Leroy Cox 

L.M. Cox

Manufacturing

Co, Inc.

Leroy Cox didn’t manufacture an extensive line of balsa model kits, nor was he a pioneer in proportional radio development. His contribution to the world of modeling careened off in a different direction. Power toys. That’s what the early advertisements called them. No matter what platform the glow powered engine was installed in, the heart and star of the toy was the the small, powerful, high pitched, little engine. Manufactured in various sizes, the engines were high quality, finely crafted machines made to exacting tolerances. As a testament to their longevity, engines 20,30, and even over 40 years old are still being used today. If you grew up anytime during the mid 50's thru the early 70's, there was no escaping the gems produced by Leroy Cox. An incredibly savvy marketer, Cox advertisements appeared in numerous youth oriented magazines. His products were sold from many retail catalogs and Leroy’s airplanes and cars could be found in just about any department store with a toy section. Leroy certainly sold me. I had the Baja Bug car and the the Sea Bee boat. And yes, they were a blast! Some Quick History In 1944, near the end of WWII, Leroy Cox started a modest business in his garage manufacturing wooden pop guns. After the war, wooden toys rapidly went out of vogue as metals became increasingly available for general manufacturing. Aware of market trends, Leroy shifted gears in 1946 from wooden to metal toys and began production of a metal push race car. The cars were incredibly successful and Leroy and his staff of 20 were constructing and cranking out 1,500 cars a day! Product development continued, and in 1947 a new car called the “Cox Thimble Drome Champion Race Car” was introduced. The Thimble Drome Race Car was tethered by strings and could be swung around in circles as fast as a youngster could make it go. Tether racing became the rage—and the ensuing dizziness was just a free added bonus. Dizziness soon became a thing of the past however, because 1948 was the year tether cars were fitted with small glow engines for power. The car tether end was secured into the ground and now the young racers could watch the tethered car scream around in circles.  A popular model was called the “Doodle Bug” and is highly sought after by collectors. As small glow fuel engines became more popular, the engines were being bolted to airplane firewalls by free flight and U-control modelers. Leroy continued with designing new engines, refined his production methods, and manufactured the first ready to fly TD-1 U-control airplane in 1953. As the Cox business grew, the manufacturing facilities and the product lines were also expanded. In 1963, manufacturing facilities were moved to Santa Ana California and a year later Cox International Ltd.,Hong Kong was established to produce slot car and train sets. Leroy eventually sold his company to Leisure Dynamics in 1969 because of health and personal reasons. Despite a mostly decent 14 year run with Cox products, Leisure Dynamics eventually went bankrupt in 1983. The Cox brand survived through the years under different owners until the last owner Estes, buried the Cox hatchet for good in 2009. The remaining inventory was sold off to various private entities which currently serve as sources for limited and reproduction Cox products and parts. Leroy’s Legacy When I think about it, I can’t escape Leroy’s legacy in my life and in the lives of others. Leroy’s vision and creations undoubtedly laid the foundation for untold thousands to enter the world of powered modeling. With something for just about everyone, Cox Manufacturing eventually expanded products to included 215 airplanes, 75 cars, 6 boats, and 20 helicopters! A very impressive resume. But Leroy’s toys—were far more than just toys. They opened the door to other disciplines like aeronautics, engineering, electronics, chemistry, and mechanics. One had to tinker with, and maintain a Cox product to keep it running at it’s best. Young owners were challenged to be creative, overcome problems, and to think in a logical way. But most of all, Leroy Cox manufactured products that were just plan fun. Somehow, I don’t think Leroy would have a problem with that—and neither do I. Fly Safe! John W. Blossick johnb@tslidehaven.com August 2019