New Petrolicious Film Highlights Hands-On Pathways Into Collector Car Craft
Piston Foundation & Runge Cars workshop connects emerging automotive talent with traditional coachbuilding mentorship & modern digital tools…
The Piston Foundation and Runge Cars have released a new film documenting a five-day collector car coachbuilding workshop for Piston Scholar Vincent Ramirez. Produced by Petrolicious, a Piston Community Partner, the film follows Ramirez as he learns directly from Chris Runge, owner of Runge Cars.
The workshop provides a close look at the mentorship, training and professional access needed to help bring emerging talent into the collector car industry. Over five days, Ramirez worked alongside Runge to learn traditional coachbuilding and metal-shaping techniques including fabrication, welding and metal finishing. He also applied the digital tools Runge Cars incorporates into its coachbuilding process: 3D scanning, 3D modeling and 3D printing.
The combination is central to the workshop’s approach. Traditional hand skills remain essential to collector car craftsmanship, while digital tools can help craftspeople study, design and develop components more efficiently.
“Opportunities like this help young people see a real future in the collector car industry,” says Jeff Mason, president and cofounder of the Piston Foundation. “Piston connects scholars with the education, mentorship and hands-on experiences that allow their skills to grow—and that help preserve the knowledge this industry depends on.”
The Industry’s Next Generation
Ramirez, a 2025 and 2026 Piston Scholar, graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in May with a degree in mechanical engineering and now works in the automotive industry. His existing experience with CAD, 3D design and traditional metalcraft made him an ideal participant in the Runge Cars workshop, according to Piston Foundation officials.
“Coachbuilding has always required patience, observation and a willingness to learn by doing,” says Chris Runge, owner of Runge Cars. “Vince brought a strong foundation in digital design and engineering. Bringing that together with hands-on metal shaping is exactly the kind of exchange that can carry this craft forward.”
The workshop is the first in what Piston Foundation and Runge Cars intend to develop into a repeatable mentorship opportunity for future Piston Scholars.
The Piston Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that empowers young car enthusiasts to discover rewarding careers as collector car technicians. Piston is turning the shortage of technicians into skilled trade career opportunities by building pathways to success through auto-tech education, hands-on training connections and job placement assistance in this high-demand field.
Runge Cars is a bespoke coachbuilding company based in a rural Minnesota workshop. Founded by self-taught metalsmith Christopher Runge, the company creates unique, handmade sports cars inspired by post-World War II European race cars and classic Porsches.
