Behold: The most forgotten American ute.

"Jim Spanfeller" (awesomeaustinv) 06/03/2020 at 00:53 • Filed to: oddimotive

8

28

This is a Leata Cabalero. No, not Caballero, Cabalero. Yes, they misspelled the name of their own car/truck/thing. It was created by a man named Donald E. Stinebauch, because... i t seemed like a good idea at the time? Manufactured in Post Falls, Idaho, they made 97 of them between 1976 and 1977 before shutting down production. I guess the idea was that since America at the time liked both personal luxury cars and compact cars, why not make a car that was both?

You could get one in either a coupe or pickup body style, and neither had particularly elegant styling. It looks like a shrunken caricature of the personal luxury cars it was trying to emulate . I like it. It’s silly and ridiculous and fun-looking. And kind of adorable in a slightly goofy/derpy way. But that unfortunately didn’t translate into sales .

It certainly didn’t help that from a technical perspective, it was basically 350 pounds of extra bodywork of questionable quality on a Chevy Chevette chassis with zero mechanical upgrades to handle the extra weight. They somehow made a Chevette worse.

But as both a proud Idahoan and a lover of quirky cars, I gotta say I like these ridiculous little things. You see plenty of LS-swapped Chevettes on the internet, and I imagine doing something similar in one of these would be hilarious. It’s my Holy Grail of weird crappy cars. Long live the Cabalero!

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Jim Spanfeller 06/03/2020 at 00:58

1

Wasn’t the Caballero a GMC version of the El Camino? Maybe it was already taken and they had marketing materials printed so they just went at it with some white out. 

Are there any other Idahoan cars designed and built within the state? Can't think of anything for Georgia.

Jim Spanfeller > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 06/03/2020 at 01:06

2

It’s often referred to as “the best/ most beautiful car ever made in Idaho, ” although the fact that it’s the only car ever made in Idaho certainly helps!

There was a GMC Caballero, but if there were any legal issues, they aren’t documented. I would be surprised if GM even noticed this thing’s existence at the time.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Jim Spanfeller 06/03/2020 at 01:18

2

fintail > Jim Spanfeller 06/03/2020 at 01:20

3

Looks like a sibling to the uh generously styled Monte Carlo-based Custom Cloud (this one resulted in swift legal action):

Jim Spanfeller > fintail 06/03/2020 at 01:27

1

That thing looks awesome, but yeah heaven forbid you should give your car a Rolls Royce-esque grille... That will not end well for you.

Jim Spanfeller > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 06/03/2020 at 01:28

0

Would you rather have a Tafco Cabalero?

lone_liberal > Jim Spanfeller 06/03/2020 at 01:30

1

I'm here 40 minutes from Post Falls and I've never heard of this. Interesting! 

Jim Spanfeller > lone_liberal 06/03/2020 at 01:32

2

Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention they cost twice as much as a Chevette. That didn’t do sales figures any favors, either.

lone_liberal > Jim Spanfeller 06/03/2020 at 01:35

1

Especially not with the double digits interest rates we had back then.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Jim Spanfeller 06/03/2020 at 02:22

3

Jim Spanfeller > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 06/03/2020 at 03:32

0

Leata ee s always the answer.

Stef Schrader > Jim Spanfeller 06/03/2020 at 06:24

1

Oooooooooh. NEAT.

ranwhenparked > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 06/03/2020 at 08:24

1

Georgia was the last home of Avanti Motor Corp, before they packed up and split for Cancun. Of course, by that point, they were just bolting fiberglass panels to F -bodies and, later, Mustangs.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Jim Spanfeller 06/03/2020 at 08:41

2

My god.....that is hideous.....and yes I sortof like the coupe version...?

shop-teacher > Jim Spanfeller 06/03/2020 at 08:46

0

I'm guessing the truck is a several hundred pounds heavier Chevy LUV.

Jim Spanfeller > shop-teacher 06/03/2020 at 09:26

0

Nope, they’re both Chevette-based.

Jim Spanfeller > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 06/03/2020 at 09:28

1

It’s kinda cute in its own weird, hideous way!

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Jim Spanfeller 06/03/2020 at 09:35

0

The most beautiful car made in Idaho. Hmmm. Does that make you the best looking Oppo in Idaho too?

Yet Ferrari has gone after influencers for associating their brand with something everyone associates their brand with. GM might have known considering they were using Chevette chassis.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > ranwhenparked 06/03/2020 at 09:36

0

Dang, that’s all we get? A great car that should have given up the ghost long ago?

Edit: we've got north american Porsche!

Jim Spanfeller > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 06/03/2020 at 10:51

1

True... I have no idea. And token liberal lives in Idaho too, so I’d have to see them in person to be sure I’m the most handsome Idahoan Oppo ;)

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Jim Spanfeller 06/03/2020 at 10:55

0

You've got about a 50/50 chance of it. Georgia, specifically the Atlanta area, has a lot of competition here so I don't think I'm winning any Oppo beauty pageants. Though I do display my face proudly up front (hehehe) for anyone who cares to notice. People have said my chin could cut diamonds. . . 

Jim Spanfeller > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 06/03/2020 at 10:59

1

It can cut diamonds, don’t ask me how I know.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Jim Spanfeller 06/03/2020 at 11:04

0

Diamond cutters aren’t known for th eir pretty mugs though.

Jim Spanfeller > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 06/03/2020 at 11:05

0

Pugs on the other hand...

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Jim Spanfeller 06/03/2020 at 11:06

1

I don't think a pug would be very pretty either after a run in with an industrial cutting machine. 

shop-teacher > Jim Spanfeller 06/03/2020 at 11:17

0

Dayum!  I can’t imagine how slow that truck is then!

Jim Spanfeller > shop-teacher 06/03/2020 at 19:30

1

Very slow. And with woefully inadequate brakes. I still want one though.

shop-teacher > Jim Spanfeller 06/03/2020 at 20:03

1

Understandable :)