The Moonshot

For more than four decades, the automotive restoration program at McPherson College has been a launching pad for young people interested in turning a love for the automobile into a career. From the beginning, the restoration program relied on skilled faculty who were passionate about passing on the craft and on students who were interested in learning these skills. Many of our early graduates continued into the field and paved the way.

Throughout its history, the program has built on that tradition, passing numerous milestones that have brought it to where we are today — ready to embark on what we hope will be another significant moment for the program and McPherson College.

In the late 1990s, Jay Leno took notice and introduced us to the larger industry. We established an advisory board that provided industry input into the direction of the program, and the degree moved from an associate’s to a bachelor’s degree. Partnerships established with organizations such as Hagerty and Mercedes-Benz Classic Center expanded awareness of the program and opportunities for students.

Progress continued and a decade later, the advisory board and administration took a deep dive into the future of the program. Much had been accomplished and we were ready to take the next big step. In 2013, a group that included alumni, advisory board members, and administration set a newly defined mission to be the center of excellence for students serious about automotive restoration. And we set a lofty, bold, and audacious goal: to compete at Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegance — the Super Bowl of the restoration world — with a car restored by students. We call it our moonshot.

The goal of competing at Pebble Beach is about much more than getting a car on the field. It is about the educational value that comes from the process of working on a project of such magnitude. The project encompasses both the technical skills necessary for a concours-level restoration as well as the liberal arts components of the auto restoration degree. Throughout the restoration process, students have gained valuable skills in every area of the shop: metalwork, paint, chassis, drive train, engine, wood, and trim. They have also gained experience in historical research, assessment and documentation, project management and organization, communication, group presentations, professionalism, and accountability.

This project has underscored the importance of transforming students’ learning experiences, educational goals, and outcomes by expanding their access to experts, industry networking opportunities, and skill development activities.

The auto restoration moonshot has implications for the rest of McPherson College, too. The college’s strategic plan, Community by Design, outlines a future for liberal arts that combines general education with professional studies by developing a creative environment of funded, innovative ventures that solve problems and meet the needs of the greater community. The plan is for our moonshot project to model innovative approaches to pedagogy, curriculum development, and learning experiences to assist students’ paths forward.