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21st
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We've all seen the bumper stickers and rear window decals: “It's not just a boy's game,” “Not my boyfriend's ride,” and the like, and I've come to realize it's not just a joke.
As a woman in the automotive world, I used to stick out like a sore thumb. Short, blonde, with glasses and the face of a perpetual 16-year-old, I've received a lot of raised eyebrows and snorts of dismissal from the men in my industry over the years. While they've now come to terms with my presence at track events and behind the wheel of 500+ horsepower vehicles, it took some serious time... and a hard skin on my part.
The fact is I'm no longer an abnormality. The allure of being a woman in the auto industry -- and I'm not talking about the “car girls” you see at auto shows wearing next to nothing and posing for pictures -- is strong amongst my generation (and younger) of women currently out there on the road.
I pride myself on being pretty up-to-date in the online automotive world, but it's only recently that I've discovered a massive all-female online community known as Pretty Little Drivers. With no requirements other than female body parts and a love of everything automotive, this international online community is a thousand strong on Facebook and has nearly 5,000 followers on Instagram (and they're growing daily). The interesting part? They only came into existence about three months ago, and their only form of advertising is word-of-mouth on the World Wide Web. Impressive? You bet.
As a new member of the group, I see daily photos posted by women who are proud of their cars and want to show them off. From base Civics to highly modified Nissan Skylines and jacked up pickup trucks, these girls drive everything and anything. I also read posts about car modification, mechanical issues/questions, upgrades, driving impressions, and general appreciation for their cars. It just warms my heart.
Even the bright pink VW Beetle with the fake headlight lashes, flowers on the dash and fuzzy pink dice makes me smile because the owner is so in love with her car and has gone to great lengths to make her “Betsy Beetle” look the way she does. Passion is passion, no matter how you look at it.
What does it all mean? Is it suddenly cool to be a woman in the automotive world like it was cool to be on the South Beach diet or to sport leg warmers and mullets? I don't think that's the case, but I do think it's not as frowned upon. Women are feeling more confident about “coming out” with their love for cars. We feel more secure in our automotive knowledge as it is that much more accessible now; we can be self-sufficient, self-taught, when it comes to cars.
I'm sure there are lots of state-specific groups like Pretty Little Drivers, and that's pretty amazing, too. I feel like this is so much more than a trend. With the possibility of a woman racing in F1, and girls like Maria Soklis as CEO of Kia, we're rising up behind the wheel and really making our mark on an industry previously “reserved” for the male of the species.
I'm trying not to be all rah-rah-women here, but screw it: Go us! In a way it's kind of sad that we have to prove ourselves the way we do in this industry, but at the same time I'm glad we are. We've been part of a horrible stereotype for far too long now, and it's women like the Pretty Little Drivers and IHeartCarGirls who are helping break that mould we've all been shoved into.
It really isn't just a boy's game, but we're happy to play nicely with them... if they behave themselves.
As a woman in the automotive world, I used to stick out like a sore thumb. Short, blonde, with glasses and the face of a perpetual 16-year-old, I've received a lot of raised eyebrows and snorts of dismissal from the men in my industry over the years. While they've now come to terms with my presence at track events and behind the wheel of 500+ horsepower vehicles, it took some serious time... and a hard skin on my part.
The fact is I'm no longer an abnormality. The allure of being a woman in the auto industry -- and I'm not talking about the “car girls” you see at auto shows wearing next to nothing and posing for pictures -- is strong amongst my generation (and younger) of women currently out there on the road.
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I pride myself on being pretty up-to-date in the online automotive world, but it's only recently that I've discovered a massive all-female online community known as Pretty Little Drivers. With no requirements other than female body parts and a love of everything automotive, this international online community is a thousand strong on Facebook and has nearly 5,000 followers on Instagram (and they're growing daily). The interesting part? They only came into existence about three months ago, and their only form of advertising is word-of-mouth on the World Wide Web. Impressive? You bet.
As a new member of the group, I see daily photos posted by women who are proud of their cars and want to show them off. From base Civics to highly modified Nissan Skylines and jacked up pickup trucks, these girls drive everything and anything. I also read posts about car modification, mechanical issues/questions, upgrades, driving impressions, and general appreciation for their cars. It just warms my heart.
Even the bright pink VW Beetle with the fake headlight lashes, flowers on the dash and fuzzy pink dice makes me smile because the owner is so in love with her car and has gone to great lengths to make her “Betsy Beetle” look the way she does. Passion is passion, no matter how you look at it.
What does it all mean? Is it suddenly cool to be a woman in the automotive world like it was cool to be on the South Beach diet or to sport leg warmers and mullets? I don't think that's the case, but I do think it's not as frowned upon. Women are feeling more confident about “coming out” with their love for cars. We feel more secure in our automotive knowledge as it is that much more accessible now; we can be self-sufficient, self-taught, when it comes to cars.
I'm sure there are lots of state-specific groups like Pretty Little Drivers, and that's pretty amazing, too. I feel like this is so much more than a trend. With the possibility of a woman racing in F1, and girls like Maria Soklis as CEO of Kia, we're rising up behind the wheel and really making our mark on an industry previously “reserved” for the male of the species.
I'm trying not to be all rah-rah-women here, but screw it: Go us! In a way it's kind of sad that we have to prove ourselves the way we do in this industry, but at the same time I'm glad we are. We've been part of a horrible stereotype for far too long now, and it's women like the Pretty Little Drivers and IHeartCarGirls who are helping break that mould we've all been shoved into.
It really isn't just a boy's game, but we're happy to play nicely with them... if they behave themselves.
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