Cox model engine

Background

Cox Manufacturing began in 1945 in founder Leroy Cox's garage, making wooden popguns. After metal became available in 1946, Cox shifted to metal tether cars.

A fire in August 1946 forced a move to larger premises in Santa Ana, California. In 1947 Cox produced a racing car using a Cameron Brothers engine, generating $200,000 in sales in its first year. In 1949 Cox developed its own engine for the tether car, the 'O Forty Five' (.045 cubic inch), incorporating parts from Mel Anderson's Spitzy engine.

In 1950 Cox spent eight months developing the .049 Space Bug contest engine, completed in October 1951. This engine went into full production in 1952 and was so popular it caused problems for other manufacturers. In 1953 Cox produced its first ready-to-fly airplane, the TD1, powered by the Space Bug. A three-year copyright infringement lawsuit from Jim Walker ended in 1955 with Cox winning; Walker's bellcrank patent was ruled invalid. In 1956 the Babe Bee 049, designed by William Selzer, sold for $3.95 and used an extruded aluminum crankcase, further dominating the market.

In 1960 engineer Bill Atwood was hired to develop a .010 cubic inch engine; he also designed the Tee Dee and Medallion lines. The company moved to larger facilities in 1963 and later expanded into slot cars, establishing Cox International in Hong Kong in 1965. The slot car fad ended in 1967, causing cash flow problems. Cox retired in 1969 after his wife's death and sold the company to Leisure Dynamics Inc. The company changed hands several times: purchased by Estes Industries in 1996, then by Hobbico in 2010, and finally by MECOA in 2019 after Hobbico's bankruptcy.

Did You Know?

• Cox operated a Flying Circle at Disneyland from 1957 to 1965.