A page is turning at 1650, avenue Jules-Grec in Antibes. The Boschini garage will close. Boschini, a mechanical institution since 1963! Although retired for ten years, Patrick, 72, is hanging up his screwdrivers, wrenches and pliers at the end of the year. After 55 years of work in this family garage opened by his father, Elie Boschini, Italian, 61 years ago! “My mother died two years ago. My children do something completely different. We were forced to sell to a developer.”
Boschini is the story of a local company in the light of the advent of the automobile. A saga.
First LPG station in the department
“After the war, my maternal grandfather, a mechanic, had a cycle and Motorcycle store in La Fontonne. Avenue Jules-Grec, my parents first built a motorcycle saddlebag workshop in 1952, then the service station La Mure in 1958, the garage in 1963 under the Simca Chrysler brand and, in 1970, an apartment above the garage that we lived in with my brother and my two sisters.” For Patrick, it was a childhood surrounded by sludge and the smell of used oil, wandering around Peugeot 404s, Citroën Ami 6s and other Renault 4s. Before putting his hands in engines at the age of 17 with his father.
After a mechanical CAP, from 1976 he co-managed the company with his brother Christian. At only 24 years old. “In 1980, the Boschini station, a gas depot, was also the first in the Alpes-Maritimes to offer LPG”recalls Christian, Patrick’s brother. “We closed it ago six years ago. Too much competition with supermarkets”, slips Patrick.
During all these decades, a loyal clientele has flocked to the workshop. “With the generations, parents and grandchildren have succeeded each other”he laughs. Like Patricia, who came for a final revision: “I'm a regular. I go with them! I've been coming for twenty years, I love these people!”
A goldsmith mechanic it seems. “Patrick is able to take a car apart and put everything back together without writing anything down”smiles Annick, his wife, responsible for reception and invoicing since 2011. Like this 304 convertible on the bridge, waiting to regain its former glory under her expert fingers.
President of the Antibes Motorcycle Club since 2008
To the change under the hoods, the Antibes craftsman, who employed up to six employees until the 90s, adapted. “Before, cars were less reliable. My father welcomed tourists who leaked connecting rods. Today, you have to do it to break a box! There are mainly electronic problems.”
Patrick Boschini's other passion has always been motorbikes. President of the Antibes Motorcycle Club since 2008, this backpacker has participated in numerous two-wheel races and rallies. And also organized some.
In the garage, there is a sports Aprilia 1,000 Falco from the year 2000, an old Triumph or this BMW sidecar from 1971, in which the couple still rode a few years ago. “With at least ten motorcycles to go back together”the future row of cars should not be bored.
In place of the Boschini garage and the land located behind (i.e. 4,000m2), there will soon be a building of 27 social housing units and 15 semi-detached villas. Boschini, it's over…
