Covert (United States) - AllCarIndex

Covert was an American automobile manufacturer that operated from 1902 to 1907, primarily based in Lockport, New York. The company was initially established as Byron V. Covert & Co. in 1902, before rebranding to Covert Motor Vehicle Co. in 1904. Byron Covert, the founder, initially intended to produce steam-powered vehicles but shifted focus to gasoline-powered cars.

The first production model was a small runabout equipped with a 3-horsepower single-cylinder engine and chain drive. This vehicle featured a compact design, with a wheelbase of 62 inches (1575 mm) and a weight of only 350 pounds (160 kg). In 1903, the company upgraded the runabout by replacing the chain drive with a gear drive system sourced from a rear axle-mounted gearbox, which increased the engine's output to 5 horsepower.

During its operation, Covert introduced a 24-horsepower four-cylinder tourer priced at $2,250 in 1904 and 1905. However, in the final two years of production, the company focused solely on the runabout, which was then upgraded to a 6.5-horsepower engine and featured a longer wheelbase of 72 inches (1830 mm). Despite its brief existence, Covert contributed to the early automotive landscape in the United States.