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Leata
From Wikipedia - Reading time: 3 min
| 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 23 of the cars & 4 flat bed truck 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.
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