Leata
| Company type | Public company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | Post Falls, Idaho, United States (1975) |
| Founder | Donald E. Stinebaugh |
| Defunct | 1977 |
| Headquarters | , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Donald E. Stinebaugh, Leonard D. "Sonny" Stinebaugh (1946-2001) |
| Products | Microcars, Luxury cars |
The Leata was an automobile manufactured by Stinebaugh Manufacturing Inc, founded by Donald E. Stinebaugh (1916-1992) with his son Leonard D. "Sonny" Stinebaugh (1946-2001) in Post Falls, Idaho.
The first model produced in 1975 was a boxy 2-door sedan powered by a 4-cylinder Continental engine, producing 50 bhp and giving the car a top speed of 112 kilometres per hour (70 mph), as well as fuel economy of 39-55 miles per gallon.[1] The car sold for $2895, and Stinebaugh claimed to have manufactured 20 by the end of March 1975. The company employed 15 workers, and Stinebaugh claimed that he was looking to produce between 1,000 and 1,500 cars a year.[1]
In 1977, a more modern-looking vehicle was launched, called the Cabalero. Stinebaugh named the car after his wife Hilda (Erickson) Stinebaugh, giving the car her nickname, Leata — a misunderstanding of litt, Norwegian for "little."
The Cabalero was powered by a 4-cylinder General Motors LY-5 engine,[1] and featured power windows, power seat and cruise control — as well as baroque styling with custom fibreglass body panels, round headlights in square bezels, a rectangular "classic" grille, and heavily styled mudguards; Two models were made - a pickup or hatchback.[2]
Just 97 Leatas were made before the company closed down in late 1977.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Georgano, Nick (2000). Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile. London, England: Stationery Office. p. 886. ISBN 0117023191.
- ^ McAleer, Brendan (2016-03-22). "I Drove the Worst Car in America". The Drive.
- ^ Matthews, Nigel. "The Leata was a Chevette disguised as a luxury car". driving.ca. Retrieved 23 September 2020.