John Cox - "Coxy" to everyone who knew him - passed away earlier this week.
On Monday, he had headed down to the lobby of the Colonnade in mid-town Toronto where he lived to buy a newspaper and a coffee, when he collapsed. He died later that day due to an aneurism. As his son Bradley says, "He was always in a hurry to get somewhere."
Coxy was born in London England on May 18, 1931. Prize-fighter, military policeman, male model, race car driver, father, grandfather and party-thrower extraordinaire, he was best known to most as perhaps the ultimate car salesman, flogging everything - literally - from Lada to Rolls-Royce.
But Jaguar was his first love. At various times he owned and/or managed some of the biggest and most successful Jaguar retailers in Canada.
We'll have more on this remarkable man in Wheels next week.
Meanwhile, friends are encouraged to attend what son Brad is calling a "Cockney Wake" (competes well with the Irish version) to be held, he says, in "our" honour tonight - Friday October 30 - at Prego Restaurant, 150 Bloor Street West at Avenue Road, starting at 7 p.m. and ending - well, whenever.
"Flowers are not welcome, tears are understood and laughter is mandatory!" says Brad.
The more, the merrier.
John was a bona fide legend in auto retailing in our city. It's sad that we've lost him; my condolences to his family.
John Arnone
Posted by: John Arnone | October 30, 2009 at 08:47 AM
Coxy was character and a great man. The last time I saw him was when I bumped into at Restaurant One in June as my wife and I were celebrating our anniversary. I told him I still have newspaper cuttings of his 'Cash or Barter for a Corniche' ad back in the eighties and the commotion it stirred up, with two stories in the Star and the Sun. He laughed. I scanned them and they are on the website Bentleyspotting for all to see.
I also recall when he left Grand Touring in the early nineties: He drove around for weeks in a little red Nissan Paseo - not his style at all...
Posted by: David Irvine | October 31, 2009 at 08:56 AM