Bridging Generations in Coachbuilding at Runge Cars

The workshop serves as a blueprint for preserving endangered automotive skills. Over the course of the program, Ramirez moved between the tactile demands of an English wheel and the high-tech precision of 3D scanning and modeling. By pairing traditional fabrication techniques like welding and metal finishing with modern CAD tools, the initiative demonstrates that the future of bespoke coachbuilding relies on both historical mastery and technological fluency.

For Ramirez, a 2026 mechanical engineering graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, the experience solidified the practical application of his degree within the collector car industry. Chris Runge, who built his reputation on creating handmade sports cars inspired by post-WWII European racers, emphasized that the exchange was mutually beneficial. The Piston Foundation plans to formalize this collaboration into a repeatable mentorship model, aiming to secure the next generation of technicians for a field currently facing a significant skills gap.