The Piston Foundation has teamed up with Veloce Valuations and Bring a Trailer to auction off the Miniature d’Elegance, a unique group of 81 1/24-scale die-cast models donated by the Geske family.
This is the first venture between The Piston Foundation and Veloce Valuations, its new community partner. The collection will be offered in two distinct packages: Grand Elegance and American Classics. The proceeds will benefit The Piston Foundation’s initiatives.
The Grand Elegance auction opened on April 1, at 11:45 a.m. ET, and will end on April 8 at 1:58 p.m. ET.
The American Classics auction opened on April 2, at 8:45 a.m. ET, and will end on April 8, at 1:17 p.m. ET.
So far, Piston’s partnership with Bring a Trailer since 2023 has brought in $253,108, of which 100 percent, including the donated buyers’ fees, has gone to the Piston Foundation’s initiatives. Since Piston’s founding in 2021, 33 scholarships have been awarded through its fundraising programs.
Steve Kittrell of Veloce Valuations was approached by longtime friend and automotive filmmaker Travis Geske, who had a large collection of models that were handed down to him. The individual pieces came from the Franklin Mint and Danbury Mint, all accompanied by their original boxes, birth certificates and accessories. They were amassed by the Geske family over a 10-year period, through the ’80s and ’90s.
“My father was a union steam welder and also a pilot that saw combat in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam,” said Geske. “He really loved all things mechanical and loved collecting the Franklin Mint vehicles, from the pre-war offerings through present-day cars. Those cars will always hold a special place in my heart. They’re all so damned detailed and well crafted. I’m sure someone will make a new wonderful home for them,” said Geske.
“I am looking forward to our partnership with The Piston Foundation and grateful for Bring a Trailer’s continued support for skilled trade education. Bringing these fantastic models to the market has been incredibly fun and rewarding to represent the Geske family,” said Kittrell.
“Ask any car-loving kid what their favorite car is and they’re likely to show you a die-case model of the one they hope to own some day,” said Jeff Mason, president and COO of the Piston Foundation. “These collections are in mint condition and can evoke nostalgic and heartwarming memories for many of us. We appreciate the Geske family and Veloce Valuations for giving The Piston Foundation the opportunity to benefit from the proceeds of this sale as we continue to achieve our goal of bringing more young people into the car-restoration field.”
Additional information may be found here.
