Covin (automobile)

This article is about the Covin kit car. For the legal term, see covin.

Covin

Production	Early 1980s–1990 Approx
Body style	2-door coupe 2+2 2-door convertible 2+2
Layout	Rear engine, rear-wheel drive
Platform	Covin own or Shorterned VW Beetle chassis
Engine	Various fitments
Transmission	4-speed automatic 4 or 5-speed manual
Wheelbase	87.2 in (2,215 mm)
Length	Coupe: 165.2 in (4,196 mm)
Width	Coupe: 72.1 in (1,831 mm)
Height	Coupe: 50 in (1,270 mm)
Related	Volkswagen Beetle

The Covin is a replica kit car of the Porsche 911 Turbo created by Tim Cook and Nick Vincent in the early 1980s. The name Covin came about from CO (Cook) and VIN (Vincent) giving us COVIN Performance Mouldings. Early models of the Covin were based on a shortened Beetle floorpan/running gear but later used its own Covin chassis and VW Type 3 running gear.

The company was sold in the 1990s to DAX and later to GPC and was relocated to Co. Galway Ireland where unfortunately up to now the Covin has not been produced again. The Covin came in 3 body styles all based on the Turbo model. These were, Flatnose and Coupe, both were also available in a convertible version. There is also known to be only one narrow body Covin ever made.

Covin also produced a few 356 Speedster models but these are rather rare.

A few Covins even run real Porsche 911 engines.

The Concept

Picture the scene: the cold sands of Cornwall in early spring reaching down to the angry grey bluster of the Atlantic. Two friends wrapped up against the cold while taking a well earned holiday in the west country. Not exactly the ideal conditions for designing a car you would think but that was how the Covin Turbo Coupe was conceived. Tim Cook and Nick Vincent (hence the Co-Vin name) were the men behind the project and an incredible eight months saw the twinkle in their eyes in production and ready for sale at the Stoneleigh Park show. They both felt that there was a gap in the market for a stylish G.T with all the comforts of a production car but at the reasonable price of a kit car.

The Covin Club

The Club is run by Darren Parker (Club Technical Advisor) & Club Secretary Michael Dykes.

External links

• Covin website
• Covin Forum