1938 LaSalle Production - GM Heritage Center

Locks and Keys
Maximum protection is provided by the Cadillac system
of locks and keys. Two sets of two keys each are furnished
with the car. The octagonal-handled key is the driver's
key; it operates the front doors, the ignition switch, and
the spare wheel lock on cars equipped with fenderwells.
The round-handled key operates the compartment locks,
including those for the instrument panel compartment, the
rear deck on Coupes, and the trunk compartment on Sedans.
The advantage of this arrangement is that baggage can be
kept locked while the car is left with public garage or parking
lot attendants.
As a protection against unauthorized persons securing
keys, the key numbers do not appear either on the keys or
the face of the locks, but on small metal slugs fastened in
the keys. Mark these key numbers on your Certificate
of Title or Bill of Sale, as soon as you take delivery of the
car, and have your dealer knock these number slugs out
of the keys and destroy them. If this is not done, you
lose part of your protection.
Duplicate keys, if required,
can be ordered
by key numbers from
the nearest Authorized
Cadillac-LaSalle Service
Station. If the key
number is not known,
you must order by car
engine number from
your own dealer or from
the Cadillac Motor Car
Division, Detroit.
Page 16
Door%ocks—The doors can all be locked from the inside
by pushing down the small lock button. They can also be
locked from the outside with, the button by depressing the
button while the door is open and then holding the door
handle all the way down while closing the door. The
button snaps to the unlocked poistion when the door is
closed in the usual fashion.
The front doors can be locked and unlocked with the
driver's key. They can also be locked with the lock button
and when so locked, the key will unlock them. Be careful
not to lock the keys in the car when locking doors with
the lock button.
Lock your car. Never leave it unlocked when unattended.
Ventilation
The ventilating panes in the front door windows and the
rear windows of sedans can be pivoted to secure any degree
of ventilation, with a minimum of drafts.
In cold weather or in rain or snow, they can be opened
slightly to provide just enough air circulation to prevent
window and windshield steaming or fogging.
Page 17
In extremely hot
weather, the front ventilators
can be turned almost
completely around
to a position that will
"scoop" air into the car.
Additional air can be
secured in warm weather
through the cowl ventilator,
which is screened
to keep out insects, etc.