In 1955 Malcolm Pray started as a car salesman in a small foreign car dealership on the Post Road in Greenwich, Connecticut, only a few feet away from the eventual complex of dealerships that he created and ran for forty-five years. Adhering to sound business fundamentals, he grew the business to six dealerships and over two hundred employees. He taught his staff the principles of honesty, integrity, and reputation. The Pray name is synonymous with these values.
Malcolm Pray was one of the founding members of AIADA (American International Automobile Dealers Association) and member of the board of directors from 1970 – 1980. He was President of AIADA from 1973-4. He was Chairman of the National Volkswagen Dealer Council from 1969-70; Chairman of the National Porsche Audi Dealer Council from 1971-76; and President of the Connecticut Volkswagen Dealers Association in 1972; President of the Greenwich Automobile Dealers Association from 1962-65 and 1990-1999.
Malcolm Pray was the recipient of the Time Quality Dealer Award; Connecticut Automotive Trades “Dealer of the Year”; and the Sports Illustrated Dealer of Distinction Award. Pray Audi became the number one selling dealer in the country in the 1990s. Pray has always taken the lead in promoting Audi products, and was proud to be one of the original authorized Audi aluminum collision repair facilities.
Until his death in August of 2013, Mr. Pray was very active in many civic, charitable and political affairs. He has been a Vice President of the Greenwich Boy Scouts for over thirty years, an active board member of the Boys and Girls Club, and the Historical Society of the Town of Greenwich, amongst others. He was an ardent supporter of many worthy local civic causes. Malcolm Pray was a noted collector of vintage automobiles, and has over sixty classics in his automotive collection located at the Pray Achievement Center in Banksville, New York. Malcolm Pray planned for the Pray Achievement Center to be run by the Pray Family Foundation, established expressly for the purpose of continuing his work. Created in 2001 the Achievement Center teaches entrepreneurship, and inspires young people to think about their careers. He believed that our youth could be inspired at a young age to think of their future if they are shown the rewards available to them. His greatest legacy is the work he did with young people at The Pray Achievement Center.
