Sponsor a Piston Scholar
Help us raise $250,000 to fund 50 scholarships in 2023.
100% of your donation goes to aspiring technicians.
creating more COllector car Technicians
We’re helping car enthusiasts turn their interest into a rewarding career.
The shortage of qualified technicians and restoration specialists is the biggest challenge facing the collector car industry. So we are setting out to change this. By making skilled trade education and hands-on training more accessible for more people, the Piston Foundation aims to help build a new and diverse generation of tradespeople in the collector car industry.
Scholarship and Apprenticeship Programs
The Piston Fund
Skilled Trade Education Scholarships
The Piston Foundation helps students take their first steps towards a skilled trade career. If you are attending, accepted, or enrolled in a 2- or 4-year automotive technology program and have a strong interest in working with collector cars, a Piston Fund scholarship can help make school more affordable.
The Piston Academy
Apprenticeships in Collector Car Restoration
The Piston Academy helps qualified technicians learn the skills and craft of collector car restoration and service by apprenticing with today’s master craftspeople. The Academy provides apprenticeship placements at leading restoration shops, a hands-on learning plan, mentoring, and a training grant.
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Today
Support skilled trade education for future auto restoration technicians.
From the Piston Blog
Brumos Ultimate Artists Book Auction Supports Piston Scholarships
We’re auctioning a one-of-a-kind artist edition of Sean Cridland’s book, “Brumos: An American Racing Icon.” The three-volume book set documents the famous Porsche racing team’s extensive 120-year history and features a hand-painted slipcase by motorsports artist Thiago Romero. This signed “author’s proof” will be a coveted collectible.
Piston Scholar Ethan Heck is Off to the Races
21-year-old Ethan Heck is a student at Lanier Technical College in Gainesville, Georgia, enrolled in the Motorsports Vehicle Technology program. While most recipients of the inaugural Piston Scholarships focus primarily on acquiring the skills to restore and/or work on classic and older cars, Ethan “stumbled across videos of stage rallying on the Internet,” at a young age and instantly knew he wanted to be a racing mechanic.
Piston Scholar Zoe Carmichael Loves Her Volkswagen
Zoe Carmichael, 27, is on the verge of turning her knack for repairing her beloved Volkswagen into a restoration profession. She is a non-traditional student at McPherson College and one of the inaugural recipients of the Piston Fund Scholarships in 2022 for students who wish to pursue hands-on careers in the collector car industry.
Financial Transparency
Launched in January of 2021, we are proud to have received a Gold Transparency seal from Guidestar in our first year of operations. Read our 2021 Annual Report and review our 2021 financial reporting.
Join Us
Make a Gift
Supporting the Piston Foundation with a tax deductible donation is the way all of us who share a passion for cars can help build a sustainable future for our car community.
Sponsor a Scholar
Piston Foundation scholarships are awarded to aspiring technicians to help them begin an auto restoration career. Give to the car culture you love.
Become a Founder
The Founders Club is a unique opportunity to join fellow car enthusiasts who are helping create skilled trade education and career paths in the collector car industry.
Sponsors & Underwriters
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