers-lasalle/200712/1 "2025-06-18T11:59:35Z")
> 'Didn't need no welfare state, Everybody pulled his weight, Gee our old LaSalle ran great, Those were the days! What was Archie Bunker’s car? If he was 50 in 1968 (a guess) he bought his first car 1936-40, also a guess. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2025, 12:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/archie-bunkers-lasalle/200712/2 "2025-06-18T12:10:30Z")
LaSalle was a companion brand to Cadillac starting in 1927. The brand was only produced until 1940. So if Archie was 50 in '68, he’d be 20 in 1938 and old enough to buy a new or used LaSalle Since LaSalle was a companion to Cadillac, it was not a cheap car. A 20 year old coming out of the Great Depression likely could not afford a new or even a used one. Maybe their parents car? Or maybe the lyrics were chosen because a 2 syllable word worked in the song ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2025, 12:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/archie-bunkers-lasalle/200712/3 "2025-06-18T12:37:02Z")
> [@Mustangman](#): > > Since LaSalle was a companion to Cadillac, it was not a cheap car. A 20 year old coming out of the Great Depression likely could not afford a new or even a used one. +1 LaSalle was not typically owned by blue-collar people. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2025, 12:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/archie-bunkers-lasalle/200712/4 "2025-06-18T12:48:34Z")
My guess they bought a well used one after the war for little $$. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2025, 1:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/archie-bunkers-lasalle/200712/5 "2025-06-18T13:00:11Z")
> [@Mustangman](#): > > Or maybe the lyrics were chosen because a 2 syllable word worked in the song Songwriters often choose names for the number of syllables or rhyming. I think this is likely the reason. Songwriters Strouse and Adams were old enough to know about LaSalles and likely inserted the name because they liked the cars and the name fit. ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2025, 2:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/archie-bunkers-lasalle/200712/6 "2025-06-18T14:06:39Z")
> [@texases](#): > > My guess they bought a well used one after the war for little $$. Agreed. Notice it does not say “Gee our _ **new** _ LaSalle ran great”… 😄 ---
**Author:** ![Triedaq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Triedaq](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Triedaq)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2025, 3:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/archie-bunkers-lasalle/200712/7 "2025-06-18T15:21:25Z")
In 1958, I looked at a 1940 LaSalle at our local Oldsmobile/Cadillac dealer. The price was $75. Right after WW II, car prices were really high. It wasn’t until about 1950 that used car prices dropped. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2025, 3:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/archie-bunkers-lasalle/200712/8 "2025-06-18T15:50:23Z")
> [@Triedaq](#): > > I looked at a 1940 LaSalle at our local Oldsmobile/Cadillac dealer. The price was $75. It’s very possible that a hot-rodder bought it. It seems that a lot of hotrods in the '50s & '60s used a LaSalle transmission. > **[Big Gears For Any Engine](https://www.hotrod.com/features/big-gears-for-any-engine-august-1956-982-414-16-1#google_vignette)** > > Modern overhead valve torque creates a transmission problem that can best be solved by going back a few years By RAY BROCK Group of transmissions around Lou Sal ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2025, 3:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/archie-bunkers-lasalle/200712/9 "2025-06-18T15:58:15Z")
The 1934 LaSalle was offered with an L-head (valve in block) straight 8 engine similar to Oldsmobile’s. 240 cid making 95 hp. Cost about $1850 in '34. It had an independent double A-arm suspension and a solid axle rear on leaf springs (I think). 3 speed manual trans but I read the 37 and later 3 speeds (LaSalle and Cadillac) were the strongest. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2025, 3:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/archie-bunkers-lasalle/200712/10 "2025-06-18T15:59:13Z")
Archie Bunker turned 50 years old in season 4, episode 17 of All in the Family (Jan. 1974). I don’t recall the vehicle from the theme song being mentioned during the show, but it would make sense for Archie to have bought a used car after returning home after World War II. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2025, 9:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/archie-bunkers-lasalle/200712/11 "2025-06-18T21:41:27Z")
If Archie was a true NYC native - it’s highly unlikely he ever owned a car. Public transportation is the best way to travel in NYC. I have cousins who live in NYC and they’ve never had a drivers license. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2025, 11:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/archie-bunkers-lasalle/200712/12 "2025-06-18T23:33:29Z")
Everyone I knew from NYC had cars. Two lived in Brooklyn and the other in Queens. Limited scope, but they did own cars. If you meant Manhattan, then I’d be surprised if anyone owned cars. I visited my friend’s home in Queens and there were cars parked behind the row homes and on the street. Since it was a residential area, I imagine almost all the cars were owned by residents. ---
**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2025, 12:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/archie-bunkers-lasalle/200712/13 "2025-06-19T00:32:22Z")
> [@jtsanders](#): > > Everyone I knew from NYC had cars. Two lived in Brooklyn and the other in Queens. I think the Bunkers were in Queens. And indeed in Queens, Brooklyn, along with Staten Island and the Bronx owning a car is rather common. It’s in Manhattan (the core of NYC, of course) that car ownership is more scare and public transport always accessible. In the other buroughs it’s not always as accessible. Thus the cars. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2025, 2:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/archie-bunkers-lasalle/200712/14 "2025-06-19T02:53:27Z")
There was a mention of owning an automobile early in the series but for most of the series it was said that they didn’t own a car. When they last owned a car is unclear, during one episode Edith said that Archie lost a car years ago while dealing with a gambling problem. When the storyline included a vehicle, it was usually Munson’s cab. The Bunker’s house: 704 Hauser Street, Astoria (Queens) New York was a fictional address. The house shown during the opening credits is believed to be the one in the picture below located in Queens. ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/6/3/63f9a78e135a8b1e9f6793250283bb4b085fb945.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![RandomTroll](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/randomtroll/32/12184_2.png) [@RandomTroll](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RandomTroll)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2025, 4:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/archie-bunkers-lasalle/200712/15 "2025-06-19T16:01:15Z")
> [@Mustangman](#): > > maybe the lyrics were chosen because a 2 syllable word worked in the song That’s my guess. I thought it fun to speculate about, expected you-all to have good guesses. > [@TwinTurbo](#): > > Notice it does not say “Gee our _ **new** _ LaSalle ran great”… People use old sometimes to mean something they had for a long time, even if they bought it new. > [@Triedaq](#): > > Right after WW II, car prices were really high. Considering that there were no new cars made during the war. > [@Nevada\_545](#): > > Archie Bunker turned 50 years old in season 4, episode 17 of All in the Family (Jan. 1974). You’re a better watcher than I was. > [@Nevada\_545](#): > > When the storyline included a vehicle, it was usually Munson’s cab. I remember an episode when the IRS audited him for not reporting his income from cab-driving. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2025, 5:09am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/archie-bunkers-lasalle/200712/16 "2025-06-20T05:09:40Z")
You have to remember these are all Hollywood make believe stories. Any relationship to real life should just be enjoyed as part of the story. ---
**Author:** ![RandomTroll](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/randomtroll/32/12184_2.png) [@RandomTroll](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RandomTroll)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2025, 6:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/archie-bunkers-lasalle/200712/17 "2025-06-20T06:13:19Z")
> [@bing](#): > > these are all Hollywood make believe stories. **NO!** Lassie didn’t save Timmy from the well? ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2025, 8:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/archie-bunkers-lasalle/200712/18 "2025-06-20T20:52:02Z")
I remember they re-recorded the theme song after a few seasons because some of it was hard to understand, including the ‘LaSalle’ line. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2025, 8:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/archie-bunkers-lasalle/200712/19 "2025-06-20T20:58:10Z")
> [@texases](#): > > they re-recorded the theme song after a few seasons because some of it was hard to understand, including the ‘LaSalle’ line. Yup! In the later seasons, Edith slows down the song down a bit and she enunciates “Gee, our old LaSalle ran great” very carefully. Prior to that re-recording, it was difficult to understand _exactly_ what she was saying about the LaSalle. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2025, 10:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/archie-bunkers-lasalle/200712/20 "2025-06-20T22:41:56Z")
My mother met Jean Stapleton when she had breast cancer. Stapleton went to NIH for treatment and needed x-rays. My mother was the lead technician and met anyone she wanted to, and she wanted to meet Stapleton. Mom said that Stapleton was a wonderful person and didn’t let her treatment adversely affect her. [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/archie-bunkers-lasalle/200712.md?page=2)