TIME AND ALLY FINANCIAL HONOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA DEALER FOR 2026
Tom Price, Price Family Dealerships, Wins National Recognition for Community Service and Industry Excellence
SSACRAMENTO, CA, November 26, 2025 – The California New Car Dealers Association is pleased to announce California’s nomination of Tom Price, chairman and founder of Price Family Dealerships, for the 2026 TIME Dealer of the Year award, recently shared 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 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 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 $1.05 million for students with special needs,” Price said. In addition, Tom donates to over 250 local charities, totaling more than $1 million in annual charitable assistance to the community.
He also serves locally as co-chairman for 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 metropolitan 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 donate to charity, courtesy of Ally.
In its 14th year as the exclusive sponsor, Ally is recognizing dealer nominees and their community efforts by contributing $1,000 to each nominee’s 501(c)(3) charity of choice. Nominees are recognized online at 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.
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About TIME
TIME is the 100-year-old global media brand that reaches a combined audience of over 120 million around the world through its iconic magazine and digital platforms. With unparalleled access to the world’s most influential people, the trust of consumers and partners globally, and an unrivaled power to convene, TIME’s mission is to tell the essential stories of the people and ideas that shape and improve the world. Today, TIME also includes the Emmy Award®-winning film and television division TIME Studios; a significantly expanded live events business built on the powerful TIME100 and Person of the Year franchises and custom experiences; TIME for Kids, which provides trusted news with a focus on news literacy for kids and valuable resources for teachers and families; the award-winning branded content studio Red Border Studios; an industry-leading web3 division; the website-building platform TIME Sites; the sustainability and climate action platform TIME CO2; the new e-commerce and content platform TIME Stamped, and more.
About Ally Financial
Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE: ALLY) is a financial services company with the nation’s largest all-digital bank and an industry-leading auto financing business, driven by a mission to “Do It Right” and be a relentless ally for customers and communities. The company serves more than 11 million customers through a full range of online banking services (including deposits, mortgage, point-of-sale personal lending, and credit card products) and securities brokerage and investment advisory services. The company also includes a robust corporate finance business that offers capital for equity sponsors and middle-market companies, as well as auto financing and insurance offerings. For more information, please visit www.ally.com and follow @allyfinancial. For more information and disclosures about Ally, visit https://www.ally.com/#disclosures. For further images and news on Ally, please visit http://media.ally.com.
About the NADA Show
The annual NADA Show brings together more than 20,000 franchised dealers and their employees, industry leaders, manufacturers and exhibitors to learn about the latest auto industry tools, trends, products and technologies.
About CNCDA
For over 100 years, CNCDA has protected and promoted the interests of California’s franchised new car and truck dealers. Your membership makes a difference! Thanks to members like you, we deliver essential legal compliance support, educational resources, advocacy, and exclusive events.
In 2024, California’s franchised new car dealers sold more than 1.85 million new cars and trucks, employed more than 138,478 people, paid $8.83 billion in sales tax, and donated $70.75 million to charitable and civic organizations. CNCDA is the nation’s largest state association of franchised automotive dealers, with nearly 1,200 members, and provides compliance resources, as well as legislative, regulatory, and legal advocacy.