2026 TIME Dealer of the Year Nominee, Tom Price CALIFORNIA DEALER RECOGNIZED FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE AND INDUSTRY EXCELLENCE The nomination of Tom Price, chairman and founder of Price Family Dealerships, for the 2026 TIME Dealer of the Year award was announced in October by TIME, in partnership with Ally. Price is one of a select group of 47 dealer nominees from across the country who will be honored at the 109th annual National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Feb. 5, 2026. The TIME Dealer of the Year award is one of the automobile industry’s most prestigious and highly coveted honors. The award recognizes the nation’s most successful auto dealers who also demonstrate a long-standing commitment to community service. Price was chosen to represent the California New Car Dealers Association in the national competition — one of only 47 auto dealers nominated from more than 20,000 nationwide. A lifelong car enthusiast, Price began selling cars while in college and later served in the Lincoln-Mercury Division at Ford Motor Company before moving into retail. “I loved cars as a child, and when I started calling on dealerships for Ford, I fell in love with the retail and entrepreneurial side of the business,” Price said. “A dealer told me, ‘If you like this business so much, why not go retail?’ So I did.” In 1976, Price and his wife took a leap of faith to acquire their first store. “My wife of 53 years and I sold our house and cars, used our savings and even cashed credit cards to buy an Oldsmobile dealership,” he said. “We survived gas lines and 20% interest rates — and we kept growing.” He went on to build First America Automotive to 31 dealerships, served as vice chairman of Sonic Automotive and then re-founded Price Family Dealerships, which today includes 15 dealerships representing 20 brands and 1,300+ employees across Northern California. “Not every plan goes as expected — our IPO fell through — but rebuilding as a family company with my sons has been better than I could have hoped,” Price added. Price has invested more than $96 million since 2010 in new and remodeled facilities while modernizing operations. “Actions speak louder than words,” he said. “That’s why we adopted our Simple Price, Simple Process approach — one price and one salesperson. What used to take 3-4 hours now takes 60-90 minutes, and customers leave smiling.” The group also implemented video multi-point inspections across all service lanes. “Transparency builds trust — our videos turn ‘trust us’ into ‘see for yourself,’” Price said. A six-month internal contest identified best-practice videos and rewarded technicians. “When customers can see their brakes and tire tread on screen, they feel respected and informed.” Developing people is central to Price’s philosophy. “We’re fueled by good people, doing the right thing, together,” he said. “From UTI partnerships to NADA Academy, we invest in technicians and future leaders — and we share success with buy-in opportunities so top performers can build wealth with us.” Tom also championed the creation of the Price Family Women’s Circle. This employee-led network empowers women across 30 dealerships through mentorship, leadership development and community service, strengthening company culture and advancing female representation in the automotive industry. Price Family Dealerships also built a comprehensive wellness ecosystem, including an emergency relief fund, a 24/7 employee assistance program and the company-wide DriveFit challenge. “When people face a crisis, they shouldn’t face it alone — that’s why we created our emergency relief fund,” Price noted. Community impact is a long-standing commitment. “For 20 years, we’ve donated a new Toyota annually to Dedication to Special Education, helping raise more than $1,050,000 for students with special needs,” Price said. In addition, Tom donates to over 250 local charities each year, totaling over $1 million in charitable assistance to the community annually. 11 California New Car Dealer Quarterly
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