The late 1950s saw a change in the type of cars being sold at the Ross Ave. dealership. In November 1959, the House of Foreign Cars sought a transfer of its license to the Cicotte Import Motors Company.
Cicotte Motors opened on December 17, 1959, at 1 Ross Ave. The showroom and repair center on the triangle-shaped parcel at High and Maple Streets and Ross Ave., was home to a fourth new car dealership since 1946.
Joseph L. Cicotte, a sports car enthusiast, was the President and Treasurer of the new business. Mr. Cicotte was one of the first members of the Sports Car Club of America, which had grown to over 10,000 members in 1959. Mr. Cicotte planned to sponsor an Alfa-Romeo car racing team.
The dealership carried a line of some rather sporty foreign-manufactured cars, including Lancia, Alfa Romeo and Fiat. The service department at Cicotte Imports had factory-trained workers to repair and service many makes and models of foreign cars. The dealership also served as a destination for imported car parts.
In August of 1960, after 9 months of operation in Holyoke, Cicotte Import Motors relocated to 1615 Riverdale Street in West Springfield, where it remained until 1972.
The final chapter of this series will trace the roots of one of Holyoke’s longest-operating auto dealerships, which was originally located at 1 Ross Ave in Holyoke.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican; publication dates and pages are shown.
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