Auto Kings Harry Addison and Nelson Davis
On a crisp February morning walk through beautiful Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, I discovered the plots of two legends in Toronto’s automobile business: Harry Addison, founder of Addison on Bay, and Nelson Davis, who built the highly successful Parkwood Central Motors dealership.
Harry Addison was born in Toronto and operated the dealership at 832 Bay Street—once owned and opened in 1925 by Samuel McLaughlin, the founder of General Motors of Canada.
In 1955, leveraging his strong connections at GM, Harry seized the opportunity to purchase the Bay Street dealership, which he renamed Addison on Bay. It would grow to become Canada’s largest Cadillac dealership.
Just north of him, at 2400 Yonge Street near Eglinton, was Harry’s competition: Parkwood Central, founded by Nelson Davis.
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Nelson arrived in Toronto in 1929 and built his fortune in automobiles and savvy investments in undervalued companies. At one point, his success made him the richest person in Canada.
Harry Addison, also a successful racehorse owner and former Harbour Commission chair, passed away in Toronto on August 2, 1985, at the age of 80.
Nelson Davis, sadly sharing a tragic ending like his son Glen, died suddenly by drowning while swimming in his Phoenix, Arizona pool on March 13, 1979. He was 72.
