Cotta (United States) - AllCarIndex

Cotta was an American automobile manufacturer founded by Charles E. Cotta in 1901. The company originated in Lanark, Illinois, where Cotta built his first light steam car in his father's nursery. This early vehicle was notable for its unique design, featuring front-wheel drive in addition to rear-wheel drive, a rarity among its contemporaries. The car was powered by a 6-horsepower, 2-cylinder engine that was centrally mounted within the frame, with power transmitted to all four wheels via chains.

In 1902, Cotta collaborated with Love Manufacturing Company in Rockford, Illinois, to produce additional vehicles. By January 1903, he established the Cotta Automobile Company in Rockford and announced plans for production of a new model for that year. However, the exact number of cars produced remains unclear. Later that year, in November, Cotta sold his company to the Four Wheel Drive Wagon Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which transitioned to manufacturing petrol-engine trucks from 1904 to 1907. The brief existence of Cotta highlighted the early experimentation in automotive design during the dawn of the automobile industry in the United States.