Getting Into Automotive
08/20/2018
The company’s then Chairman, Jim Cox Jr., purchased Manheim Auto Auction, a small operation in Manheim, Pennsylvania, in 1968. Cox had become aware of the fledgling auto auction industry through its ownership of the “Black Book” used car price guides.
Cox purchased the Black Book’s publishing company, National Auto Research Publications, in 1965, and it was considered a standard price guide for used cars. Three years later Gene McDonald, head of the publishing company, heard that a growing company selling used cars was for sale. He passed along his recommendation to buy Manheim Auction to higherups.
Though a departure from the company’s media properties, Manheim met the success requirements of Cox’s other businesses: an emphasis on customer service (not inventory), high operating margins and an industry with lots of growth potential.
The 1980s saw Manheim Auctions acquire its first non-U.S. auction in Toronto, Canada, making Cox an international company. As the 1990s arrived, so did Autotrader.com. Launched in 1997, the online marketplace for car shoppers and sellers became the top automotive classified website by the year 2000.
Today, the many Cox Automotive brands continue to be leaders in their industries for vehicle remarketing, digital marketing and software solutions.
SHARE THIS NEWS
Read more like this

Cox Enterprises
The James M. Cox Foundation and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Help Protect Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp
06/26/2025
A passion for the environment and editorial pressure lead to historic land deal.

Cox Enterprises
Winners of Chairman's Challenge Recognized for Carbon-Cutting Actions
06/05/2025
Employees who earned the most points from participating in Chairman's Challenge activities worked with...

Cox Enterprises
Cox Farms Donates 1 Million Pounds of Fresh Food to Families in Need
05/30/2025
Our partnership with Feeding America® brings fresh produce to local communities nationwide.