Educate, Engage, Empower

The mission of the Detroit Auto Dealers Association (DADA) is to support its membership through legislative and industry representation, educational programs and communications, and community relations activities. Founded in 1907 by a group of five Detroit-area auto dealers after they hosted the very first Detroit Auto Show in the same year, today, the DADA membership includes 188 new-vehicle dealers who own 224 dealerships-selling 42 different vehicle lines in 70 cities throughout the greater Detroit area. The dealers are affiliated with the DADA through one or more of 12 vehicle line groups, or through individual membership. 

One of the chief goals of the association is to promote the integral role that the motor vehicle plays in the economy of our nation and the world. Many of the members of the Detroit Auto Dealers Association participate in the NAIAS, LLC, which is responsible for the production of the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS).

The DADA members support their communities through charitable involvement. The most significant charitable venture of the DADA is the annual NAIAS Charity Preview. Charity Preview has raised more than $100 million for children’s charities in Southeastern Michigan over the past 25 years alone. In total, Charity Preview has generated over $121 million since its inception in 1976. In 1998, the DADA founded the DADA Charitable Foundation Fund, one of the benefiting charities of the NAIAS Charity Preview, to support charitable organizations and activities that assist children and youth.