Piston Foundation

We’re proud to welcome @pistonfoundation to International Car Week as one of our 2026 Select Charities. By providing scholarships, mentorship, hands-on training, and career opportunities, Piston Foundation is helping the next generation of collector car technicians preserve the vehicles we all love—including scholars in California. For the first time, Piston Scholars will join Car Week in Monterey and experience both @thepaddockmonterey (August 14) and Concorso Italiano (August 15). As part of Concorso Italiano, the scholars will take part in the judging, selecting a specialty award, Piston Foundation Next Generation Award. Together, we’re celebrating not only remarkable automobiles, but the talented young people who will preserve them for generations to come. 2025 Piston Scholar Cameron Maguire from Monterey, California. Photo by Blake Swingle. #MontereyCarWeek2026 #concorsoitaliano #ThePaddockMonterey #PistonFoundation #montereycarweek We’re proud to welcome @pistonfoundation to International Car Week as one of our 2026 Select Charities. By providing scholarships, mentorship, hands-on training, and career opportunities, Piston Foundation is helping the next generation of collector car technicians preserve the vehicles we all love—including scholars in California. For the first time, Piston Scholars will join Car Week in Monterey and experience both @thepaddockmonterey (August 14) and Concorso Italiano (August 15). As part of Concorso Italiano, the scholars will take part in the judging, selecting a specialty award, Piston Foundation Next Generation Award. Together, we’re celebrating not only remarkable automobiles, but the talented young people who will preserve them for generations to come. 2025 Piston Scholar Emma Silveira from Hanford, California. Photo by Blake Swingle. #MontereyCarWeek2026 #ConcorsoItialiano #ThePaddockMonterey #PistonFoundation #montereycarweek2026 We’re proud to welcome @pistonfoundation to International Car Week as one of our 2026 Select Charities. By providing scholarships, mentorship, hands-on training, and career opportunities, Piston Foundation is helping the next generation of collector car technicians preserve the v

This year, Piston Foundation received scholarship applications from 377 students across more than 40 states.

The highest concentrations came from:
📍 Texas (38)
📍 Kansas (37)
📍 Colorado (28)
📍 California (25)
📍 Florida (25)

From restoration and fabrication to upholstery and performance tuning, these students are preparing to become the next generation of collector car professionals.

The passion for preserving automotive heritage is alive and well, and it’s growing coast to coast.

What started with a BMW 2002 became a lifelong passion for the collector car community.

Before becoming a Director for the Piston Foundation, Founding Member Mayo T. Smith was a young enthusiast learning alongside his father, rebuilding an engine, and soaking up knowledge from a legendary BMW technician who would become a lifelong mentor.

That experience shaped his career, inspired him to pursue racing, and ultimately fueled his commitment to helping the next generation find their place in the collector car industry.

In our latest newsletter, Mayo shares the story behind his journey, from the car that changed his life to why the Piston Foundation’s mission is so personal to him.

📬 Subscribe to the Piston Foundation newsletter through the link in our bio to read the full story.

CarCulture Mentorship BMW2002

What keeps the collector car industry up at night?

The answer is simple: a shortage of skilled technicians to preserve, restore, and maintain the cars we love.

In a recent interview with duPont Registry, Piston Foundation President and COO Jeff Mason shares how we’re tackling that challenge by creating a clearer path for young enthusiasts to turn their passion for cars into rewarding careers. From raising awareness of skilled trades to providing scholarships and connecting students with employment opportunities, our mission is to ensure the future of collector cars remains in capable hands.
https://news.dupontregistry.com/blogs/features/interview-with-jeff-mason-of-piston-foundation

As Jeff puts it, education alone isn’t enough, it must lead to opportunity. That’s why we’re committed to supporting the next generation of collector car technicians every step of the way.

Read the full interview and learn how we’re helping shift the industry from graying to growing.

https://news.dupontregistry.com/blogs/features/interview-with-jeff-mason-of-piston-foundation

Driving The Future: An Interview With Jeff Mason of Piston Foundation - duPont REGISTRY News Ask anyone in the collector car world what keeps them up at night, and you will usually hear the same answer. The industry is running out of skilled hands to restore or repair the classics. The technicians who can rebuild a carburetor, hand-form a body panel, or coax a worn-out straight-six back to....