The first thing you notice about Austin Peeples is how genuine he is. The second is that he’s a car person in the truest sense: someone who sees vehicles not just as machines, but as art, culture, connection, and community. That passion is what led him to create the Cars and Coffee Foundation, a Kirkwood‑based 501(c)(3) that has quickly become one of Missouri’s most exciting grassroots automotive charities.
And yes—it's also how Missouri got its sleek, coveted black license plates.
Austin’s love of cars started early. “Cars are art to me… motorcycles too,” said Austin. He grew up working on vehicles, was inspired by the Fast and the Furious era, and still loves the process of making a car feel distinctly his own. Later, while living in California, he fell in love with the iconic black‑and‑yellow plates. When he moved back to Missouri, he wondered: Why don’t we have anything like that?
Missouri’s answer:
To create a specialty plate, you must form a nonprofit, write a $5,000 check, gather 200 signatures, and secure a state sponsor.
Austin didn’t blink.
By late 2023, the Cars and Coffee Foundation was born. By 2024, he had the signatures, the sponsors, and the legislation submitted. And by 2025, the first batch of black plates began arriving in mailboxes across the state.
Missouri has only two black specialty plates. Cars and Coffee is the second—and the first with no logo, just a clean, minimalist black design. Austin fought hard for that detail.
“If it has to have a logo, I almost don’t want to do it,” he said.
The result is stunning: a sleek plate that looks great on everything from a vintage Porsche to a daily‑driver Audi. It’s customizable, personal, and—thanks to Austin—ridiculously easy to get.
Unlike most specialty plates, you don’t have to navigate DMV paperwork. The Foundation handles the entire process. You sign up online, and the Foundation mails the application and check to the Department of Revenue. About 10 weeks later, you get a letter saying your plates are ready for pickup.
It’s simple. Streamlined. And very cool.
Every black plate supports the Foundation’s mission: helping children.
The Foundation donates the annual $35 plate fee directly to children’s hospitals and programs. In its first half‑year, it raised nearly $15,000. This year, it’s on pace for $80,000. Next year? Austin expects $200,000. “We are proud to announce that the net proceeds from 2025 were dedicated to Children’s Mercy Kansas City and St. Louis Children’s Hospital,” said Austin. After the birth of his first child, Austin began thinking about the difficult circumstances families face when a child is ill and saw an opportunity to combine his automotive enthusiasm with support for a cause that mattered deeply to him.
The name “Cars and Coffee” comes from the early‑2000s California meetups where enthusiasts gathered around a coffee shop, parked their cars, grabbed a cup, and talked. Today, nearly every city has its own version.
While Cars and Coffee Foundation doesn’t sell coffee yet, Austin talked about his vision of finding a Kirkwood storefront that would serve as a coffee shop, museum, and community hub.
For now, the Foundation pops up at Cars and Coffee events across the region, including the massive annual St. Louis European Auto Show organized by Neil Westfall, General Manager of Audi Exchange Kirkwood. “Neil just cares so much about the community,” Austin said.
Neil has supported Cars and Coffee Foundation from the beginning, and it’s turned into a solid friendship based on shared values: cars, community, and giving back.
Get a black plate.
Your annual fee supports children’s hospitals, and your car becomes part of a growing statewide community of people who love cars, coffee, and community.
Visit carsandcoffeefoundation.org and click GET BLACK PLATES.
Cars are art. Coffee is the connection. And community matters,” said Austin. “Cars and Coffee Foundation black plates are the aggregate of all of that.”