2026 TDOY Nominee
Tom Price
Chairman and Founder of Price Family Dealerships
Larkspur, California
Tom Price is Chairman and Founder of Price Family Dealerships. He 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 February 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 for the 57th annual award 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 an all-in leap 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 — 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, an employee-led network that 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 dollars in charitable assistance to the community annually. He also serves locally as Co-Chairman, Belvedere Residents for Intelligent Growth. “A dealership’s true balance sheet is measured in how it shows up for families in its community.”
Dealers are nominated by the executives of state and metro dealer associations around the country. A panel of faculty members from the Tauber Institute for Global Operations at the University of Michigan will select one finalist from each of the four NADA regions and one national Dealer of the Year. Three finalists will receive $5,000 for their favorite charities and the winner will receive $10,000 to give to charity, donated by Ally.
In its 14th year as exclusive sponsor, Ally also will recognize dealer nominees and their community efforts by contributing $1,000 to each nominee’s 501(c)3 charity of choice. Nominees will be recognized on ally.com/go/tdoy , which highlights the philanthropic contributions and achievements of TIME Dealer of the Year nominees.
“At TIME, our commitment to recognizing the exceptional contributions of automotive dealers remains as strong as ever,” said Jessica Sibley, CEO of TIME. “The TIME Dealer of the Year award continues to celebrate those who not only excel in their profession but also make a meaningful impact in their communities. We are thrilled to continue this legacy in partnership with Ally.”
Doug Timmerman, Ally president of Dealer Financial Services, said, “Auto dealers are the backbones of their communities, providing civic support and significant business leadership. Ally is proud to recognize the unwavering commitment these TIME Dealer of the Year nominees are living every day through their volunteerism, sponsorships, and support of charitable causes. They are the epitome of community heroes, making important and positive impacts in the lives of the people they serve.”
Tom Price was nominated for the TIME Dealer of the Year award by the California New Car Dealers Association. He and his wife, Gwen, have two sons, Gregory and Nick.
