Tom Price Nominated for 2026 TIME Dealer of the Year

We are proud to share that our founder and chairman, Tom Price, has been nominated for the 2026 TIME Dealer of the Year Award by the California New Car Dealers Association. Tom is one of only 47 dealer nominees selected from more than 20,000 dealers nationwide who will be recognized at the 109th National Automobile Dealers Association Show in Las Vegas on February 5, 2026.

The TIME Dealer of the Year award honors dealers who combine outstanding business performance with deep community impact. Tom’s nomination reflects that standard and celebrates the culture he has built at Price Family Dealerships.

A Legacy Built on Hard Work and Heart

In 1976, Tom and his wife Gwen sold their home and cars, used their savings, and even cashed credit cards to acquire a modest Oldsmobile dealership in Daly City. They weathered gas lines and sky-high interest rates and kept growing.

The store was small and unremarkable on paper, but Tom brought it to life with energy, heart, and a relentless focus on doing things the right way. Within one year, the store became the number one Oldsmobile dealership in the western United States. It wasn’t a fluke. It was the result of hard work, a commitment to integrity, and a belief that if you take care of people – employees and customers alike – success will follow. Milestones that followed included creating a diverse team including the first woman service writer in Northern California, being one of three non-Toyota Lexus dealerships in the US, and serving on dealer councils for Oldsmobile, Jaguar/Land Rover, and Lexus as its Chairman.

That was just the beginning.

Over the decades, Tom built and led respected dealership organizations, served as Vice Chairman of Sonic Automotive, then re-founded Price Family Dealerships, which today includes 30 franchise dealerships representing 20 brands across Northern California with a team of 1,300 plus employees.

Transforming the Customer Experience

Tom’s vision for a better car-buying experience inspired the creation of our Simple Price, Simple Process — a transparent approach that puts customers first. With one price and one dedicated salesperson, guests complete their purchase in 60 to 90 minutes instead of three or four hours. This model delivers what today’s customers value most: clarity, trust, and time.

In our service departments, that same commitment to transparency continues. Every location features Video Multi-Point Inspections, allowing customers to see exactly what our technicians see. By turning “trust us” into “see for yourself,” we strengthen confidence and ensure every customer feels informed and respected.

Investing in People

At Price Family Dealerships, we believe people power our progress. That’s why Tom has built a comprehensive wellness ecosystem supporting both the physical and mental well-being of our employees and their families.

Emergency Relief Fund
Our Emergency Relief Fund offers financial assistance to employees and their families facing unexpected hardships such as fires, violent crime, or family emergencies. It provides a safety net when life takes an unforeseen turn, reflecting our belief that no one should face a crisis alone.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
We also provide a confidential 24/7 Employee Assistance Program that connects employees and their families with professional counselors at no cost. The program supports emotional health, stress management, addiction recovery, and relationship well-being, while also offering access to legal, financial, and family care resources to promote a balanced life.

DriveFit Challenge
Launched this year, the Price Family DriveFit Challenge encourages team members to take charge of their health through an inclusive company-wide fitness competition. With scalable workouts, lifestyle tracking, live leaderboards, and dealership team challenges, DriveFit builds camaraderie while celebrating progress and perseverance.

These programs embody our core value of being Fueled by Good People, Doing the Right Thing, Together, ensuring that employee wellness extends beyond the workplace into every aspect of life.

Beyond wellness, we invest heavily in professional growth and education. Through partnerships with NADA Academy and Universal Technical Institute (UTI), we cultivate the next generation of automotive professionals, from certified Master Technicians to emerging dealership leaders. Our scholarship programs open doors for students pursuing careers in the automotive industry, strengthening the local workforce and keeping expertise rooted in our Northern California communities.

And through initiatives like the Price Family Women’s Circle, we continue to nurture mentorship, leadership development, and community engagement, ensuring every employee has a voice and an opportunity to grow.

Thanks to Tom’s example, these programs and partnerships exist not just as benefits, but as proof of what happens when a company truly invests in its people. His belief that success is shared — and that good people make great things possible — continues to guide every step we take forward.

Showing Up for the Community

For more than 20 years Tom has donated a new Toyota annually to Dedication to Special Education, helping raise more than $1,000,000 for students with special needs, and each year our dealerships support 250 plus local charities with more than $1 million in assistance.

Tom and Gwen have also been long-time supporters of To Celebrate Life, Special Olympics, the Salvation Army, and the San Francisco Fine Arts Museum among many other causes that strengthen families, education, health, and the arts.

As Tom says, a dealership’s true balance sheet is measured in how it shows up for families in its community.

A Life Fueled by Passion

Tom’s relationship with cars has always gone far beyond the business. He is a lifelong car enthusiast and an accomplished vintage racer. One of the original ten McLaren franchise owners in the United States, Tom also owns and races a number of the rarest and most iconic cars ever built, including a 1963 Ferrari 250GTO.

Over the last 30 years, he has competed in more than 1,000 historic races and multiple rallies across the world. He has won four Ferrari-Maserati Historic Championships and built a reputation as both a skilled driver and a true steward of automotive history.

“For me, it’s about experiencing these extraordinary cars as they were meant to be driven,” Tom says. “I’m just grateful for the opportunity.”

Family First

For all his achievements in the automotive world, Tom is most proud of the family he and his wife Gwen have built together. The couple live in Marin County and are the proud parents of Greg and Nick, daughter-in-law Hannah, and grandparents to Noah and Ulla.

Tom remains closely involved in the company, mentoring leaders, visiting showrooms, and shaping the culture. His sons are now deeply engaged in the business, continuing the legacy with the same values and dedication that have always guided their father.

An Honor Well Deserved

Tom’s nomination for the 2026 TIME Dealer of the Year recognizes nearly five decades of leadership in business and service to community. From that first Daly City store to a family of dealerships across Northern California, his journey proves that excellence is built choice by choice and day by day.

Please join all of us at Price Family Dealerships in congratulating Tom Price on this well deserved honor!