John Buonanno, co-owner of Black Horse Garage, will honor his father’s contributions to the world of
collector cars by launching the Frank Buonanno Scholarship Fund, which will provide educational
opportunities for students who seek careers in the automotive restoration field.
He said, “A business like Black Horse Garage is only as good as the people who work on the cars. Finding
good people is one of the hardest things about this industry because we need smart people with a strong
work ethic and a passion for what we’re doing. I know that helping someone young and up and coming is
going to mean a lot to my dad and be something special for him and for our family.”
John selected the Piston Foundation to manage both the fundraising campaign and scholarship award,
explaining, “The Foundation can take this fundraising campaign to a national audience, which means we can
raise what we really need to help these kids. Local, grassroots fundraising is a great start, but it doesn’t
solve the problem. With what the Foundation plans, we can give full rides and that means graduates who
will be able to do the restoration work that we
want done.”
Jeff Mason, COO of the Foundation, said, “We’re excited to bring the story of Frank Buonanno and the Black
Horse Garage to a national audience. Car enthusiasts will have a unique chance to connect with a very
interesting story at a critical time in car culture. Automotive technology continues to march ahead and, as
with any beloved pastime, the car culture community needs to engage new generations. The Frank
Buonanno story parallels the story of automotive restoration and how the practice of collecting cars has
evolved over the past 40 years at a time when we’re wondering what the future of car culture will be.”
“When my father started his career, there really wasn’t a restoration industry,” John said, “Now we see cars
treated like the other pieces of fine art that people have collected for hundreds of years. He’s been a big
part of that.
“The scholarship fund is going to make a real difference by sending young men and women to school where
they can fill the need for restoration specialists. Think of what that’ll mean to the industry and to our friends
who want to keep enjoying events, shows, races, and more.”
The Piston Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that promotes and supports trade skill careers
in the automobile service and collector car industries. More information about Piston Foundation is available
at PistonFoundation.org.
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