A Farewell to Mike Perna in a Full-Time Capacity

Join us in wishing our very own Mike Perna a well-deserved farewell into retirement! Mike has been an integral part of our business here at Maritime Chevrolet for the past seven years, having also managed our sister store, Cadillac of Greenwich. Having gotten his start in automotive back in 1976 with Pontiac, Mike grew up in Yonkers, graduated from ​​Pace College, and spent his career in Rye Brook building a loyal clientele base by ensuring the best deals for customers and their families. 

When he first got started with GM, Mike was able to attend various Corvette driving schools, such as Bob Bonaround, in order to receive his certification to sell Corvette models. While in school he was able to drive a Corvette over 100 mph, and experience the difference between the Corvette and other high performance vehicles. Of course, the Corvette ended up being one of his favorite vehicles, along with the Pontiac Firebird, Fiero, Chevy Camaro, and Bonneville Coupe. 

Mike’s favorite story to look back on happened in the early 90’s – he received a phone call from the secret service. Naturally, he assumed it was a prank call, and had Chase look up the number. Sure enough it had come from Pennsylvania Ave. After checking the phone book and coming across Mike, they informed him they just needed to borrow a Blazer after theirs had broken down. Of course, this Blazer had to fit specific qualifications: a liftgate, black interior/exterior, and the rear window needed to be removed since this was the photography car. Mike went down to LAG to meet them, passed a background check, and had the vehicle searched with canine units and mirrors. Mike was then allowed to drive in the caravan, the third car back from the president’s limo. The rest of the day felt like a blur – driving through Manhattan at 40-50 mph, meeting and shaking Bill Clinton’s hand, spent the evening at the Hilton on 57th, and meeting Wolf Blitzer and other members of the media. 

After spending the last few years as our beloved Sales Manager, Mike is ready to spend his retirement with friends and family. Along with the usual day-to-day manager activities, Mike’s time with us has been spent helping new and previous clients order new vehicles, keep up with inventory (especially during the vehicle shortage from the pandemic), and ensuring everyone leaves the dealership with the perfect vehicle at the perfect price. While he may be transitioning out of our team, Mike will still be working behind the scenes and tending to his clients in a part time capacity.

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