John Cox, 1932-2009

John Cox (middle) once published an advertisement with this caption: Would you buy a used car from this man?

Jim Kenzie

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

Toronto has lost perhaps the most innovative car salesman it ever saw. John Cox died late last month from an aneurysm. He was 77.

"Coxie," as he was universally known, was born in London, England, in 1932.

Stints as a sailor with the Norwegian merchant navy, and as a military policeman and professional boxer couldn't really have predicted a career in "the motor trade."

But once he arrived in Canada and decided that working on an assembly line wasn't a long-term proposition, his personal charm, assertiveness and self-confidence led him to selling cars for a living.

His interest in car racing led him to John Webb, then with The Austin Motor Co., where the Canadian Tire store now stands at Yonge and Church Sts.

Together they campaigned a Speedwell Sprite, in which both survived monumental rollover crashes, more by luck than by good management.

Webb, who went on to become vice-president of sales for Jaguar of Canada, eventually had an opening on the Austin sales floor, and Cox had his start.

The list of dealerships and franchises Cox worked at, managed and owned includes the likes of Austin, Morris and MG.

He operated the first Lada dealership in Canada. At various points, he sold Saab, Nissan, Infiniti, Citroen and Alfa Romeo as well.

But he figured his personal tastes and style were better suited to upscale, largely British brands.

Cox teamed up with hotelier George Minden; together they sold a wide variety of cars – Jaguar, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin – using Minden's money and business sense, and Cox's charm and sales skills.

At one point they even part-owned the entire Aston Martin company, keeping it alive long enough for it to survive, as it does to this day.

Among Cox's ploys was a newspaper ad asking prospective customers to offer him a trade for a Rolls-Royce Corniche, a concept dreamed up by his PR guru Brian Greggains.

He received many offers, none of which was accepted, but the publicity was priceless.

During a particularly tough economic time (reminiscent of today, actually), he ran an ad saying, in effect: "If you can't afford a Rolls-Royce, then buy something – anything – to help get the economy rolling again. Even a Tootsie Roll."

Cox's main automotive interest became and remained Jaguar. His last venture was Coventry Lane, located on Eglinton Ave. near Warden Ave. It quickly became one of Jaguar Canada's top dealerships.

John Mackie, a longtime president of Jaguar Canada, now retired, remembers Cox always doing his utmost to get cars into the hands of prospective customers, and keeping those customers happy – not easy when Jaguar quality wasn't always what it should have been.

Despite his occasional outrageousness, almost everyone who ever met him felt the same way, as witnessed by the massive attendance and outpouring of emotion at the wake.

While he was still running Coventry Lane, Cox came across a seemingly simple device – small green plastic arrows that fitted under the lug nuts of transport truck wheels to provide instant identification of loose nuts which could (and did) lead to tragic highway crashes.

He was very enthusiastic about the concept, which led to him starting a Canadian business to manufacture and sell a product that became known as Wheel Check. His daughter began working there and took the business over some 11 years ago.

John Cox: a Cockney barrow boy who was even invited to the wedding of Charles and Diana. You'd have to say he "done good." The increasingly corporate car retailing world will never see his like again.

Cox is survived by his son Brad, daughter Stefni Cox-Walters, four grandchildren and his partner for the past 20 years, Sharon Chow.

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