Paperwork Discovered, Dealership Lost

It’s amazing what one can find in a box, especially when it has not been opened for three or more years.

Over the weekend, I was on a mission to find some items that I needed to finally complete a project. Having a rough idea as to their exact location, I started diving into dust covered Rubbermaid crates and found some more dealer paperwork that my parents – and subsequently I – managed to save over the years. You may recall my earlier post regarding the Honda and Oldsmobile my father owned.

Lying right on top upon opening the lid was a clearly aged envelope addressed to my father, peppered with a 6-cent, 4-cent and two 1-cent stamps; the return address was Picard Motor Sales. Now, I always knew my mom had an MG Midget, but had no idea who they bought it from – until this weekend. Inside were two sheets of paper:

This is the Bill of Sale, signed by the president of Picard, dated 4-1-70 for the purchase of said 1970 Midget for the sum of $2,350. Other than my mom’s maiden name and address, this lone piece of paper stated the car’s color (green); VIN (GAN5UA75920G); engine number (12CDDAH22200).

This second sheet is from the State of Connecticut, certifying that my parents paid $117.50 in tax on April 17, just a couple of months before they were married. Short of going into a lot of detail, I know that the MG did not last long as a member of the ever-changing family fleet.

From what I have been able to ascertain, Picard Motor Sales, Inc. is no longer listed in the North Smithfield, Rhode Island, yellow pages. At the time, they were located at 923 Eddie Dowling Highway, which according to the provided link is nothing more than an overgrown empty lot next to a Subaru dealer.

Does anyone have any idea what happened to Picard Motors? Additionally, I’m curious if that Midget still exists.