A Montgomery County high school auto program is a licensed used car dealership

Chris Flanagan
·2 min read

SILVER SPRING, Md. (DC News Now) — If you’re on the hunt for a used car this weekend, you’re in luck — and you won’t need to visit a dealership.

Students in one Montgomery County program are selling refurbished cars. They’ve been preparing for their big sale for months.

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Ashton Bennett is getting a hands-on, real-world experience while replacing the brakes on a Mustang.

“I’ve worked hard. I’ve always wanted to get into this program since middle school and since I got in here it’s just been the greatest thing that’s happened to me,” he said.

Ashton was doing the tune-up at Thomas Edison High School of Technology in Silver Spring. It is one of 5 high schools that make up the Montgomery County Students Automotive Trades Foundation. The other schools include Gaithersburg High, Damascus High, Seneca Valley High and Shady Grove Depot.

The program provides students the opportunity to learn about the automotive industry from the inside out.

“We are immersing them in this career opportunity so that students can try not only the mechanical portion of it but also learn about the behind-the-scenes aspect of running a licensed used car dealership,” said Steven Boden, the supervisor of the MCPS Automotive Trades Foundation.

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The students, including Catalina Moreno, have been working all semester to refurbish 23 donated cars for what is also their final exam.

They’re selling the used cars, which are priced anywhere between $800 and $10,000, on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Gaithersburg High School. All cars have passed a Maryland state safety inspection.

“It feels good knowing that we’re helping others get their maybe dream car,” said Moreno.

All the proceeds go back into the program to help support the next batch of cars that will be worked on to help students. Vehicles with fewer than 90,000 miles come with a 30-day warranty. All vehicles with 90,000 or more miles are discounted and sold in “as is” condition.

If you are interested in donating a car, click here. For more information on the sale and program, click here. Interested buyers may find a list of cars for Saturday’s sale online here. The vehicle price does not include tags, title, fees and sales tax.

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