SHIFTING GEARS

From womenonly track days to female-fronted advisory boards, the notoriously male-dominated automotive world is finally embracing women in a way it never has before

The car industry’s getting a feminist makeover.

“WEAR A MUSTANG TO MATCH YOUR LIPSTICK!”

(Mustang, 1967.) When it comes to talking to women, the automotive industry hasn’t always nailed it. But here in Australia, steps are being taken to squash out sexism. “Previously, women have not been included in the conversation,” says Katia Bassi, chief marketing officer and first female board member for Lamborghini. “But now, women are powerful, have substantial financial resources and are able to buy and choose our own cars without asking permission.” Bassi has assembled the Lamborghini “Female Advisory Board” in a bid to future-proof the industry. “We all need to better understand what women want in the automotive business,” she says.

“Data says that 90-something per cent of a purchase is influenced by a female,” says Brian Bolain, general manager of Lexus USA, on the shifts. “There are just too many horror stories of women walking out of dealerships because they’re not taken seriously.” Lexus is re-training entire fleets of salespeople worldwide to rectify that.

Recently, racing body CAMS launched Dare to Be Different (D2BD), a program championing female participation in motorsport. Likewise, the Toyota grassroots category, 86 Racing Series, works to provide more channels for women both behind the wheel and under the bonnet.

“We’re in the midst of a huge wave of change in motorsport, and across women’s sports in general,” says D2BD ambassador and Fox Sports presenter Jessica Yates. “There are opportunities for women that probably haven’t existed before. There have always been women in motorsports and motoring, but the opportunities have expanded and it’s important for younger generations to know the sky is the limit.”