1961 Covington Tiburon

Designed by Industrialist Henry Covington in the early 1960s, the Tiburon remains the only car designed, built, marketed and sold in the Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL area. Convington and Glenn Gums built the original prototype in 1960. From 1961 through 1962, Frank and Patricia Cacciatore built the production versions of the Porsche Covington Tiburon through their company, Caci-Craft. Production halted in May 1962, upon the death of Covington at the age of 38, after six coupes were completed. Five convertibles were later produced by Glenn Gums through his company, Glenn Industries, from 1963 through 1965. Covington integrated the aerodynamic theories of Dr. Augustus Raspet from Mississippi State University with his theories on proportion and form to create the final design. Noted for its aerodynamically-designed body - which extends fully underneath the car, right to the rear wheels - the car was designed to maximize speed and minimize aerodynamic drag and ground effects.

The Porsche Covington Tiburon was quickly recognized as a significant achievement. It was featured in numerous magazines including Road & Track, Hot Rod, Car Craft, Rod & Custom, Popular Mechanics and a cover feature of Mechanix Illustrated.

The Tiburon coupe was designed to take full advantage of contemporary aerodynamic knowledge and included a full belly pan. Ultimately, in 1966, this design led Road & Track magazine to recognize Henry Covington's Tiburon design as the most streamlined car in the world.