The Piston Foundation has announced a new partnership with Rancho Cielo as part of an expansion of its work supporting young technicians entering the collector car industry.
The initiative was announced during Monterey Car Week 2026 at Rancho Cielo’s Classic Car Education Day. Piston will support students taking part in the California non-profit organisation’s pre-apprenticeship classic car restoration programme, providing scholarships, internships and assistance with routes into employment.
Rancho Cielo’s programme gives students hands-on experience in restoration and maintenance, with the Piston Foundation intending to provide links between the training course and businesses within the collector car sector.
“The next generation is ready to work with their hands, master valuable skills and preserve automotive history,” said Piston Foundation president Jeff Mason. “What they need is a visible route from interest to education, from education to experience and from experience to employment.”
Two graduates of the Rancho Cielo programme were also involved with a car entered at the 2026 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Aaron Correa and Maximilliano Perez-Fernandez helped prepare a 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental, which subsequently placed third in its class and received the Montagu of Beaulieu Trophy for the most significant British car at the concours.
Piston Scholars also took part in the 41st Concorso Italiano during Car Week. Ten scholars formed the judging panel for the inaugural Piston Next Generation Award, introduced to recognise a car they considered likely to encourage younger enthusiasts to become involved with the skills required to preserve and maintain historic machinery. The group selected a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB as the first recipient.
Further opportunities arose through meetings with figures from the automotive industry. Among them was Monica Zanetti, who worked at Ferrari as a production mechanic and was part of the team involved in building the F40 during the 1980s. Zanetti invited two Piston Scholars to apply for internships in Italy’s Motor Valley, adding an international element to the Foundation’s existing scholarship and work-placement programmes.
The Piston Foundation was established to address the shortage of skilled technicians entering the collector car industry. Its programmes provide financial support for students studying automotive restoration and related trades, together with internship and employment opportunities. It is also developing Piston Jobs, a workforce platform intended to connect students and newly trained technicians with restoration specialists, workshops and other collector car businesses seeking staff.
The Foundation is now seeking additional employers and industry organisations to participate in internships and recruitment through the programme, as well as further financial support for its scholarships. More details can be found here.
