The numbers don’t lie as Tom Hicks and the crew at Southern California Motorcycles & Bicycles was the top dealer… In fact, the store is now a 15-time Triumph Dealer Of the Year award winner. Success certainly breeds success, but it didn’t come easy!
In a far cry from having the largest Triumph inventory in North America, Hicks remembers when he left corporate Honda with little more than a wing and a prayer! “When I opened Southern California Triumph 23 years ago, everyone told me I was crazy and there was no way I would succeed as a dealer. There was a whopping total of six new Triumph motorcycles in the showroom because that was all I could afford with my tiny credit line.” But failure wasn’t an option, even when it meant strapping on his tool belt and framing out the showroom himself.
“My friend Hector Cademartori displayed some of his fantastic artwork because I didn’t have the money to fill the walls with apparel and accessories… I was the only salesman. There was a Service Manager who also worked on bikes and Danny who is still here as a master technician. And, my mother in law handled my parts department. I also did all of the accounting as well as janitor and anything else that needed to be done.”
His hard work was recognized and the little shop that could became the premiere Triumph dealership in the nation. Not one to rest on his laurels, Hicks had decided to honor his team and loyal customers with an epic celebration and show off the commemorative engine cut-away recognizing SoCal Triumph as top dealership in the world (and the collection of Triple Ton awards that led up to it).