New York City Mayor Honors Auto Dealers

Greater New York Automobile Dealers Celebrate 100 Year Anniversary; Announce Cars, Culture & the City Museum Exhibit

NEW YORK, March 2 -- At a special ceremony exactly one hundred years after the founding of the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association, New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg presented the Association's Board of Directors with a proclamation announcing February 24, 2010 as 'Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association Day'. The presentation took place in the Blue Room at City Hall.

Mayor Bloomberg praised GNYADA and its members for a century of demonstrated commitment to the improvement of the auto industry and the community. His proclamation also commended the Association for its dedication to education and training to ensure a highly-skilled workforce and its outreach to encourage the most efficient and ethical practices to assure the best-informed decisions by consumers. The Association's members were also cited for their community giving.

GNYADA also announced that as part of their Centennial celebrations, the Association is underwriting an exhibition called Cars, Culture & the City at the Museum of the City of New York. The exhibit showcases the relationship between New York, its residents, and the automobile and will feature visionary drawings and models; historic photographs, films and advertisements; and a wealth of car memorabilia, including artifacts supplied by dealers throughout greater New York. Cars, Culture & the City will open on March 25 - August 1st, 2010

"On February 24, 1910, a group of New York automobile retailers realized that in order to shape and steer the retail industry it was necessary to work together. William Kouwenhoven, Burt Phillips, Joseph Rourk, Clifford Bishop, and I. Cleveland Kirkham presided over the first meeting of the Brooklyn Motor Vehicle Dealers Association at 1384 Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn, which began a 100-year journey of support and advocacy for the retail auto industry in greater New York. This newly formed Association subsequently became the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association," said Brian Miller, GNYADA chairman.

"Today, as GNYADA celebrates its 100th birthday, it stands as one of the leading organizations of its kind. We survived the Great Depression, two World Wars, as well as the oil crisis of the 70s, and we will continue to persevere through the current economic crises. The retail dealers that make up this Association are the entrepreneurs who epitomize the American Dream, and have helped transform the way New Yorkers live, work and play," continued Miller.