Continuing partnership with non-profit will increase contributions that directly benefit students enrolled in car restoration career programs
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (January 24, 2024) – Automotive auction platform and enthusiast community Bring a Trailer (BaT) will expand its partnership with The Piston Foundation, an independent 501(c)(3) public charity, to increase funding for tech-school scholarships, shop support, apprenticeships and advocacy for aspiring students in the automotive restoration career field.
Bring a Trailer’s charity auctions raised $243,000 for The Piston Foundation in 2023, providing sufficient funding for 40 scholarship opportunities for young classic car enthusiasts, 23 of which were awarded last year. This amount represents 100% of the auction proceeds and buyer’s fees from four vehicle auctions hosted on the Bring a Trailer platform that were procured via The Piston Foundation’s 2023 “Cars for Piston Scholars” initiative. These auctions included:
- Lot # 100,000 – 1973 Datsun 240Z (Total donation: $129,240)
- Lot # 113,859 – 1960 Willys Station Wagon 4×4 (Total donation: $31,500)
- Lot # 125,711 – 1999 Mazda MX-5 (Total donation: $26,250)
- Lot # 130,333 – 1967 MG MGB (Total donation: $54,670)
The Piston Foundation accepts donations of classic, historic and vintage cars to be auctioned off to benefit the Foundation’s programs, giving collectors a unique way to positively impact the car community.
“The Piston Foundation does incredible work. We were proud to choose them as the beneficiary of our 100,000th BaT auction last year, and we know this expanded partnership will make a lasting impact on our community. Our industry is born from passion. Expanding our partnership with the Piston Foundation helps ensure that passion carries on through the next generation of automotive professionals.”
The Piston Foundation is currently accepting 2024 scholarship and apprenticeship applications for fall and spring college semester awards.
Live charity auctions of the 2024 donation vehicles benefiting The Piston Foundation will be available soon at https://bringatrailer.com/member/pistonfoundation/.
Car donations for The Piston Foundation can be made by completing the online submission form at https://pistonfoundation.org/cars-for-piston-scholars/.
For more information on individual giving to The Piston Foundation, visit: https://pistonfoundation.org/get-involved/individual-giving/
About Bring a Trailer
Bring a Trailer (BaT) is a digital auction platform and enthusiast community founded in 2007 to connect buyers and sellers of classic, collector and enthusiast vehicles. BaT curates vehicles submitted by sellers and helps them craft transparent auction listings that present the vehicles as they are — without superlatives or dubious used-car-lot language. At the end of a successful auction, BaT connects the seller and buyer so they can work together to complete the transaction. BaT’s knowledgeable community of more than 1,000,000 registered users vet each listing so potential buyers can bid with confidence. BaT auctions are listed at a flat rate, starting at just $99 with a sell-through rate of 77%. Bring a Trailer Shipping is the company’s fully integrated vehicle transport service, available for both BaT auction listings and private vehicles in the contiguous 48 U.S. states. For more information, visit www.bringatrailer.com.
About The Piston Foundation
The Piston Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) public charity helping young car enthusiasts gain access to the education and hands-on training they need to start careers as classic car technicians. The Foundation provides tech-school scholarships, supports shops and aspiring technicians with apprenticeships, and advocates for skilled trade careers in automotive restoration.
More information is available at www.pistonfoundation.org/.
