Marketed to men and women alike – unusual
back then – the promise was that the little car
could be ‘parked on a postage stamp’. In a time
before power steering, the Mini was certainly
appealing and the ads made much of handbag-
sized storage bins, calling it ‘the man’s car
women are crazy about’.
WOMEN TAKING THE WHEEL
So, what of our choices today? Female ownership
of cars is higher than ever – jumping 10% in the
past decade. The future is ours – it’s female
drivers who will forge the way with greener,
cleaner choices. According to research from the
University of Sussex, women are more likely
than men to consider buying electric, and
manufacturers are ploughing millions into
Making their mark:
the Damsels of Design
As late as 2004, Volvo was
claiming to have produced the
first ‘female-designed’ car at the
Geneva Motor Show. But more
than 50 years before, a group
of ten women on the team at
General Motors in the US had
also worked together to make
their mark on the auto industry.
The so-called Damsels of Design
were a team of ten who made
stylish and thoughtful additions
to car interiors, not only with the
colours and materials used, but
also in terms of making cars
work harder for everyone, not
just the girls. Light-up mirrors?
Not necessary, but appreciated.
Safety locks for the kids’ back
doors that were operated
from the dashboard? Like the
retractable seatbelts they also
innovated – just the ticket.understanding what female drivers want from
the auto industry. I suspect it could be as simple
as driving cars that make us smile.
Kirstie, a 38-year-old business consultant,
agrees. “I live in the middle of the Scottish
countryside and drive a bright yellow Porsche
Boxter. It’s totally impractical – sports
suspension when there are potholes everywhere
and the roof leaks on one side – thankfully, the
dog’s side, not mine. People wave. Everyone
knows where I am and where I’ve been. I could
have chosen an incognito second-hand Skoda for
the same money, but where’s the fun in that?”
Ask any woman jumping in the driver’s seat;
from school run to road trip, motorway commute
to track day: we don’t need lipstick holders in
dashboards, perky pink paintwork or eyelashes
for our headlamps. We need exactly what the
first women drivers grabbed hold of all those
years ago – the keys to freedom.LOOKING BACK