Good read and many good points brought up. I still have my very first car well truck that I bought when I was 17 a 1987 Ford Ranger that is a static pebble pusher. Ive had the truck in the back of my garage since I was 19 (10 Years) with constant bugging from friends and strangers of why not finish or drive it my reply hasn't changed I plan on building that project with my first born aka my daughter and im pumped to do it with her one day!

Mari Pozi. She is an icon in the pro-touring/track-focused muscle car movement, having won her recognition and respect building a wicked fast Camaro and driving it herself to constant top-three standings in track days and auto-cross events all around the US. Everyone in that scene knows her or knows about her and her red Camaro. She isn't connected with any "official" type of motorsports, but instead, and just like the author of this piece asked, is a girl who enjoys mopdifing street cars and driving them to the limit. You shoulod really track her down, because she's also an incredibly down to earth person. Look for videos of her, and if you want to see her car, all you have to do is turn on your PS3 and go into Gran Turismo 6.

If you're on Tumblr you'll know there are a great many car enthusiast, who are female, that have a genuine love of the machine hobby. At the same time they completely own their femininity too, so it's not as though they are trying to force themselves as "one of the guys."

I fully agree

If I ever have a daughter, I'll make sure that there will be a bin of hot wheels and Tonka toys next to the barbie dolls. I want someone I can pass this passion down to.

Firstly, I want to say thank you. This is an article I have been waiting for for a long while. Getting onto your questions, I think there are role models, such as Monisha Kaltenborn, Leena Gade, your aforementioned examples, and in Australia at least, the women of WAMS (Women of Australian Motorsport) and drifters like Catherine Coleiro, who also runs her own tuning shop. However, as pointed out, these people are in the minority, and it is a serious problem, albeit an improving one. 

In terms of ways to improve this imbalance, I think there are a few possibilities off the top of my head. The first would be to remove the promotional models and related 'beauty contests' at events and in car publications. I know these girls are there earning money in a role they've chosen, but to me, their presence in this form just screams to all and sundry that women in the motoring world are there as sexual objects for men's pleasure, nothing more. 

The second would be more articles like this that highlight the work women do in the industry. The BBC had a great interview with Leena Gade recently and I saw it shared on precisely no car-related pages. This needs to change. 

The third is sadly the most difficult - get men in the industry to change their incredibly outdated and sexist attitudes. I should point out it's not just the automotive world that's at fault in terms of sexist attitudes, and it's certainly not the worst male-dominated industry for sexism, but it isn't great. Actively hounding women out of the industry with abuse, leering/demeaning comments, a complete lack of respect in general and more are all major reasons why women do not feel comfortable in the auto realm. Obviously, this is improving, and the simple force of numbers in terms of more women taking the plunge will see this change to a certain degree, as will changing societal attitudes in general, but there needs to be more done here. Guys need to start standing up to sexist friends, and frankly, a lot more could be done by parents, the media and the education system in terms of trying the eliminate the entitled attitudes boys learn growing up, and dealing with the psychological problems that often cause sexism in men, too. 

My two cents.

For some of us girls, we get lost in the grind. The garage days, the car shows and events and forget that we are girls and it's OK to be a girl. Speaking as a female in a all male industry, it's really easy to wear hoodies, jeans and hats all damn day every day. We lose track of self image in a small way; most of it goes to our motorsport passions. Each photo in this article is refreshing to see for me. They are fully clothed, wearing casual yet in style fashion...I don't know why someone would gripe about that. They capture a great and honest balance. Not all of us would be caught in a bikini posing in front of a car, but props to those who have the confidence and can. 

It doesn't matter what you wear or who you are memories, passion and good friends last a lifetime. Motorsports happen to bring a lot of that to the table for girls too.

you rule ona

Always good to see ladies who are into cars.But have you noticied how those ladies into cars dont normally go out with guys who are in to cars??
We need more articiles like this

"It’s more about the fact that women are the minority in this male-dominated industry, and it’s a fact that everyone just seems to accept and not really do anything about."


So what do you propose?  There's a lot of observation and theory as to why, which we all know, but no suggestions how to change.  Do you want the Rooney rule for hiring in the industry?  Or do you just want more females involved in cars?  If the latter, well, this article is rather useless as it's all personal choice.  Perhaps you would like males to be more accepting of females whom are car enthusiasts? Well, I am pretty sure males would appreciate more women into cars...

turbom I married a guy who was and is still into cars. He's about the only guy I dated who understood or could handle me liking cars as much as I do. LOL! There aren't a lot of guys who are accepting of it...or at least there weren't a few years ago. I don't know if some felt/feel threatened by females being involved in the same hobby?? I'm sure it's not like that for everyone though. I know that working in a body shop for a while, men didn't always meet me eye to eye at first. I had to prove myself. Then again, I'm short...so that may be why. HA!!!

Yo.. Dope article! Personally the subject matter is an academic focus of mine, but also just down with their being some socio-cultural commentary on Speedhunters. Good Looks!

Shirley Muldowney and Michel Mouton. All that needs to be said about female empowerment!

That being said, we need to break girls of the superficial lifestyle they are raised on nowadays.

D1RGE EXE 
That's not just exclusive to girls/women.

Obviouslyitssexist My only objection to your comment is you initial statement. I believe all women are beatiful in their own way. To be more specific, a few of the ladies in the pictures above are a solid 10 in my book. Of course, my scale goes up to 20. I feel like this post includes a  variety of female automotive enthusiasts. What is beautiful for you, may be something else to another individual.

SirMarkoJeremic Hey so I'm not trying to be rude or condescending or anything of the sort, first off. The thing is, you're using some pretty out of date 'facts' such as 'genetics' or 'society' to do I'm not sure what. There's nothing genetic about liking cars, trucks, blue, or anything else in the world. This has been well known and proven scientifically starting in 1935 with Margaret Mead's field research in Papua New Guinea. She showed the world that gender roles and what women and men are 'supposed' to be like or what they do like is completely variable and depends only on what culture you're brought up in. 

That leads me to believe that the reason women aren't typically found in the car scene is because of centuries or even millennia of sexism in the western world! To argue that things just 'are the way they are' and don't 'necessarily need changing' is a frankly, absurd argument! Really, it sounds like something someone would have said in defense of slavery, marital rape, or women not having equal rights. "This is just the way things are and we don't need you stinking people changing it". 

Also, I get the feeling that you may not be too informed on what feminism is, and how many kinds of feminism there are, because IF this were to fall under the feminist umbrella, it would have to be under the most liberal of varieties which basically states that women and men should have equal opportunities (not too crazy).  

Essentially, I'm not trying to tell you what to do, think, or how to act. What I'm saying is that your beliefs, innocent as they are, may be rooted in deeply sexist thought which can be hard to see. I get the sense that is really not how you want to come across so it's important to know. 

The whole gender divide in car culture phenomenon is, I think, just a projection of gender inequality as an institution and not necessarily anything to do specifically with cars or car culture. 

Food for though, cheers
Nigel

I am a woman who loves to work on cars, ever since I was 10 years old. Thanks to my father who started teaching me at a young age all about cars and how they work, I was struck by the "car bug" and have loved it ever since. When I was a teenager my father took a motor and transmission out of a wrecked car and built a stand for it all. So in the back yard of our house in Athens I had my very own 318 w/ transmission for me to crank up anytime I wanted too and to work on. I learned so much about the little 318 and had a blast. 

I did take the Automotive class in my High School as long as I could, 2 1/2 years worth!!

I am now 50 and still have that great love and passion for cars. I currently own a 1988 Ford Mustang GT that I drove until the motor gave out at 411k original miles on it. I did as much work as I could to it and had to have my husband help do some of it. It helped that he use to be a mechanic full time when he was younger.

We are rebuilding the 302, which is bored .30 over and now is a 306. 

I wished my daughters would have taken more of an interest in cars but they did not. It would have been my dream job to work on cars but at the time I was growing up it was frowned upon women working jobs that were normally held by men.

I've been reading SH since a couple of weeks after SH went live. I feel that this article is one of, if the THE most emotionally charging and maybe assaulting article in the history of SH. Maybe it's just me. Although I'm getting this article as a almost classical female bash on the male kind, right-fully frustrated and angry, I do understand the drive behind this and there are quite a few strong and valid points that are made here. HOWEVER, as a generalization, besides the points made here the fact is that most of the female population (of course exceptions do not apply) just don't have any kind of interest or spark for things automotive whatsoever. I'll make a parallel, there are WAY, way more of the female population interested, sparked and involved in martial arts than car culture. Martial arts are generally hard, brutal and not for everyone, yet there are so many girls that since an early age are naturally interested and stubborn enough to become martial arts practitioners; granted there's a much more complex and supporting environment when it come to martial arts and way more history than car culture. An observational fact: how many females proactively start a car-related conversation or a car-culture conversation? Compared to males.... unfortunately not many. Quite a few really... Even if not being "a car person", you're more likely to observe, find or hear a male start a car-related conversation than a female. Again, I do recognize that support is not the same and acceptance is not generally the same for females interested in cars as for males. And yet, I believe that it's a matter of guts, a matter of will, a matter of passion. It's a fact throughout history that when females also really wanted something that the males had/have, women have been stubborn and fought for it and got it! When it comes to females wanting to get into a world generally occupied by males, as a general advice that I think is essential for females to understand is that females need to calm down, take a sit, take a breath and observe, try to understand what drives males? What fuels them? What is their language? Males like to compete, males like to challenge, males like to do battle. Getting to a point, a car newbie guy is usually treated more or less as a female car newbie. Being a non-car guy and getting yourself in a car group/discussion and pot a genuine question out of interest and curiosity such as "what is a turbo?" or say random stuff like "oh I really liked that wagon ferrari RS4 with vtech", well that person is about to get in a world of hurt! All of those "car guys" will bash on the newbie with insults and ridiculousness, while some may actually answer the questions. Males bash on one-another and they do the same to females. Where females need to have a different attitude is not take things personal the wrong way, nobody actually genuinely hate you, don't take offence and just quit, all of that bashing and radiculisation isn't sending that sort of message towards you females, but it's a standard challenge. A challenge for you to step up, learn, grow, improve, work, build, persevere, show your drive, show your strength, show your passion and earn respect for showing people that you are who you really are and who you really want to be. Do that and people, males will turn around and say "yeah! She rocks! She's awesome! She's the shit!" But if you cower away after some pressure.... well you are only helping that stereotype that "cars are not for girls".
Personally I'd just love to see more girls into the scene and I love, admire and respect those that do get into the scene. I've met, known and observed a few girls/women that are into car culture and what I have found in common between all of them is their strength, burning passion, drive and determination, regardless of what society may think or say about them, they don't give a single f**k about that. Their primary concern is their passion and what makes them happy. That is one of the things I admire about them. They are "speaking our language". On the flipside, those that argument and give up just because some people say bad things about them... are disappointing and sad... Step up! Show some guts! Don't give in to ignorants and haters.
That beings said, I too dream about a world with more females into the scene. They are missing out on so much awesomeness, so much glory. It's a pitty....

I'm a father of two very different girls. My 17 year old has no interest in driving (herself) or cars in general. Definitely a girl with typical girl wants and desires. My 8 year old likes things pink, dolls, and loves kitty cats. But she also love to play sports and has a competitive edge. Albeit small at this age. And she likes to drive with me in my WRX. I came across a '55 first series 5 window Chevy pick up with no rust. Not having a boy I'm hoping she would like to be around me as I restore it. I can only be there for her if she ever wants to have a passion for cars like her dad.

jdmek Yes it's Jenna indeed!

Ok, one more!  This teenage hot rodder is going for 200mph!  http://www.chasing200.com/

Huh? Are we reading the same article?!? All I see are women wearing casual clothes and although there are a few 'pose with the car-type shots', none of them seem provocative to me. I thought Taryn did a great job of picking shots that avoided this actually.

In my opinion and in my experience we should just accept people as people. We all have different hobbies and interests. Theirs boys who love fashion and doing there hair.

Elusive*
Illusive means that it's like an illusion, whereas elusive means rarely seen or hard to find.

SuzyWallace Where can I find women like you two?

is it me, or is every female car enthusiast in the photos hot???!

You know what? I can count on one hand how many ladies I know that enjoy car culture of any sort, and that makes me sad.
It really doesn't help that at shows, races and other events involving cars there is usually some form of degrading element for our female counterparts. Whether that be scantily clad promo girls, grid girls or other things of a similar nature. I get annoyed with that. I'm there to look at automotive culture, not be bombarded by these poor girls being paraded around for blokes to basically gawp at. It makes it hard for women in the automotive world to be taken seriously. That's not right.

dangina Yep, I couldn't help but notice that also. Bit of a double standard to ask to be treated as equals while pointing out "how cute are we" at the same time.

dangina it seems that they all are pretty hot, and the fact that they dig cars makes them hotter i guess.

DecMcClure 
I agree, but this cars/motorsports isn't the only male dominated culture that has this problem. Just look at football, basketball, etc. I'm not making an excuse, just throwing out my observation.

IMO both men and women need to speak up about it. We can't just leave it to women to change it.

fifteen52_coneklr That is too cute

Hi dangina, I'd be lying if I said I didn't see this comment coming. When I put out the word on my Facebook page about wanting a collection of photos for this, I received over 200 images which was an overwhelming response! It was actually incredibly difficult to select which images to use, but I narrowed it down to those which included both quality photography and a variety of different women, all who I know are genuinely interested in cars. That's all it really is to it - please don't think anything more of it!

So where is Vanina ?

RensAdams Thanks for the compliment Rens! I've actually have been infected with the ring-worm since I visited the Ring when I was 17 for the first time. I've been driving it for 6 years now in different cars but never got noticed as just a good driver (I don't think I got noticed at all)..only as being a good driver "for a girl". (I'm not saying you're doing that same thing now btw, just for the record.) And that is exactly the problem I sometimes have with being a "female car enthusiast", if I do get noticed I'd rather get noticed for being a good driver without me being female having a thing to do with that. But then again...it's not really a problem for me. Most people who call me a good driver for a woman probably just mean it in the best way possible and don't mean to be sexist at all..they just don't meet that many women who are into fast cars and driving fast. So, in the meantime I'll just keep on doing what I love most and that is bwraaaaahp pphshshshsh

@TROLLS ROYCE Obviouslyitssexist Wow a non-troll comment from TROLLS ROYCE. Well done.

Taryn Croucher You shouldn't admit to owning one of those!

Interesting seeing this on SH - good questions Taryn! Growing up, no one ever told me I couldn't play with cars - they just never asked me to join them in the garage/track/etc. I see that beginning to change now... there are many more women actively involved in the automotive industry now than 10, 20, 30 years ago - and I think our mere presence as enthusiasts and automotive professionals will offer more of an example to those growing up now.

A couple years ago I was part of a SEMA build that the SEMA Busineswomen's Network did - and we didn't do it to "prove" we could or to say "hey, you should pay attention to us, we're girls"... but to be an example. Something that makes it evident that women are into cars and are active in the industry professionally and younger girls need to see that so, unlike me growing up, they see that cars as an option if they're interested in pursuing it. Hopefully one day, projects highlighting our gender won't be necessary

The One Otaku Daughters make great car buddies! I have an 11yo boy who is completely disinterested in working on cars but is in information goldmine, 6yo boy who is kinda into cars and an 8yo girl who lights up whenever anything is going on. Changing oil, wiring up fog lights, she's in to it. Enjoy your daughter car time

JennaVanHezewijk Love this input! So jealous of your time at the Ring too… I would LOVE to drive an MX-5 there… I think that has just become my new life goal

This article is like a job interview to finding my perfect girlfriend HAHAH It's awesome when women get involved in all kinds of motorsports. I remember when my sister used to race gokarts against my cousins and me everybody was truly impressed, but she saw it as normal and actually kicked ass out there!

SuzyWallace Yeah, that could have saved me an argument or two... but like Taryn's acticle points out, you are in the minority.

JennaVanHezewijk I got to do my first two laps a couple of months ago and it was crazy! Only in a Rent 4 Ring Swift, but holy shit it was cool! I'm determined to moved to Europe next year and build a track car, so maybe we can do some laps together.

I believe there are a lot of women or younger girls who are interested in cars or the automotive culture. But maybe there is a psychological barrier most of them have to break trough. When I look around my own environment I notice most girls don't talk about it, but keep staring at a picture of a car passing by. So it looks they are interested, but it doesn't come up in a conversation. 

Maybe it's because of the difference when growing up. Girls get a lot of grily toys like Barbie or even make-up these days. That won't trigger their automotive interests. I don't have a solid explanation for it, but that's why I think most of the people in the industry are men. Which is a shame, because women and girls who are into cars make a welcome change in the scene in my opinion.

ChrisDavy With all do respect, I feel that a lot of what you are saying could be applied to men as well as women. There WILL be times when it takes a guy to sit down, take a deep breath and take in that there are females out there that have taken the time and studied this hobby enough to hold their own. The struggle happens when it's assumed that we, women, don't know, need help or can't handle a little rejection or banter. When we do joke around or stand up for ourselves, we get put in the "weird" or "sensitive" category..."must be that time of the month." How original. I could come up with a hundred more ass-hat explanations that would "speak your language". Lol!

I will say that I am not an expert when it comes to mechanics, but I am involved and continue to try and learn as much as possible. However, I DO know my way around body work, paint and fiberglass. I can't count the times a guy couldn't handle that so instead of hearing what I had to say and show, just decided to discount it all and moved on to a male; then proceeded to make fun of me so he felt better about himself. Sure I'll grab the bull by the horns, but judging a book by its cover is a mistake period. That's where guys will find the majority of us acting, in male terms, "bitchy" or we will walk away because it's not worth the argument. If respect was given on both sides, I'm sure reactions to situations would be different. Just my .02.

Taryn Croucher dangina Chuck Palahniuk wrote in Invisible Monsters that photographers will take a less attractive girl, and put them in a dirty, industrial environment to make them appear prettier through the lens (something about the juxaposition) . I don't know if that is true, but it has always come to mind when seeing industrial shoots now.

There is science behind finding someone more attractive when they share your interests, just chalk it up to that.

DebraMustangDebPotts this is my favorite comment!!

My girlfriend has always been into cars, mostly of the old american muscle verity. But aside from her step father, who is off traveling for work a lot, she never really had anyone to talk to about them. That is until a friend brought her into our group. I own an STi and my friends are all car people and own something cool, like an S2000, Evo X, a restored CRX and several modified Civics. We all dream of building our cars and going to different events around the world. It's almost all we talk about when we hang out. And we are all hoons. So it's kind of hard not to catch our disease when you're dating one of us. Since coming around us she has really gotten into the Japanese side of the car scene. She loves STis and R35s and is attempting to sell her Focus so she can get an FR-S and begin modifying it. She has asked me for help looking for parts and ideas for her soon to be baby and I am more than happy to help. She wants an exhaust for it first thing and she wants me and a friend to install it for her. I have no problem with this but I'm going to try and get her to do it with me instead so she can learn even more and maybe get her out of her comfort zone. The fact that she is already into cars is awesome, I'm just trying to nurture it into the type of passion I have. You have no idea how happy it makes me that my significant other is into modifying cars, drifting and going to car shows and races with me. And she might still just like looking at muscle cars if she hadn't met us, and sat around listening to us babble on about cars for hours and watching youtube videos, or gone hooning around in the snow or even gone to the big car shows around our area with me. She is still learning and forming her own opinions of whats cool and whats not, but she is getting there. And I love it.

@TJ ChrisDavy I totally get what you are saying. Respect should go both ways. Also it is truly unfortunate and I feel sorry about the fact that there are loads of guys on this planet that would rather act out like some primitive apes due to poor education, insecurities, ignorance etc instead of using reason, kindness, decency etc. Unfortunately I know and am surrounded by quite a few of these "apes" that would rather use dumb-retarded stereotypes rather than think for themselves. From that point of view I'd like to apologize on behalf of the male population.
That being said, you have to realize that there are still some fundamental issues between us genders, where most men are the "I need this, I take what I need and get the job done" type, quite a few women are the "Have no idea what they want, why, where, how, when, but they know that if they don't get it, they're gonna be really mad about whatever it is they don't know that they want", not very practical for lots of situations. But I'm not gonna go into details about that 'cause it's not really the point.
Also the fact is that percentage-wise the female population involved in the car world and industry is indeed low. A simple exercise can prove my point, get a list of workshops in a town and see how many are ran/owned by women or how many women technicians work there.
Finding girls/women with the same kind of "car enthusiast" smell as boys/men is still generally hard.
Now to find a woman that is a car enthusiast and a technician as yourself, now that's really rare!
Personally I always try my best to look past stereotypes and set standards and treat everyone as equal as possible. I would really love to see more women/girls being involved into the scene, own/drive/build cars, have workshops and what not.

Dominic Toretto: It starts with the eyes. She's gotta have those kind of eyes that can look right through the bullshit, to the good in someone. 20% angel, 80% devil. Down to earth. Ain't afraid to get a little engine grease under her fingernails.

Going off those photos all women that like cars are rather fit!

Forgot about Michèle Mouton? Like the I.T. industry, the car scene is male dominated (unfortunately), but it is great to see females not being put off by the male dominance. I'd like to see way more females taking up our hobby and sport. Plus it does make them more attractive (like a guy who can cook is more attractive to the ladies?).

@TROLLS ROYCE a firm handshake lol.

Aah that is awesome! And it's good to start with a car with not too many bhp, makes you learn the track as a better driver because you don't want to use the brakes! If you're moving here and building a track car sounds to me you're on the right path of living your dreams! Send me a pb on fb if you want to do some laps some day. Or maybe come find me at Breidscheid

Practice makes perfect I still have a lot to learn though but I'm having fun out there!

Yeah Pat Moss is a legend. Whole family is.

It seem to me that when ever a female owner's car is posted on here (and many other car websites) she normally seems to be included on the photos with the car.

In majority of male build there are only photos of the car, and none of the owner

Until last week I was a VW/Audi/Porsche/BMW/Mercedes parts guy. I dealt with a LOT more women than I ever thought I would in that job. Maybe it's the scenes Speedhunters looks at, but I dealt with a lot of female VW/Audi enthusiasts. In fact my favorite car owned by one of my customers was a Corrado G60-powered VW Rabbit owned and built by a young, talented woman. I personally know a lot of female VW/Audi fans, and through Instagram I've been connected with another talented young woman restoring a Ford Falcon... She's going to school for auto-tech and auto body, and she is a straight up foxy Pinup model.
Motorsports don't seem to draw women*, but in my experience there are more women than you'd expect drawn to the creative side of cars- the art of the build. 
*Of course, as the article shows there are women in motorsports, but I think as a proportion of the interested population way more tend to wind up on the custom-car side, rather than the racecar side.

Taryn Croucher dangina
its ok, keep them posts coming! I'm all for more people getting involved in motorsports

so many unicorns!! (all jokes aside, good to see the better 50% represented <3)

Everyone on this website has a cleaner car than me. *sigh*

Kristin Cline If you're really interested in something you shouldn't need someone else to involve you in that.

PS, add Claudia Hürtgen to the list!! (we may recall her as one of Edward Sandstrom's FIA GT3 codrivers with Schubert Racing in the Saudi Falcons BMW Z4 and others)

truley amazing love the way its written and the whole nine yards keep going i hope to be a speedhunter as i get out of highschool

I only skimmed the article but there are tons of female car enthusiast and role models out there. They just rarely get any coverage. And idk if Michèle Mouton was mentioned.

Taryn Croucher You're rare, trust me....most girls that meet a car guy don't change themselves to accept his hobby, they want to change him and have him lose interest in the hobby. Has happened to most of my mates and it truly is sad....sad that women are like that and sad that men will weaken so easily.

You do whatever you want, whatever or whoever you are, Some girls like racing, some boys like cooking. if someone don't understand stop living like in middle age

Really Speedhunters? Just wow...... EASILY the stupidest article ive read on this site. Who gives a f#@! if there arent as many women in the car scene as men?? And wanting to 'recruit' more??
What is this shit guys?? As always females feel the need to jump up and down and make some noise.
And as for the women shown in these photos, all of them are attractive. Where are all the bushpigs at huh? Or dont the fit in..
Honestly guys this is rediculous.
Penis/vagina who cares we all share the same passion, why bring sexes into it.

JoshTracey Yea but woman are going to get attention from men if they didn't we would die out as a species. I suppose male dominated past times would be more intimidating for a girl compared to a male doing a female dominated past time. Like we have all seen it on the internet you have a girl gets her car featured you will get lads literally asking in the comments to marry them or you'll get the down right sexist comments (Like I seen a comment asking if there was a kitchen in the back of an rx7 on a youtube video ). Girls simply do not want that sort attention. Where as a male in a female dominated past time would love the female attention.

Kwabena Asamoah

I don't use social media, and I'm not about to register for a site I am going to stop viewing. 

Do you actually have something constructive to say, or are you going to pretend the pussy pass isn't a real thing?

AlexandreBerthiaume

Taryn isn't going to sleep with you. Lets be clear on that one. 

Dude, It is an article full of tits and ass. Clear skin and perfect teeth. Taryn is exploting the exact process you are calling me amoral for pointing out.

MatthewBortot ridiculus your reaction is and ridiculous it make you looks

Men aren't stopping women from being automotive enthusiasts, women's lack of interest in things like cars is the problem.  Nothing remotely novel about that concept.  This isn't an article about feminism or breaking into a male-dominated area, this is an article about rising above what society says you should do as a woman.  How can you have any interest in cars as a female if your
other female friends have no interest and can't imagine why you would
either?  I'm a guy, so I can't relate to that, but I can relate to being
an outcast in guy-land for not having any interest in football
(American football), baseball, gaming, etc.  I have few female friends in the automotive community, but my other female friends were not told that they couldn't enter the automotive clubhouse because they were women.  They just don't have any interest in cars.

The
automotive community is just a reflection of the other mechanical and
technical career fields (science/technology/engineering/math, "STEM" to
use the popular term), all of which are underrepresented by women.  Get
more women interested in technical fields, and more will be interested
in technical hobbies like cars.  Fix the cause, not the symptoms. As
a side note, I don't like the use of "automotive industry" in this
article because many/most people in the enthusiast community don't
actually work in any automotive-related industry. Part of the appeal is that anyone can do it, even if they work in advertising or marketing.

They! have been in our shadow for too much long! and by the way just remember who did the first car trip?

@Fabrik8

No, what you are doing is saying we should use social pressure to encourage people that don't have an innate interest in cars to get involved so they will receive outside validation. 

This is stupid. 

Nobody gets really good at anything because of social pressure, they get by. People that go out 4 nights a week risking dismemberment and death aren't doing it because their friends are interested in driving. They are doing it because they themselves are interested. 

There is an racing saying. You can't teach somebody how to be fast, but you can teach them how to be consistent. Think about that in relation to what you are saying.

Interesting subject. I don't think we can do anything to kinda recruit more females to be passionate about cars. Things change at the pace societies change, it takes time. I can say for Thailand, the country I live in, that there is an increasing interest by females in car culture, social media is helping a lot. I personally follow and know more female racing drivers than males, I find them more refreshing and interesting.

Is this really the only story you are posting today - Nothing new here to see - move on....... sad to see Speedhunters fall so far so fast......

@Anonymous Ghost I don't remember saying that we should use social pressure to do anything.  I'm simply stating why things are like they are from my point of view, in the context of the article.  It's your choice to infer or conclude anything else that you desire.

It's not a mystery to me why more women aren't in this hobby.

Citrus Hey Citrus- Great example!  I have also done a race as Cindi's engineer and she rocks the house.  Her life's work is teaching driving and racing and she is an excellent role model to all aspiring women in motorsports.Who can't respect a woman that can wheel a 600hp Viper with all the boys? .

As the father of 2 beautiful girls, this is a subject close to my heart. My oldest started go kart racing when she was 4 years old.  While we had to stop when she was 8, she got a great taste of the fun to be had in Motorsports.  Fast forward to age 15, and while she hasn't gone headfirst into the whole car scene yet, she has an interest in driving and has proven to have more skill than most...and can drive a manual transmission like a champ!  We will be heading to the autocrosses and rally crosses next year.  And the 10 year old?  She's my crew chief when I go racing..starting when she was 8.


Bottom line is this: engaging them at a young age and nurturing any interest will most likely pay dividends down the road.  And for those women and girls coming to the party later?  Embrace them, teach them and introduce them to other role models (racers, builders, drifter etc.) that can make them feel like achievement is possible, just like their male counterparts.

Start them young!

clevernamehere Kristin Cline Yes, agreed... when you love something, you love something and do all you can to immerse yourself in it. But first you need to know it actually exists... which I eventually found on my own... but by that time I had already worked my way through college with a biology degree. If I would have been introduced to automotive earlier I would have done a few things different.

@Anonymous Ghost - I notice on Taryn's Instagram - between all her bathing suit pictures - that the Editor In Chief is your Significant Other...... sad ... really sad......

gosh this site is lame it's all drifting,stance and whatever else is easy to photograph...this site has been taken over by photographers. Show me some suspension of a btcc car taken with a cell phone camera , show me something interesting and get rid of these artists running the site

Off-topic the photos quality is less than usually, it's hurt my eyes. :p

HeatherSabin

Most of my female friends who enjoy cars are not models either...lol

SadReally

Beautiful.

@Anonymous Ghost SadReally You didn't nail anything. (is this the source of your frustration?) Taryn was writing for Speedhunters long before Peter joined the team. He got the job because he was sleeping with her, not the other way around.

@Kart Works Most of them are #IAMTHESPEEDHUNTER submissions, they are usually lower quality than the photos taken by the sh writers.

There's definitely a shortage of us with an interest in cars because of our upbringing and lack of opportunities to get into cars, but it's also because many women are met with great hostility from our male counterparts. 


Many women feel discouraged because they've dealt with so many disrespectful guys.  I certainly know not all guys are like that, but it's definitely a factor.  And while it is true you do have to have a bit of thick skin because criticism can be harsh in the car world, nobody should be run off because of their gender. Guys should try to be welcoming and supportive, and then more women would take genuine interest. 

Combine lack of exposure with that and you've got your answer for "where are the women."

E. Spears

Why should we change for you, princess?

@Anonymous Ghost
There is no need to change there is just something called respect.

@Anonymous Ghost James1010 That was supposed to be a tongue-in-cheek response to your neanderthallic attitude. As for the reason this article got published. It got published because it needed to be published, and blatantly sexist posts like yours and the rest of the crap being spewed out by MRAs just go to prove it.

Charlie Lam is just a lame pro ho who is only "sponsored" because of how she looks and dresses, she is not taken seriously by anybody in the car scene.

DeanRoofieCarr There's much I would like to discuss about this article starting from the pictures chosen to the basic topic of the whole thing, but I agree with you on this. I've met one female technician in particular with much knowledge and the ability to apply it to the job, but they did not fit the, dare I say, "Pretty girl" appearance.  Now in my opinion this girl was attractive and very thin ,but I'm into the more tougher chicks so... haha she was a tough smart chick, but she was widely considered a tomboy by others along with herself. So yes, the article is not something I could hold credible to something that is actually a worthwhile topic. But yea man I agree, I think these pictures sparked up much of these comments hahah

@Anonymous Ghost This comment is perfect reflection of attitudes in society, and exactly what this article actually tries to challenge/change/promote more open ideals.. funnily enough lol. I guess you missed all that...

SVOFANATIC You missed His point. Guys ALWAYS make you prove yourself when you enter into a respective community, be it cars, video game, or sports. 

The reality is that many times what girls consider "disrespectful" or "gender biased rudeness" is nothing more than guys doing what guys do...friendly, competitive/comradely ball busting, teasing. 

However, unlike most males, who instinctively give back as good as they get, most females expect and demand the whole culture change to accommodate them rather than recognize THEY are the outsider and need to assimilate, or just blow the guys off and start a auto culture that caters more to the female ideal.

What we need more of in any car scene ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0spFY1I2NQ

well, in my country there are 3 female racer who famous around young generation.  http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandra_Asmasoebrata for GP1, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-B0j8p1ibY for Euro Touring Car Championship. and http://www.rajamobil.com/berita-mobil/alinka-hardianti-pembalap-wanita-indonesia-yang-penuh-prestasi-8175.htm for Gymkhana and Drifting.

@Anonymous Ghost - Here's a thought, notice the recent amount of extremely high end performance/vintage cars suddenly appearing on the blog - Credited to an AZ.  Have a look on the publisher instagram, then look at the regular commenter on the photos called Zalasin...  Some dude who clearly owns the shit hot metal which keeps appearing - And looking at the tags he writes not just a friend....
Not exactly adding credibility to how SH gets access to feature cars.  Makes gamer gate look lightweight as.
And not just rocket bunny:  Liberty Walk and airbags anyone...

dadecode shezzzhot

You are correct. Nobody is stopping a woman/female from becoming car enthusiasts. A lot do, I hate to generalize, so I won't. 

It's amazing how much is given to help start a profession in racing/tracking if a person is driven and determined. I have knowledge of at least 6 drivers who happen to be female who are doing quite well in this sport. In fact I have a meeting scheduled later this month with a potential sponsor for myself who is interested in foster this idea of bringing the sport of driving to more women. 

I'm excited to see this article and what the future holds in the way of breaking barriers in the mostly male populated sport. Drifting, tracking, autocross, rally, drag, and NASCAR have female fans right, so why not bring in more drivers too!

I fully agree I would love to see more woman get into cars my daughter loves them I just hope she sticks with it. I tried getting my wife into cars but failed still hoping tho. I think a lot of the problem is tho and I know ima take a beating for this one it's us guys. I know when I was showing my wife things about cars she asked me if the strut mount was the starter and I laughed witch was a stupid thing on my part. Yea it was funny to me but not to her. Us guys laugh when girls try to ask questions but we shouldn't we all had to start somewhere. So if your girlfriend, wife, daughter, or even the girl down the street wants to learn about cars don't laugh at the stuff they say give them the knowledge they need to know to get excited about cars. Let them help turn the wrenches and feel apart of it have them help trouble shoot even if it's the motor and they guessed wiper blades let them get involved without criticism.
Moparman13087

I thought Sabine Schmitz was a man...

Wow, reading some of the comments to this post makes me ashamed of being male and a car entusiast. But the post does serve
a purpose with bringing the discussion to the surface. I'd hate for my little daughter who loves her cars to be labeled as a "female car enthusiast" rather than just "car enthusiast" when she grows up. Go Taryn.

There won't be any big uptick in female membership in the car scene until there's a big change in the way of thinking in the car scene. Don't belive me? Here's an example...

The last time you saw a woman get out of the driver's seat of a stanced out Lexus (if any of us have ever), a fiver says you thought to yourself some variation of the phrase, "Look, she's just hopped out of her boyfriend's car." When you see a lady behind the wheel of a burbling V8 muscle car, it's "someone borrowed her husband's midlife crisis." Top Gear once made the point that once any female puts on a racing suit, she's treated as a sex symbol.


I know I'm guilty of it just as much as anyone. The point is, unless those who are already IN the fold make an effort to encourage new membership, as it were, how do you expect anyone new to break in? Even if you don't know any girls that are down to bolt TE37's on their shit (I don't :/), find some, or make a new convert! Next time your buddy's girlfriend asks you what you did with your weekend, don't say "just some car stuff," tell her you had a great time doing whatever you were doing. Who knows, maybe she'll be interested. Maybe she has some friends who are, I don't know. Next season, take some lady friends out to an FD event. At the very least there's a whole bunch of stuff to do, and maybe you'll get some new people hooked.

Just a thought. /rant

I think Jessi Combs is a great role model because she willingly learns and masters professions that are mostly looked as men's work. She's a metal fabricator, attempted a land speed record, does off road racing, as well as explores car and motorcycle culture.

Anthraxxx Any child of that age enjoys being in a big toy car...boy or girl.

I agree with Taryn, but the problem is right in front of us and we don't see it.
Why we ALL accept that is OK for a few long legged girls to keep the sunshine away with umbrellas at each and every motorsport event, for the pilots? Why Danica doesn't have male model with umbrella? Because we will be terrified and we all thought that it will be sexist. No? So how women will love motorsport if we ALL accept umbrella girls? Or show queens? We cant and most import, they can't be past that.
It is wrong but we ALL accept that.

Anyway, I really have to say something about that Russian girl with the Soarer drift car: What the hell was that turbo setup? Firs words when I saw that TURBO was the words of Cartman from South Park:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qe5GS0MS5gU

Taryn, none of our local girl from nz time attack Kat Benson or Bex from Bex drift in D1NZ Pro-Am? nice to see Jodie in there from D1NZ Pro's but a great article and there is sure to be few more missed but well done on a well written article

@Angelo Well… she's probably got bigger balls than you, that's true!

guber959 Thanks for your feedback. We actually have some really cool technical stories coming up next month, which from the sounds of things you'll really enjoy. Don't give up just yet

AirLift_Brian This is so cool!

this.guy.said Michèle Mouton should have been mentioned! She is actually my #1

SimonJennings Emma Gilmour is amazing!

niZmO_Man Michèle Mouton is a legend!

When I was in college, there were a few girls that took diploma in automotive engineering just like me. They're actually kinda amazing, passionate to learn, not afraid of getting their hands dirty & sometimes more knowledgeable than me haha

Taryn Croucher OMG. Best answer ever!!! I underestimated you.

Arisa Ueno from Vertex Japan

This article was a meh, only-for-a-reaction piece. It doesn't really achieve anything, and I am curious as to why only hot girls are shown with their cars? It it to point out the hypocrisy thats being spoken of? If not, where is the curvy girl? The odd-shaped one? Why not a picture of Claudia Hertgen when she drove with your very own Edward Sandstrom? 

You cast light on something that you do yourselves in many articles. Someone else mentioned that NONE of the photos of men's cars show the owner. Yet on a proportion, how many pictures of women's cars have you done that show them? Granted, the photo quality itself is always great, and the women aren't draped across the hood wearing only a cleverly-placed decal and a smile, but regardless, the statement is always made, repeated, then featured in a photo that (I guess) the owner is, yes, really a woman. 

How about this....if SH is serious, how about on the next couple of features of female-owned cars NOT mention anything in the article about it. Let someone ask in the comments if they deem its necessary. Why? Because it doesn't matter what gender the owner is when I'm looking at an article of a car. Not one single bit. Yes I want more women involved, but truly treat them as an accepted equal automotive enthusiast.

Oh yeah, speaking of female role models, I do have one favorite from my country Malaysia.
Her name is Leona Chin, she's a full time drifter but she does circuit racing & gymkhana occasionally too. She's also the only female driving instructor for Lotus Club Malaysia too.
You guys need to check her out, she's really a motorsports addict

I really don't get it, why get so worked up about this. I really don't care if your a male or female.
Also I've rarely heard the term "Female Car Enthusiast" nor "Male Car Enthusiast", in my book this would only imply that the "enthusiast" in question is a male or female(you can't make that up from reading an article about someone) and then you get back to my first point, I don't really care.

What the fuck is this, XOJane? This kinda BS is the worst shit on the internet.

If you want help... Ask for it. It isn't the duty of the enthusiast community at large to reach out and introduce new people/demographics into the scene. This isn't marketing, or a social responsibility initiative. If you're lost, the most efficient way to find out where you are and where you need to go is to stop and ask for directions - standing on a street corner, stamping your feet n screaming, "I'm lost!" may well have the same effect, but only after 50 people have passed by saying, "No, honey. We can't stop. That person is crazy."

Me? I'm a guy. A South African guy, in fact. And I'm in the enthusiast/aftermarket/modified community for the cars. New member? Awesome. Black/White/Mixed/Asian? Doesn't matter. Male/Female/Both? Doesn't matter. Have a dope car, and something to add to what we already have? That matters. The entire issue is a non-event. The people that are established in the industry don't care about the colour of your skin or your gender - you do. There's no active body of prehistoric males that tries to prevent women from joining in on the fun. 

"Oh, but you treat women as sex objects/say that a woman's place is in the kitchen!"
Hello, and welcome to the community! You must be new here. FIRSTLY, people who say/behave like that are in the minority, and secondly, we say significantly worse things to import drivers (if we drive muscle), and vice versa. There isn't a big musclecar community in SA (we drive RHD), but there have and always will be wars of words between the Euro car fans and the Jap car fans. And there's wars of words between people who build their cars for track, drag, stance, audio, whatever. Us busting your proverbial balls means the exact opposite of what you think it does - it ACTUALLY means that we've accepted you. Heck, we bust the balls of our closest friends who drive cars that are virtually identical to ours. It's banter - something that I've noticed isn't that well understood by ladies, and something that you may need to do a bit more research into. We do the same in any field you care to mention, and, as you've rightly mentioned, the enthusiast industry is male-dominated. Because, like it or not, cars are historically a guy thing. It's changing - I love that it's changing because I love seeing/hearing new ideas, and ladies tend to be very creative - but as it is, it's still predominantly a guy thing. Why?

Don't ask us. Ask the mothers, who told and continue to tell their daughters not to go into the garage and to stop behaving like a boy. Ask the ladies' magazines who continue to feature fashion, fashion, make-up, sex tips and fashion, but won't dedicate a column to new cars or ladies in the industry. Ask the friends who won't hang out with you 'cos your interests are different to theirs. Ask our girlfriends who tell us that we care too much about our rides, and that it's, "only a car". Ask why women tend to be more social animals, and why the majority are happier doing anything with their friends than they would be alone, in the garage, at 02h00 on a rainy morning. These are the questions that need to be asked, because these are the questions that need to be answered. 

Biased against ladies? Hogwash. Here we know them as car girls, cos here we're car guys. Or when introducing them to someone else, "She's a car person". This is where I take issue with the idea that the community isn't female-friendly ; the community is one of the friendliest out there, to EVERYONE. In fact, we tend to be nicer to ladies because, rightly or wrongly, we assume that their knowledge on the subject isn't as extensive as ours and so we go out of our way to provide advice/lend a helping hand. Think about it? Guy A is in bed on a Saturday morning. Guy B calls to ask for a hand in doing something to his car/going on a parts run. Guy A says, "Do it yourself, man. I'm sleeping.". Flip the situation? Which male enthusiast do you know that wouldn't come out to help you? I don't think I know of any.

In order to fit into a society, you abide by the rules of that society. You don't demand that that society bends to accommodate your minority, because then you marginalise yourself. Feminism has its place and its uses. I'm not sure this is one of them. You wanna fit in at what is essentially (by numbers alone) a boys club? Then you'll need a thick skin, 'cos us boys tend to be quite rude/lewd/whatever-else-we-are when we're amongst our own. 

You don't need female role-models - you just need role-models. There's no point in campaigning for gender to be removed from the equation if you plan on reintroducing it to suit the argument. Who you look up to should be the people that build the kind of CARS that you appreciate. The garages - the Top Secrets, the Garage Defends, the Spoon Sports - are where inspiration should come from. Not from a, "woman making it in a man's world", because then you're fostering an us-versus-them attitude, you're making it so that men and women cannot happily cohabit this community. You're making girls say, "We can build cars/drive/drift better than guys can, even though that's what they're supposed to be doing.", when what they should be saying is, "I can build a good car.". You won't win friends by antagonising people.

It's about the cars. Leave your gender sensibilities at the door, and you can come in.

Taryn Croucher  I understand you. I would welcome the fact of having more diversity in the scene with more women modifying and racing cars. And honestly there is need for petrolhead women who understand us boys The problem here is, that all that counts here is to be a part of the society and be just like everybody else. So when a girl shows up with a tuned car everybody will look at her in a strange way. I ask the girls of today to be more "bosozoku", to go against the mainstream girly lifestyle and explore new things! But this is only wish-thinking, everybody knows reality looks diffrent.. by the way i love that chick with the SilEighty and damn the girl with the yellow LanEvo is bad....... She's a bad girl! And i like that!

I reckon there's probably a lot more girls in to cars than men realise, the only thing is, unless they look like the slim, stunning chicks in the article's photos, they go unnoticed... Which let's be honest, is down to half naked pit girls/show girls setting such a high standard... Which would be fine, if all "male enthusiasts" looked like Paul Walker...

AdamBezzegh  What a moron

I run an instagram page called #TrackAddict and a few of the girls you posted there are followers, but I would say females only make up 1% of our members.

Im slowly making my wife a car person... She may well be buying her first set of after market wheels soon!

I started by watching and helping my dad as he was a mechanic. I've always been a tomboy never played with dolls i had and still have me corgi cars. I've always been a petrol head female and have found it difficult in past being a female that loved cars and knew what she was talking about when it came to cars.
I'm part of a number of forums and am currently molding my lovely ATR. I love the fact more females are joining in on it but like you say the stigma needs to be banished lol.

I don't know about most girls but I've always had a love for cars, granted I was born into it. My dad was a race car driver and now has a garage in our back yard which is where I spend a lot if my time. My boyfriend and I recently bought 2 mitsubishi eclipses, and have a healthy competition of making "mine better than yours" but of course my 6 speed manual gt already has a leg up on his automatic gs lol

ATLshine Haha, maybe not take over… but definitely take part in!

Women in the car industry and equality for them is being blown way out of proportion.  Why does a culture have to cater to "women".  As a car enthusiast myself, it doesn't matter what gender, or race you are...as long as you are interested in cars.  I have to say that it is annoying to see a girl driving a nice car and you ask them about it and they have no idea.  If you put in the work, people will respect you.  At least understand what your driving.  That being said there are guys that are the same way.  And those guys get treated with the same contempt. There are lots more women in motor sports that were not mentioned in this article...Lisa Kubo, one of the pioneers in the import drag scene is one of the major ones. When asked about being within a male dominated sport, here's what she had to say: 
"It has been a bit tough as far as being the new person in the Quick
Class. There is also a lot more pressure because I am running against
the best of the best. Yes, to a good degree I had to prove that females
can be just as competitive in a male-dominated sport. It is made out to
be a big deal, but when it comes down to it, I'm just another
competitor."
If women took this attitude...I think things would change a lot.  How about finding Lisa and doing a feature on her life and accomplishments.  
I don't think any guy has a problem with women taking part in car culture...but do the research, understand your vehicle, lend a hand when someone asks and know a bit of history about cars and you will be accepted.

What about the less photogenic girls.

It am totally in favor of all the things you wrote, Taryn. I am a male and 2 things piss me off in the car scene.

A) Cars and women are soo often portraited with a lot of skin, bottom and chest exposure. I am straight and I really don't like those kind of images. I do like pictures with cars and women that are natural. A girl in a racing suit with dirty hands is sexier than a silicon filled girl in a bikini and high heels leaning over a car. Speaking of racing suits...

B) the color pink. I was at the 24h race in Dubai in 2013 (or so) where a team consisted of only female drivers. Guess the color of their suits and car. Pink. The female pit reporter in the Super GT events is wearing a suit with... you guessed it: pink accents. It even shows in some of the images in this post, where there is pink involved. Nothing against it, if you like the color. But often I think that the preferences of many female drivers is forced to the background and they opt for a girlish trait to be accepted or liked in the scene. There should be nothing dictating you to be respected as a female in the car scene. Maybe I overthink this.

Also, Mr. Sean Foster, who is the photographer of the cover image and the other yellow EVO shot. I am sad to see him tagging this picture with #iamthepussyhunter. I don't see any cats in the picture so the "pussy" is refering to... Also the license plate is disgusting. Could it be "down on (all) fours"?

Shmeeve Let's have a calendar with naked men leaning over cars. That would be hilarious.

emeQee Shmeeve Haha, that would be ridiculous! I understand sex sells & that's why they do it, it's easy money, but c'mon... I went to Ultimate Street Car a few weeks back & all I could think (about the girls) was "get off that blood car before you scratch it!"... Priorities people

Speaking from experience th guys out there dont make it easy or give chicks wanting to get more involved in th industry a fair go. Im a rockie, 1st year apprentice mechanic & completely love cars & working on them. Would love to get more involved in the racing side of it which i do hope to do one day. Love my v8's th most, th more power th better th louder th better. One thing I have found th hardest is th male world accepting me into there industry. At trade school th only 2 other females in th building is th receptionist and th libarian lady. All th guys there just look at me like im lost & few even make fun of me, which is fine I can cop it but it most definitely puts ya off abit. Does give me an uncomfortable feeling though. 2 months ago I thought id have ago and give th quarter mile a crack in my stock holden vx commodore. I had fun, gave it ago wasnt there to break no record's but 70% of th guys there just made fun of me & laughed at a chick having ago. Its wrong!!! How we spose to get and in courage more chicks to get involved when soon as they do, there laughed out and made fun of.... I hear ya & understand your articale completely and good on ya for doing it too

I don't know how this made it past the editor..
"When was the last time you ever heard anybody use the term ‘male car enthusiast’?"
We used the term "car guys" all the time to distinguish from males who love cars and does who don't. Same with "cargirls", the term is used to distinguish from girls who love cars and those who don't. Not to separate guys from girls like you claim. But I'll play your game.
"The ‘female enthusiast’ label."
Doesn't this "label" exist in every industry? Is it not normal? If an industry is dominated by "blank" we use adjectives to  differentiate one person from the other. It could be gender or race. If there's two "insert industry here" enthusiast in a room one male and one female. And you want to call one over, what are you suppose to say? "hey you "blank" enthusiast come over here" and ignore gender? I mean come on. That's silly. You use Ma'am or Sir. (if you have manners)
In the car industry it will always exist because males dominate the industry, you even said later in the article and thus why we don't say male car enthusiast. Same reason we say strippers and male strippers. Model or male model. Nurse and male nurse. Nobody is arguing about that.  The only jobs that are truly unbiased are Chefs and Doctors. You know why? Cause females stepped up. My Doctor is a female and so is my Dentist. I trust them completely. You want respect as a car enthusiast step yo game up.
You continue on to say:
"Guys, we have a problem. It’s more about the fact that women are the minority in this male-dominated industry, and it’s a fact that everyone just seems to accept and not really do anything about."
Why is it a problem? Why do we have to do something about it? Why do females gotta dominate the industry or at least be equal? Do you realize that for some guys this is an outlet, not everybody wants to be with they're wife 24/7. Sometimes is just about getting some guy time. Not everything has to be a gender thing. You don't see guys fighting for more rights or recognition in the stripper industry or fashion industry. You want respect, earn it. Its your problem not ours.
And after you say you don't understand why females are the minority you wrote:
"I think we can all agree that the majority of men come pre-programmed with some kind of instinctual attraction to things that go fast and make loud noises. The choice of cars as a hobby comes naturally. But generally, women aren’t like this."
So if they're aren't naturally like this, why do you think they should be like this? Then what's the problem? You make no goddam sense. This article is both biased and silly.

DennyTsai ScottDean0  All I'm speaking off is personal opinion here. In response to the lack of interest point you made. while, yes, lack of exposure = lack of interest in most cases, it still takes a certain amount of initiative to find things out for yourself - a personal example is me playing the saxophone, I am the only male in my sax band of about 7 people and everyone who has taught me has been female and there was no bias against me because of my gender. I do not believe that it is a gendered issue as I have been in situations where the numbers are reversed and it certainly hasn't. I know that in my school there is a huge amount being done to get more girls in areas where they are the minority in terms of numbers (Computing, physics, engineering etc.) but nothing the other way, so the exposure and encouragement is certainly there but the numbers aren't.

I glad that you share mostly the same opinion as me in terms of role models. But, speaking from personal experience here, I just needed a like-minded person to me to relate to rather than someone the same gender.

In response to your final paragraph, I do live in an area where there are a lot of vocal groups discouraging me and others to get behind the wheel, e.g my local track has had barrages of complaints from people who moved into the area, knowing there was an active race track near them, and wanted it to be shut down as it was too loud. I don't need to imagine that. If racing was mostly made up of black women, I would still be a part of it as it is what I like to do and the race and gender of the other people involved doesn't matter to me, unless they turned it into an issue.

I can understand your point but I can't put myself in your position as I am simply not the sort of person that is intimidated by lack of support.

Between my friends and I we rarely comment on hair colour, nail colour (unless we are talking about galvanisation) or - surprisingly - what sex someone is. There's far too much more interesting shit going on in our lives. However we have witnessed some friends who are female and into cars that will happily use their sexuality to get what they want. Wether that's all the bodywork and paint work on their then very ropey 77 bug' by a couple of owner group members who are taken aback by a girl joining right through to friends (plural) who buy high end 'to impress guys' And crash them when they try to hang the rear out (however that's more I would argue technical stupidity and inability then the fact they are female) the only time we comment on females being females 'into' cars is when we see them acting in a way that leaves us dismayed and sad at the state of equality As is clear below, it's not always the persons sexuality that people knee jerk (hurrrrrr) against but the way some people use that sexuality to get what they want. I wouldn't flirt with a someone to get a cheaper deal on my tyres, I wouldn't give someone cheaper tyres because they flirt with me. I was raised to believe I'm worth more then that, and so are other people. as were my sisters, who would never do similar not from threats of death from our mother, but out of having respect for themselves. Said mother has always said that The problem is double sided - men objectify women and some women not only objectify themselves but encourage others to do similar. which is a pretty sad state in this day and society. Act like an equal and- unless you are talking to people with damaged chromosomes -you will get treated as an equal. But flirting for cheap parts work etc is on a par vulgarness-wise with those that respond to it. And that's why females into cars are judged with suspicion- an abused dog still cowers at a loud noise- regardless of what makes that noise. Male car enthusiasts are worried they are being taken for a ride when approached by girls into cars. They need time to get past their own issues - usually stemming from past treatment.

forbidenjess I understand you feeling bad about being made fun of...but honestly, as a male, I have been made fun of for running a crappy 1/4 mile in my STI by my friends.  This attitude is the same for guys.  This is the culture of the car scene, competition is fierce.  Now if you are being targeted because you are a female...shame on those guys, but whether you are a guy or a girl, people poke fun.  Don't give up...just get better.

emeQee Shmeeve I'll offer myself as the first model! Ok sure it won't sell but still why not!

emeQee  Car culture is not catered towards men...it caters towards car enthusiasts.  If you notice, the overwhelming majority of guys on this site have no problem with girl enthusiasts.  Why does there have to be a distinction between men and women.  If we keep trying to insert equality for "women" and not just view women as individuals that are interested in cars, we start developing an "us vs them" attitude.  If women want acceptance, put in the work.  Learn about cars, show an interest, learn some history and get involved.  Most real car enthusiasts are not into the showy stuff....they appreciate the vehicle, the mechanics, the beauty of design...if women had these things, I promise you will be respected.  Show up with high heels, mini skirt and a car you know nothing about...and claim your a car enthusiast and see what happens.  This is the same with a guy that shows up in a car they didn't wrench on...they get the same treatment.  Learn the culture in the purest form.  One of my favorite articles on this site is the 280z restoration...Guess what a girl owns that and she has my utmost respect.

@robert Haha. Fair point.

@Murph emeQee Well said.

Taryn,
There are plenty of "female" car ethusiasts out there but we don't try to hang out in the lime light.  I was all about the scene when I was a teenager and early 20s, and I noticed the bias in magazines and forums back then. Now almost 30, I don't look so I don't care.  It is basically the same reaction with all other major sports, they are primarily catering to the male demographic and women are a second thought.   
It might be an age thing as well, young women are getting into motorsports but older women don't stay in.  The whole kids, families, and a career get in the way.  Men still come back to cars but rarely have I seem older women stay.  I only know a handful of women who were into cars when we were still all teenagers.  Life gets in the way of life and women move on past cars. 
Then there are the few old foggies (like myself...OMG almost 30!) who will still be wrenching on their cars and hitting up the local driving scene.

@Murph You know that is my 280z aye? thank-you!

I think as far as female driver icons, you can add Michelle Mouton. She drove rally (with Alpine, Fiat and Audi) and the 24 hours of Le Mans. She's one onf the only (if not the only) female driver to compete in WRC during the Group B era, both with the Audi Sport Quattro and Audi Quattro S1, then with the Peugeot 205 T16.

She competed on such legendary cars as the Alpine A110, Fiat 131 Abarth, Lancia Stratos HF, Audi Quattro and Peugeot 205 T16.

She racked up quite a lot of stage wins until her retirement in 1986 when the Goup B was banned.

moparman13087

Well said!! It is tough when you ask questions, even over again to get it right, and get laughed at or criticized. But I just read a lot and Google what I don't know. There's a really cool website that shows how things work. I like how it breaks it all down. 

Also going to events with vendors is amazing. I can pick their brains, see products, get swag, and learn about working parts, exhausts, how a clutch works...etc. I have never met a vendor who wasn't eager to teach!

@hurrderp I'm pleased this story has provoked such a detailed response from you. But really, what I'm suggesting here is that as car enthusiasts, shouldn't we be wanting to ensure that there's a positive and encouraging environment for all people to learn about the hobby that we all love and enjoy so much - if they so choose to take an interest in it? I don't think that's silly.

Look, we're all supposed to be here for the cars and their associated events. It's supposed to fun, so let's keep it that way.

I've got plenty of things I'd like to say about this matter, but I'm going to bite my tongue. 

I'm here for the vehicles and I don't want this website turning into a sociopolitical battlefield full of angry ranting. 

Let's just focus on the cars, and save the conspiracies and the crusading for another time.

Taryn Croucher Sir Rob How about a long-deserved interview with her, Muldowney and Hertgen?

Taryn Croucher - Taryn, I love your car and the articles you have posted about the journey you have been through to get it where it is. (I did know it was you by the way :))  I would definitely hang out with you to talk cars or go for a cruise if I were in your circle of friends...i think this re-enforces my point.  I don't care that you are a girl...but I do care about the idea that you "get it".  Just the fact that you would take some time to go out for a cruise and enjoy the sounds and smells of riding in a vehicle that you have spent lots of time and money on is epic.  This for me is what an enthusiast is.

tthat evp

@ju1c3B0x Old foogie? Maybe the extra 'o' help but I'm saying it out loud and still can't figure out how to spell it. Lol either way old compared to these youngins in the car scene.
You definitely have a point there that maybe those girls/young women weren't true enthusiasts or maybe were they 'pushed' away from the scene. I can't imagine the car scene to be too different from 10 years ago, where some car chicks used their looks and sex to get ahead while others tried to fit in on their own but get lump with the car chicks.
The open access to forums and information is nice but it also leaves open to a ton of sexist trolls, see below for some references. I've stayed off forums for the most part unless I'm searching for issues on my cars.

@Murph emeQee What you said is what it should be. But my complaint with the ads, conventions etc. objectifing the women are done by "players" of the car scene. I am against this. And what you said is something I totally agree. If someone has passion that person would ignore all this objectification. A true car person would not choose a turbo just because a bikini girl is holding it (a less enthusiastic person may do idk) but choose upon specs etc. 

But a non-enthusiastic or maybe an interested person will be confronted or even appalled with a "sexist" barrier when the first thing they see is that side of the scene.

I don't know if I can word my thoughts well, English is not my first language.

What I wrote is not the car scene. I am pretty sure most of the other side (that are do not objectify women) will treat women as "ordinary" car people.

tell them how she can jump* Brain juices were not warmed up at time of posting!

I get so conflicted in matters like this. On one hand, I hate seeing anyone being mistreated (particularly when they are mistreated based on an immutable characteristic) and I'm quick to rush to their defense. However, I equally hate it when people make a federal case out of something that is A. trivial, or B. partially their own fault. The nomenclature used is trivial, and the perception of women who like cars is tarnished primarily because of your fellow women.

First, it's important to understand that there definitely are bigots in this world who would probably not want women counted among the hoard of car enthusiasts simply because it threatens the status quo of the male hegemony within the automotive subculture. Those people are a real phenomenon, they should be acknowledged, and, in my opinion, they should be alienated. However, I have a hard time believing that they are anything other than a small minority within the Speedhunters brand of car enthusiast. I wouldn't be at all surprised to hear that women don't get a fair shake at, say, a Friday night tractor pull or local stock car smash-em-up, but the terms "Speedhunter" and "diversity" are one and the same. There are so many people from so many different cultures who participate on this site, and that diversity lends itself toward acceptance through its very nature. My point is that I don't think that women are categorically rejected by our brand of auto enthusiast simply because they are women. 

However, ours is a scene where ALL who wish to be drawn into the fold must prove their worth. A problem within the car enthusiast subculture that inearly everyone who wants to be a part of it is completely full of shit. Utterly. Entirely. For those of us who build our own engines and wiring harnesses, calculate roll couple, or contemplate combustion theory, we have put in the time to study and understand complex subject matter, so some degree of elitism is an inevitable consequence. Simply put, we're nerds. And if you want to join the nerd club, you have to show that you too are a nerd. Now, speaking for myself, I am always willing to teach and to share hard-earned knowledge. In fact, one of my employees at work has a newfound fascination with cars and he has been picking my brain nonstop, and I'm happy to help him (I would be equally glad to help him if he was a woman). Bu I don't wish to abide all of the fools who bring their ego to the table and talk bollocks about how they know everything about cars and how they're the best driver, yet all the while they reveal their incredible ignorance, unbeknownst to them. I equally have little appreciation for people who consider themselves car gurus just because they bought light-up windshield washer squirters. The problem that I see with this whole article is that I have met far too many female car enthusiasts who fall into the latter category. But it's worse than that. I think that being able to talk nonsense and getting attention for doing so is precisely what draws the majority of female car enthusiasts to the scene more so than a genuine love for cars. 

Now, I'm long since married and my partying days are way behind me, but circa 2003, Mr.E.G. liked to drink and mingle. In the world of partying and bar hopping, you're presented with an ideal laboratory for analyzing bullshit, and nowhere is this more profound than when members of the opposite sex are trying to attract one another. As this sad cartoon plays out over and over again, you notice trends. For instance, guys almost universally try to attract the opposite sex by pretending like they're a big deal (powerful, important, wealthy, virile, whatever), and women try to attract the opposite sex by playing to the guy's interests. Both are equally pathetic, to be sure, but out of this disingenuous charade comes three predominant female personas. The first is the "bisexual extrovert," wherein the girl will make a big show out of how she would tooooooootally make out with Angelina Jolie, etc. The second is the "sports chick," wherein she makes a big show about how she is tooooooootally into sports. The third is the "female car enthusiast," wherein, you guessed it, she pretends like she gives half a shit about cars. 

Where I'm going with this is that far too many women only care about cars insofar as it brings them attention from men. That is in no way an indication that women are any less capable than men of understanding/ appreciating/ driving cars. Rather, it is merely an observation about the priorities of the average supposed female car enthusiast. They do it for the attention, and in doing so they cement themselves firmly in the wannabe category. A category that is not wholly embraced by most car nerds. So, you see, Taryn, I don't think it's fair to suggest that the biggest issues are the common parlance used to describe female car enthusiasts, nor do I think that wholesale bigotry is a common occurrence. I think the biggest obstacle you face to being taken seriously (because that's what we're really talking about here, right?) is your fellow supposed female car enthusiast. 

Let's look at it from a different perspective. I'm a white male. If I walk into a room full of young African American kids who live in a low-income area, they will quite likely have an opinion about me, and it probably won't be good. They will probably be distrusting of me and I'll have to work hard to earn their trust. Why? Is their low opinion of me because of the terminology used within their culture to describe me? No. Is their low opinion of me because there is something wrong with them? No. It's because, chances are, their interaction with white men in my age group has been nothing short of unpleasant. They expect me to behave toward them the way that, sadly, the majority of white men have, which is to say, they're used to being treated with scorn by my peers, so they have formed an opinion about me that I have to work to overcome. You see what I'm getting at? Just the same way that I am burdened by the negative stereotypes associated with people in my in-group, it doesn't necessarily mean that those casting their ire on me are in the wrong for having those feelings; it means that the people in my in-group have kind of ruined things for me. You need to take an honest look at the way your fellow women are presenting themselves to the automotive world. Female car enthusiasts who exist to live up to a phony archetypal mens' fantasy are not going to be taken seriously, and that is certainly the most common form that the female car enthusiast takes. On the contrary, female car enthusiasts who legitimately walk the walk are going to be embraced. 

My daughter is 19 months old. I will raise her to be a powerful, brilliant person. She will likely know more about cars by the time she is 10 then most men will ever know (provided she even likes cars, it's her choice). I will teach her to fight against sexism, to stick up for the little guy, and to kick more ass at everything than anyone else she happens to encounter. I will work to make her better than me in every way. But you want to know the really sad part? In molding a young girl into a strong woman, my wife and I basically have to teach her to never act like 90% of young women. Long story short, your peers are just as much to blame for any negative perceptions about you as bigotry is, and perhaps even more so in a culturally-diverse subculture such as the Speedhunters world.

Ju1c3B0x FlippyMar

I agree with Ju1c3B0x. My love for cars has grown deeper as I mature. I can't wait to be able to do nothing but auto events in my life! 

How cool would that be to have a retirement community built around a track!!

@shezzhot Hello my retirement dream! Live out in the country and build my own track. My husband can have his trails and mountains, and I'll have my awesome garage (with lifts ::drool::) with a test track.

Taryn Croucher  You should also look up Shirley Muldowney, "The first lady of drag racing".  She was big back in the day in NHRA.  My mother used to do NHRA bracket racing her her Datsun Z, and Shirley was her hero!

@Anonymous Ghost I think you're agreeing with me and don't realize it.

Soooo,   Is Chewbacca/DriftGirl coming back?

POPCORN

95% of girls don't like loud noises, getting dirty, breaking down on the side of the road, or getting tickets. The appeal of cars is not enough to overcome these inconveniences for them.
Don't forget cars are expensive! That money could be used for Mac makeup, Coach purses, and the morning after pill.

I 50% agree with this post and 50% diaagree. Been in the automotive industry for almost 11 years, 8 years of it as a mechanic. No, you dont need man muscle to enjoy it, yes you can compromise. No, you dont need family background to help you into it, yes you do need to have a form of interest, in my way its a passion. Most of all girls that make it Into the industry need a strong additude to overcome the male criticism that still lingers in this day and age. I still laugh at people that manage to throw the off comment here and there to attempt to put girls down only because of their gender and they get blown away with the comeback. No you dont need to be a butch or a big muscly dirty skinned girl to be able to work on cars. Its a bad perception, people have. There are showers, nail polish and fashion that still is used. A person that works on a car and continues to carry on the same hygiene for the rest of the day after that, is just called a grub regardless of the gender.
cmon girls, dont be scared or discouraged by some people out there! Just do it! It took me 3 years to decide to pick up a spanner and im glad I did!

Plenty of female motorsport icons around, check out Catherine May - drifter from Australia

https://www.facebook.com/catmaydrift 

http://vimeo.com/107881784

I think speed hunters should have more focus on cars, and less on gender.

WOW....300 comments, must be a record. I reckon this article has done more harm than good.

I assume this was just a ploy to try to generate stats for Need For Speed - which Speedhunters mines data for.....

It's ass hole comments that steer women away from the auto world.....the same reason why a lot of women are gamers but stay in the shadows..because of ass hole people being ignorant.

Hahaha. I'm gonna use that face. Good show ole chap.

westhave its still quite an investment..its just that our transportation system makes it to where you need a car to be self sufficient.

Im a TGL (transgender Lesbian ) and this article is so right on the money, but If i was the female form that would be like a "model" I would get special treatment and be adored by a lot of guys/gals. Humans should get the respect they deserve by their actions and attitude. #lovecars #JDMforOver15Years #Musclecarsallmylife #V8build2015

SadReally noone plays NFS anymore, they took away a manual gearbox option, Forza Horizon 2 for life well until they make a batter one

SaraTurnham It's easier for a girl to put on overalls then a guy to try a dress on.

DarrenMcBeth + 1 for MAC comment

This is why I love Speed Hunters. This was a great article! It really addresses something worthwhile.

MrEG #amazingparent #shouldbeontheUNboard #HeforSheSheforHe #HumanshelpingHumans #Idliketoaddyouonfacebook #haveyoustudiedpsychology?

MrEG #wedoeverythingtobenoticed #facebookisthelivingproof #dowhatyoufeellikebutdoublebolttheferriswheelplease #staysafe #Justdontbeadickandeverythingiscool Sorry I talk so fast has tags are making sense to me now, Im 32 old-chan

Ice Age its good to talk, when the f have you ever been to a car meet and talked like "this"

TarmacTerrorist If men had power over women ( in the boob butt & body way ) it would be hard to say that we wouldnt use it for good and evil

TarmacTerrorist I treat people nicely and automatically they think im flirting with them, i have a ring on my finger, ive never cheated even tho it isnt against the law its just wrong ( and it should be illegal ) standing on a patch of grass is iligal and can get you a fine, but cheating is nothing in the eyes of the state unless saul goodman gets involved

@Murph emeQee SPEEDHUNTERS is not bias at all, thats why its the only car blog I read, its about the cars, build and people, not boobs and blowers

emeQee Shmeeve it shouldn't be, thats why society has so much conflict

domino86 Ice Age I don't think I quite understand what you mean.

Ice Age domino86 i never gone to a car meet and talked sexism equality in the tuner scene, usu its about how much boost im running

domino86 Ice Age Oh, okay.

I don't think it is that hard to say you wouldn't do it, and be able to stick to those morals if the table was flipped. Like I said my sisters wouldn't do it and I was raised the same way - with respect for people as people and their abilities first and foremost. My friends and I are just plain suspicious of girls who approach us due to previous experiences. It's going to take time to shift those preconceptions and get the bad taste out of our mouths so as to speak of prior issues and experiences. I'm in favour of everything taryn has said - im just trying to shine a light on one of the problems females who want to enjoy the scene face - and to explain why some guys may seem a little negative towards the idea.

SupieGP like a sir/lady

BoyBalastog men screwed women over with control, now women are screwing men over with control ( plus men, think of everything you do, most of it is based to get the attention of women but thats another thing ) the world needs to even out and I think after Emma Watsons speech and seeing a lot of young people thinking freely about gender equality, things are going to move alot more quickly than in the past 30 years or so

#longesttimeivereadSHinsteadoflookingatprettypicturesteehee

I really like this article and the point it is trying to make. I am the father of two young girls (6yr old and a 9 month old) but i had previously always hoped for a boy so I could share cars with them. That is until recently when I bought my 1st gen integra. I was doing some basic maintenance and decided to ask my 6yr old to help. She ran inside and put one of my shirts on so she wouldn't get her princess dress dirty. Once she was ready I taught her how to change the spark plugs in the car. She did everything from removing and reinstalling the wires, removing the plugs, adding antiseize and boot grease. The only thing I did was put the new plugs in (to avoid crossthreading) When we were done she was so proud of herself and she had alot of fun helping. I may not have a son but i believe that I have found someone to share cars with. I plan to take her to the next race event I attend and see how she likes it.

rpoole217 Aw that's such a sweet story, thank-you for sharing!

Holy Mother 344 comments... Everything in need now is just a cup of popcorn and enjoy the discussion

@Wisdom who's that?

I was named after my grandfather and a only child ( not spoilt and born in 1982 good moral upbringing  ) and I hope name my grandson the same name ( phantom style, never die and always be in a sweet ride ), I always wanted a American Muscle Car, Dodge, Ford, Chev etc. No such luck, old's are ex military and gear heads but not Performance gear heads, thats where I come in. Im going to buy one and drive my son around in it, once the grandson is of age and knows what the "car" is, he gets to know that if he helps me once a month detail etc it he will get it when I pass on and then on my bday ever year he drives maybe my father or him and his family to my grave and then the process repeats, what if I only have a granddaughter and replace the word son with daughter, I wish she could carry on the family name as well ( I'm TG so even if we have a granddaughter it's only my family name that will die, not the spirit ) ....

I've been into cars since I was a young girl and I'm still obsessed and always will be. I love buying standard cars and doing them up etc. I love my Silvia and would happily spend thousands on it. I get a rush from engines and racing. I think guys don't take girls who are into cars seriously because there are so many bimbo types who just pretend they are into cars but don't know a damn thing. I buy Performance car mags and get so sick of seeing amazing cars but with airbrushed barbies with boobs bigger than their head draped all over the car. If you're into rotaries you're immediately classed as a rotor hoe from all endless tryhard skanky girls

I think that MrEG is actually saying that there is no gender preference within the culture. But women, who have typically not been entusuisasts, meaning they have not put in the work, not really been interested in cars besides surface value or attention getting (wannabes), need to show a real desire to learn for acceptance. Since histircally most women think men who love cars have something wrong with themselves or pretend to like cars, even driving a nice one for attention. There are many exception s...bravo to them...just "keep calm and carry on"

the lighter you are the faster yo go.

You nailed it. In my current experience in high school (basically a big attention-grabbing game) there are lots of "female car enthusiasts". But guess what? They all have an auto civic with pink rattle can steelies. So for the most part, no male hears "female car enthusiast" and really considers socializing about automotives. Although, on rare occasion you meet the unicorn that actually IS a car enthusiast, and in fact, female. A good example is the photo of the woman under that Lexus pictured above, as she sort of built her own V8 skyline, and doesnt run around shouting it out for the world to see.
Gender is the smallest issue here, its how the rest your 'in-group' shows themselves.
And to those unicorn females that love wrenching on their own cars?
keep inspiring others.

johnbezt MrEG "Basically, your same comment could be easily rewritten to be against the typical group of "wannabes" that happen to not be female." Well, that more or less IS my point. In a nutshell, what I'm saying is that car guys are pretty hardcore about car knowledge and we tend to reject people who we think are "posers" (God, that's an absurd term of art, but I couldn't think of anything better). We reject male posers and female posers alike. Further, car scenes such as what SpeedHunters has helped create are not a group that has any significant number of bigots. Ergo, the reason most women are not embraced has little to do with their gender, rather it has to do with them not being hardcore enough about cars, same as any man who is not hardcore enough about cars. 


Further, I am generalizing (no kidding) but I am not categorizing people by gender, I'm categorizing them by their conduct. That should be fairly obvious. If someone is a girl who likes cars in the same way that car nerds like cars, then said girl will be embraced irrespective of her gender. But when a girl likes cars in the cartoonish and phony way that many women more or less feign an interest in cars, then, yes, she will be rejected. Since there is an over-abundance of the latter, women should reserve some of their ire for fellow women. That was my point. 


Long story short, if you're legitimately into cars, your vagina is a non-issue. If you want to get all of the credit for being a car enthusiast without putting in the time to actually learn and embrace the subtleties of the culture, then you will be rejected irrespective of what type of attachments are dangling from your mid section.

....sigh.... people refer to chicks that like cars as female auto enthusiasts because of the terminology - our vernacular lack a word for it and auto enthusiasts have always been predominantly males. Think about it: 


seamstress/taylor
cook/chef (although chef has been used as a more unisex word in the last twenty years or so)
etc.


THEN, think about the terminology of the past 70 years:


How did you call a female police officer 10 years ago? Officer lady? woman Officer? How about now? Just officer, right?
How did you call a female race car driver? Racer chick? How about now? just Racer, like you would call a guy.
Girl technician?
Female doctor?
Female lawyer?


See what I mean?


Now, food for thought: Female mechanics are still a rare sight. About 20 years ago, female mechanics (and I am using the word to point out a specific gender of mechanics, not that I call girl mechanics that) were almost non-existent.



We live in a changing world where in the past 100 years women have been taking more roles that are mostly predominantly male. And 100 years is not a log time either. 100 years ago it was 1914. Deal with it, that is the pace of change in this society.


When slavery was 'officially' over not just everybody started letting their slaves go free and then started just hiring black people back. Some people went home all happy this was over then they would realize: FUCK... NOW I have to do all this shit?!... imma go hire some people... wait... That was the historical moment to mark the START of the end of slavery. We are here about 200 or so years in the future and you STILL find some places where they won't serve black people. Oh, yeah, and segregation was not ended till, what, 60's? Then it ended up happening until the 80's.


Things change slowly in society - its a historical fact - so just deal with it (all of us).


And you gotta have patience girls, it will get better - just don't whine about it, keep looking forward and be part of what makes a brigther future for your gender.

Thanks for your piece, Taryn. You bring up a few really good observations. I was raised by a car-loving Mom who, as a kid, was raised as an only child by a Dad took her to motorsport events and taught her to care for his Mustang. Today, my husband (who is heading to VIR for the 13-Hour race as I write this) and I are raising our 9-year-old twin girls as "car people": they kart, they help change tires, and they can tell when there is oversteer on the way to school. You are correct to note that many times, girls are simply not taught about cars or car-related things. Is it because they aren't interested? Who knows. But I can't tell you how many adult women I've met who have told me they love cars (for their look or feel) and even a few who confessed they would love nothing more than to take a few laps at speed, but they aren't sure how they could. These days as cars become more utalitarian and filled with driver aids, it is even harder to form the car-driver connection unless someone brings the marvel of automotive bliss to your attention--the "influencer" you speak of. Today, I am proud to be a car lover / influencer for women through my blog, which focuses mainly on the love of cars. My agenda (like yours) is to create a stronger connection between cars and people, regardless of whether they are men or women. Thanks again for your piece, and I hope to bump into you at the racetrack sometime!

Great job buddy, this is the generation we need to teach. Awesome stuff!

I agree. Ive trained two girls and neither turned out any chop because instead of coming to learn how to change a timing belt, id always find them flirting with the blokes out the back.
Most of the time at car events I see a bunch with angry facial expressions when im driving past smiling, why do women hate women with cars!

True dat!

Jason Hardy I always like nearly every photo you post!

Lisa effing Kubo!!! Without her badbass hondas laying rubber tobdrag strips amd setting records, i probably would have never drove a honda. She is the only import drag racer i have ever wanted and gotten an autograph, speak to, go nuts when i her. And i am a male.

I love cars! And work on my own aslong as im strong enough... but its not motivating when everyone assumes your car belongs to your boyfriend and your a "car hoe".. guess its a sterotype some people wont get past.

My best friend's year old daughter comes out to the garage with us every chance she gets. If she thinks that we're out there without her, she cries until mama brings her out to chill with daddy and uncle. She already likes to pick up screw drivers and try to help out. I told her parents that I was going to get her the fisher price work bench for christmas, haha. We love our little helper and can't wait to see her develop into our little grease monkey.

I'm horrible at examples but I'm glad you get what I am trying to say.

dadecode SVOFANATIC I'm not disagreeing that men and women interact differently, but there is a line. I understand it's part of the culture to give each other crap, but there is a difference between that and genuine cruelty towards someone.  

I've seen it enough times to tell when someone is just plain being an asshole and not doing it out of harmless fun.

Personally I think women being involved in cars is good, I know as having a brother who is 7 years older before I hit my teen years I started to get into cars, to the point where I have now done an automotive course, no one took me serious to start with especially because I was a small blonde girl, there is always a point in life where people branch out to do there own thing, there is plenty of female which are into cars, I'm classified as one of the boys and don't get treated any different and I'd never turn back to not having a car life.

Of course, I'm quite cynical about the whole "car chick" thing. As a longtime automotive enthusiast, I believe there is a right of passage to almost all passions and lifestyles. You know it when you get there. However, at that point, it stops being the point. It has become a large portion of your life.

Oh my, Oh my, Oh my... Im in love now !!!

@classystache i work with her husband. I'll show him this post.

Most girls I meet just don't want to have an interest.  Believe me I try to get them involved, I love sharing my passion!  I'd kill for a world where the "car girl" was not just a unicorn.  Its a world i might not spend so much time single in, lol.

DerekBros There is only one thing girls truly care about, "socializing".

Wildcardfox  
Slavery as one of the examples above. Don't know if it really supports anything.

First of all, I must say that there are indeed many good points put forward in the past few days' posts about why female inclusion shouldn't be a concern for auto enthusiasm. But many of the most sensible (and long) comments were prone to this strange paradox: acknowledging that the industry and culture is indeed male-dominated, and yet suggesting at the same time that it is gender-neutral. By no means do I find this damning, but I think it should be articulated better. 
The problem is that many of us male enthusiasts are sick of women using the feminist agenda to force their sensibilities on us. We don't want female inclusion to be an issue because we want people to understand first that things are the way they are in the car scene because of a long, complex, and ultimately wonderful history and culture that shouldn't be subject to undue criticism from people who don't even understand its appeal. I completely agree that no feminist should simply come in and demand sweeping changes and impose draconian political correctness to protect women from "harassment" and "misogyny".

We subsequently make the assertion that we are in fact inclusive enough to any woman willing to prove themselves, like Taryn herself, and not just pretend to be into cars for the attention. Put differently, we argue that we are otherwise gender-neutral towards anyone who can walk the talk. But let's not kid ourselves: we're NOT gender-neutral. We exclude women for various reasons, and this ISN'T necessarily a BAD thing. Even as our standard of acceptance tends to exclude many women, this is because it's obvious enough that many so-called "female enthusiasts" indeed are only superficially interested and unwilling to put the same physical and/or intellectual effort and sacrifices into being an enthusiast, and even more so if such women hide behind the agenda of SJW's to force their way in, while avoiding having to take on the responsibilities of what it means to be an enthusiast. Despite how many wonderful examples we have in the article of actual car girls and many more out there, we still shouldn't pretend as if the lack of female enthusiasts isn't also, at least partly, the fault of women themselves.


But as I've said before, I don't think its fair to immediately conclude that Taryn is advocating this type of radical feminist delusion. I agree that it's cringeworthy to see how she used the kind of provocative feminist rhetoric like "Banishing the Female Enthusiast", which tends to suggest the utopian goal of one day having absolute parity between the sexes. But as the article went on, I think she reveals more of her practical understanding of the situation. The fact that she acknowledged that males and females have naturally differing interests shows that she's not out to force us to create a hopelessly contrived atmosphere of absolute inclusivity and political correctness. Rather, she just seems to be encouraging women, who gain some interest in cars, not to be afraid of pursuing it, and for men not to judge too quickly. She openly agrees that women who want to be part of the culture need to put in the effort and dedication to immerse and learn. She's willing to make the kinds of reasonable qualifications for her position that radfems and SJW's will outright refuse to do, and for that I don't think she deserves the kind of hostility directed against her in some of your rebuttals.


Overall, I'd say that Taryn does need to set it straight whether she's really for this agenda of turning car enthusiasm into something completely gender neutral, thus "banishing the female enthusiast", even as this means embracing the female posers that I'm sure she also despises. Or if she's really just letting both men and women know that this is a wonderful culture, IF you're willing to spend the time and effort to actually belong.

ELRG who you talking to?

Equality does not mean to have equal numbers in any individual community but rather to see past the gender biases and give equal respect to those who do enter them.

Some female role models that came to my mind:
- Jutta Kleinschmidt (from Germany, won the Rally Dakar 2001 for example)
- Claudia Huertgen (from Germany too,succesful in GT- and Prototype racing since the late 90's and still rocks the german touring car series ADAC GT Masters)
-Leena Gade, Audi's race engineer, who won the Le Mans 24h & WEC


Greetings from Germany

I see the point you're trying to make Taryn.....after reading it for the umpteenth time. BUT, the industry isn't helping. A lot of guys only want to see the super hot, barely clothed women, and the industry is catering to that (this article for example) therefore you don't see the everyday car girl. Show an everyday car girl, that's not super skinny, sexy and modelesque and you'll probably see more girls in the scene. We are here, hiding in the shadows because we know, we are not what the industry wants to see.

This whole "girls being underrepresented" thing is not an issue--for us, but for you. You know how Anita Sarkeesian complains about the representation of women in games? Why the hell did she not make her own damn game then? I have the same question for you! Out of all of these women(I assume were photographed by you or your staff), why didn't you asked them "Oh, hey! Want to be interviewed about your experiences with your car or how you built it?" or maybe, "Hello, would you like to be featured in a Speedhunter article?" Instead, you decided to make a waste-of-time article about how women are underrepresented in the car enthusiast world. Well then, as a journalist, it's your fault, not your readers. Go find a damn story about car enthusiasts who are women.

You could probably start changing the way women are perceived in the car scene by not writing articles full of pictures of 'car chicks' that are bordering on glamour models. 

Sincerely, a dude.

OfficialWCP None of these women are models. They're all friends or friends or people I know. All normal, nice people who love cars.

Samuel Mayhan These aren't available in high res. Plenty of great wallpapers of cars available in our other stories though.

DylaniusDecimusMeridius That's so awesome

I dropped a Chevy 350 into my s13, and aside from the chassis, the only original body parts and the bumpers and hatch, everything else has been modified or replaced. I've spent 4 years building it and the only help I got was with the electrical and a tune. I did it so I can have an awesome car to drive around. I've learned my automotive obsession from my grandfather, now I teach him about the latest cars out.....Id rather work on my own car than take it to a shop. I am that hard to find 'car girl'.
I'm just saying if they want more 'car girls' in the scene, then stop catering to the hottest girls they can find and start showing the real everyday girls!

But.....I've had aspirations to be feature by Speedhunters for almost 5 years..... :,(

Aww thanks boo! I love you, too!

Speedhunters may or may not be part of the issue:

"I’m guessing there’s a higher probability of me winning the lottery than the Sakamoto boysnot growing up to love old cars as much as their father – or their mother for that matter."


http://www.speedhunters.com/2014/10/grand-line-art-garage/#chapter-the-coolest-family-ever

I've Spent 4 years building her to the point she's at...but in the three times I've submitted to Speedhunters, I've gotten nothing back, whice I'm assuming is speedhunters idea of 'not good enough'....

Chri Hearing that as a young male petrolhead, it makes me really sad. I'm pretty sure the car scene can be just as bad as others when it comes to genders, but we are on a way of improvement. Also, there are bad people in any kind of group, and the fact that women have not been known to be widely present in the car scene for a long time makes it worse. People really need to accept the things Taryn wrote in this article. Finally, on behalf of petrolheads, sorry for being so late in accepting women, including You, and welcome to this amazing world!

OfficialWCP This is the same thing i hate with car chicks. They have to be always in every pic with the car. The car should do the talking not the body of the female. But in this article i was more interested in the girl with the yellow evo than the car Here in Finland we have one girl drifter and always when her car is shown in some magazines there is always model pictures of the girl.

From a Guy Stand Point Im glad to see more and more women of all colors embrace into the automotive plus its a quick way to get married as well LOL , but with all said and done This Author was 100% on point i salute you , Coming from New York =)

to me its something chimical...and not everything is about to be in same level or compit with mens...if wemens wants to be more active in the automotive seen....am totally ok with that but not anymore like a toy to show beside a nice cars or boyish girls who behave lake a mals with the wrong body shape....wemens need to keep them fiminity and mens them masculinity even if thay have a same center of interest "automotive stuff" they just need to do it them way....we like girls and we like cars..why not all together in a same cup....it will much less mind breacking !!!     (excuse my english)

I'm a petrol-head since a little girl, my father is a petrol-head and my grandfather was also, and I remember that when I was in Elementary School we went to speedways on racing weekends to camp in our motorhome. Later, I was THE ONLY FEMALE flag marshal in the four major national series down here in Argentina... it was hard, there are lot, huge machismo and chauvinism in here.
So now I'm the Editor of a Facebook page called Mujeres Tuercas (Motorsport Females) where we post news about worldwide motorsport female drivers, and we have a regular fans base of 1500 people, mostly females but also males. Here's the link: https://www.facebook.com/pages/MUJERES-TUERCAS/282878598392134.
Give us a like!

AND YEAH, I HAVE BEEN influenced by my dad pratically since the day I was born!!

I want to thank Esango Priest for restoring back my marriage. I got married to my lovely wife in 2012 we both loved and cherished each other so much, i got a new job that required of me to travel a lot due to my position in the company so this made me to have less time for my lovely wife. So there was this trip i went for in Mumbai, India that kept me so long there as i majored in inspecting a project my company new got involved with in Mumbai then i met in Indian woman we got so closed and became very intimate which kept me away from to the extent that i even stopped talking to her on phone my wife. After i had finished my project in Mumbai i came back to New york with her and we both lived in  a new apartment that i had just rented. We lived happily together. On the 20th of December 2014 i got back to my senses and remembered that i had left my lovely a wife, so i went on to look for her in the house that i used to live with her and i saw my pretty wife whom i loved so much at home. Immediately she saw me we both busted in to tears, so i told her all that had happened to me ever since i left her then was when she also told me how she had contacted a man called  Esango Priest to help restore back her marriage, she went on further to reveal to me that when Esango Priest looked in to it spiritually, he was told that i was under a spell a woman from  India had placed on me and my wife has to cast away the spell then i will come back to her three days later. She said she gave Esango Priest money on the 17th of December 2014 to get the items needed to cast away the spell and as soon as Esango Priest got the money  he got the items and eventually helped her in pushing out the spell away from my life. I told her to call Esango Priest to thank him for restoring my marriage back to life. You should contact Esango Priest via email: esangopriest@gmail.com to help restore love, joy and happiness in your marriage.

Hey Taryn,

I'm casting a show for Esquire network looking for Southern California residents in the market for a new car. When I came across your blog I thought you could be of help spreading the word to your followers. I'd love to send you our show info so if this is of interest please email me at bianca.macaluso@rtvshows.com or give my office line a call, 323.306.5024.


Best Regards,
Bianca Macaluso
Casting Associate
Relativity Television

This article being posted by the very person who wouldn't be in the position she is in if she wasn't a female, is hilarious. Nice try Taryn, but theres a reason many females aren't in the car scene because 1 the ones that are in it want special treatment, lets face it, if you were a dude in your old miata, no one would have batted an eye, but since you're  a female you got all the attention in the world. 2 the ones that arent in it for the special treatment get annoyed by the ones who do it for the special treatment.

Nice read,certainly food for thought.

I have always wondered why women are sensitive to the 'female enthousiast' term(generally speaking,not just about cars).Personally I don't find it to be degrading or insulting for the reason that if you are a minority in a community you will be identified as the thing that is easiest for people to relate you with.

 Regarding initiation I strongly believe that if someone is struggling to get into something these days then he/she is simply not interested enough in it.

hi Taryn

I live in Australia and am involved in a group called Girls Torque. We support, encourage and try to help promote women in motorsport.

We're doing something about creating more awareness about women in motorsport by developing a visual history ... collectible Race Cards featuring Women in Motorsport. 

As we're Aussie-based we've started with our own girls, but we've started getting enquiries from overseas girls too, and we've decided to open the series - so it's now global.

It's free to be included, and all the details, including a gallery of some of the cards already printed, can be found on our site at...

http://www.girlstorque.com" rel="dofollow" target="_blank">http://http://www.girlstorque.com 


regards
Sue Corbett

http://www.girlstorque.com" rel="dofollow" target="_blank">http://http://www.girlstorque.com

http://www.facebook.com/groups/girlstorque

In Estonia all car enthusiasts are called car fags, thats offensive! but no one really cares
Good luck to all women who love cars!

How is this a "social justice tirade"? Seems like you're projecting here. She's just talking about how cool cars are, and how more women should recognize this fact.

@Reality Seems like your are a profligate dickhead that have a really mess soul and have a screwed tirades for spending much time in virtuality social media instead of real life...

Banderita ChuChu1 Chri and some are still living in the 1950's. I'd rather see girls get into the automotive hobby, than drugs, gangs, or anything else non-productive. It doesn't have to be a Boys Only Club.