About International Sport Motors
International Sport Motors first opened its doors for business back in 1980 by our owner and founder, Giovanni Palazzo. Giovanni, who is originally from Italy, decided to pursue the automotive industry after graduating from high school. In 1972, he was hired by an Opel dealership in Italy as an apprentice and continued working there for two years. In 1974, Giovanni’s family decided to move from Italy all the way to San Francisco, CA.
Giovanni’s uncle owned an auto repair shop in San Francisco, and he worked there to continue doing what he loved - working on cars. In 1978, he decided to move on and explore other opportunities within the automotive industry. His uncle worked mainly on Domestic vehicles, so Giovanni had a lot of experience with these cars. However, his dream and passion was to work on European vehicles. He found a job at a European repair shop in San Francisco, where he was able to work on a variety of European cars and was shortly after promoted to be a shop foreman and service writer. That was a great opportunity for Giovanni because he was able to learn about the management part of auto repair shops.
In 1980, he decided to take a chance on owning his own business with a friend who specialized in collision repair. They found a warehouse in San Francisco in which they could share a space, and they ended up working together between mechanical and collision repairs. Over time, Giovanni kept himself trained by attending automotive classes and buying technical books to keep himself and his staff updated with the latest vehicle technology. His goal was and still is to always invest in the latest technology and diagnostic equipment to stay on top of modern vehicles.
In 1999, Giovanni hired a young technician, Antonio Gamba, as an apprentice. He is still with International Sport Motors 20 years later! By providing training and a foundation on how to approach diagnostics and repairs correctly, Antonio has become an excellent technician and we now rely on him for every phase of the business. He’s an excellent diagnostician and excels in electrical problems and wiring repairs. He is the Master Technician of ISM and has greatly contributed to the success of our shop.
Giovanni’s son, Antonio, came on board in 2007 and has since taken on full responsibility for the Collision Department at International Sport Motors. He has done a tremendous job of helping the shop continue growing each year.
Whether your European vehicle needs a repair, service, or collision repair, you can trust in the expertise and customer service at our shop. Please feel free to give us a call today or stop by our shop for unparalleled service!
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