BRANSON — Jim Cox grew up in Kansas City, graduated from Southwest High School in 1961 and raced an MG TF in 1962.

 The TF that Cox raced wasn’t his own, but rather it was owned by two attorneys from St. Louis. Cox befriended the duo at the Lake Garnett Grand Prix when he volunteered to help on their pit crew. When the driver burned his hands, Cox suggested that he drive the car. Since he was not yet 21 years old, he registered as C.J. Ellis. In the race, the MG’s transmission broke after only a few laps.

 After the race, the attorneys dropped the car in Kansas City so Cox could repair it. He promised he would return it to the owners at the next Sports Car Club of America race, which was in Ponca City, Okla. To get the car from Kansas City to Oklahoma, Cox had two tabs welded onto the frame behind the front bumper so he could attach a tow bar. After the Ponca City race, the car went back to its owners.

 Cox lived in Oregon for a number of years, but he moved to Branson in the late 1980s and became close friends with Mark Trimble, one of Branson’s founding fathers and owner of the Shepherd of the Hills Farm. In 1989, Trimble, who owned an Ozark auto museum and auction business, encouraged Cox to buy his auction business. Cox agreed, but his purchase came at a time when the collector-car market was hitting bottom. Cox worked hard and today the Branson Collector Car Auction prospers. Cox has two auctions each year.

 Cox and Trimble were pals who loved to collect cars. Between the two of them, they assembled a complete set of MGs: A TC, a TD, a TF, an A, a B and a C. In time, they decided to split up their MGs, and Cox, remembering his first race in a TF, decided that he would take the TF that Trimble owned.

 One afternoon, when he raised the car on a lift, he noticed two tabs welded to the frame. That piqued his curiousity and reminded him of the tabs that he had welded on a TF in 1962. He checked the serial number and called the SCCA’s office to see if there was a record of the car ever being raced. The answer was yes, in 1962.

 “Who was the driver?” Cox asked.

 “C.J. Ellis,” came the reply.

 Cox couldn’t believe his ears. By complete coincidence, he now owned the first car he ever raced.