Feature
Where are all the women car journalists?
There’s still a lack of female voices in the automotive world – Auto Trader gathered some women drivers together to help them get heard
Words by: Erin Baker
Published on 24 January 2022 | 0 min read
Women and cars. Apparently not much traditionally connects the two. There are fewer female racing drivers, mechanical engineers, readers of Autocar and viewers of Top Gear than male. Back in the 1920s, between the two world wars, women briefly felt empowered by the manual labour they’d done while the men fought in Europe, and a notable few fell in love with racing at Brooklands, or designed cars and ran garages. But it was brief and blew over. And since then the gender gap in every area of automotive has been depressingly wide. You can’t even call it a Diversity and Inclusion issue, for women are not a minority that needs championing. We make up half the population, after all.
Yet today, of the roughly 250 motoring journalists in the UK, fewer than 20 are female. Nearly half of all women over the age of 45 “dread” the car-buying process, and 93 per cent of them distrust car dealerships. There are various pockets of resistance - the Women’s World Car of the Year jury, the W Series motorsport championship but none gets the mainstream attention it deserves. In the accepted wisdom cars remain an interest, passion or prized possession almost exclusively for men. And I hear you female petrolheads for I am one of you, but we must face the fact we are a tiny minority. All of which is very weird, when you look at who drives these days. Nearly 50 per cent of driving licences are held by women, and women are taking their driving tests in greater numbers than men, which means before much longer more women will be driving cars than men. Which must mean that women do want to read about cars, they do want to watch car content and they do love their cars, but they have no means of expressing it, no magazines for them, no TV programmes or events that interest them. They don’t even see anyone who looks like them, sounds like them or talks like them on the topic when they turn to the media or adverts.
Yet today, of the roughly 250 motoring journalists in the UK, fewer than 20 are female. Nearly half of all women over the age of 45 “dread” the car-buying process, and 93 per cent of them distrust car dealerships. There are various pockets of resistance - the Women’s World Car of the Year jury, the W Series motorsport championship but none gets the mainstream attention it deserves. In the accepted wisdom cars remain an interest, passion or prized possession almost exclusively for men. And I hear you female petrolheads for I am one of you, but we must face the fact we are a tiny minority. All of which is very weird, when you look at who drives these days. Nearly 50 per cent of driving licences are held by women, and women are taking their driving tests in greater numbers than men, which means before much longer more women will be driving cars than men. Which must mean that women do want to read about cars, they do want to watch car content and they do love their cars, but they have no means of expressing it, no magazines for them, no TV programmes or events that interest them. They don’t even see anyone who looks like them, sounds like them or talks like them on the topic when they turn to the media or adverts.
We at Auto Trader are pretty fed up with this scenario. We’ll be launching an internship this year for one woman who wants to get into motoring content creation, whether it’s writing or presenting or both. Watch out on our soclal channels for more details in the spring.
Ahead of that and just before Christmas we partnered up with Porsche for a two-day ‘We Drive’ workshop with Auto Trader’s own Erin Baker to let budding female motoring journalists try their hand reviewing the latest Macan, given it’s an especially popular model in the brand’s line-up among female drivers. It was a fantastic event, with mums, engineers, YouTubers, motorsport buffs, dealership employees and university students all rubbing shoulders to share their love of cars and have a go at creating some great content. Women came from Cumbria and the New Forest, London and Kent, to see what they could do, and meet other women blazing the same trail. Below, we celebrate their passion for cars and belief in themselves with a selection of their work from the day, and we kickstart our selection with the winning article, from Joana Fidalgo, an engineer working for a car brand in the UK. We love her approach to motoring journalism - it’s not a long article, but it’s softly, carefully and beautifully written, and gives you a strong sense of the Porsche Macan through a personal lens.
Ahead of that and just before Christmas we partnered up with Porsche for a two-day ‘We Drive’ workshop with Auto Trader’s own Erin Baker to let budding female motoring journalists try their hand reviewing the latest Macan, given it’s an especially popular model in the brand’s line-up among female drivers. It was a fantastic event, with mums, engineers, YouTubers, motorsport buffs, dealership employees and university students all rubbing shoulders to share their love of cars and have a go at creating some great content. Women came from Cumbria and the New Forest, London and Kent, to see what they could do, and meet other women blazing the same trail. Below, we celebrate their passion for cars and belief in themselves with a selection of their work from the day, and we kickstart our selection with the winning article, from Joana Fidalgo, an engineer working for a car brand in the UK. We love her approach to motoring journalism - it’s not a long article, but it’s softly, carefully and beautifully written, and gives you a strong sense of the Porsche Macan through a personal lens.
Joana Fidalgo, Engineer
(below left)“The roads are still wet from the rain earlier in the day and the water splashes away from underneath the tyres as I drive through the scenic narrow roads of Camberley. I’m at the wheel of a ‘Crayon’ grey Porsche Macan S, which seems fitting given the weather. With every corner I stay on the throttle a little bit longer, building the confidence as I put the clever electronic damping system to the test. I can barely feel the load transfer through my hips and the Macan pushes through the damp roads deftly like it is in its natural habitat.
“The engine is quiet, even surprisingly so for a 2.9-litre V6. The childish part of me wishes its growl was slightly more guttural and intrusive, but this is a grown-up car for real-life use. The power delivery is also remarkably docile at low speeds, despite its 380 horsepower. But, like a cat waiting to pounce, if you stamp your foot the engine grumbles to a crescendo, picking up speed as the twin-turbos come to life. “As I leave the snaking B-roads and drive through the village, I catch a glimpse of the Macan’s reflection in one of the shop windows. The design language is clear: the Macan sits proud, poised and sure of itself and I can’t help but feel a bit inadequate. Suddenly, I’m aware of my muddy combat boots, which I failed to polish before I left the house in a rush this morning, and my colour-mismatched manicure, which is way overdue and looks a bit too juvenile against the understated elegance of the Macan’s black interior.”
“The engine is quiet, even surprisingly so for a 2.9-litre V6. The childish part of me wishes its growl was slightly more guttural and intrusive, but this is a grown-up car for real-life use. The power delivery is also remarkably docile at low speeds, despite its 380 horsepower. But, like a cat waiting to pounce, if you stamp your foot the engine grumbles to a crescendo, picking up speed as the twin-turbos come to life. “As I leave the snaking B-roads and drive through the village, I catch a glimpse of the Macan’s reflection in one of the shop windows. The design language is clear: the Macan sits proud, poised and sure of itself and I can’t help but feel a bit inadequate. Suddenly, I’m aware of my muddy combat boots, which I failed to polish before I left the house in a rush this morning, and my colour-mismatched manicure, which is way overdue and looks a bit too juvenile against the understated elegance of the Macan’s black interior.”
Catherine King, Analyst
(above right)“I recently took a weekend break to a cosy cottage in the Peak District with a few friends. The night drew in early and the only entertainment we had was watching the wood-burning stove slowly devour a mountain of logs. In the heart of the fire each log was silhouetted by a beautiful orange aura. Hours passed as we were all entranced, grateful for the warmth and comfort, transported into our own world. A few weeks later I was equally captivated by the rich orange paintwork of a newly updated Porsche Macan. Porsche calls the colour Papaya Metallic, and it would definitely be my preferred option. Even in the fading light of a wintery afternoon it still glistened and promised warmth, comfort, and fiery passion.”
Harriet Esberger
(below left)“I may be as green as the grass gets when it comes to writing reviews, but I know what I like and don’t like about a car from my driving experiences. I know I don’t like big, boat-like bouncers that make me feel motion-sick as they swoon gluttonously round corners. I know I don’t like a car that breaks my spine on rougher terrain because of a highly sensitive suspension. I know I like a car that sounds like it is here for a good time, rather than just a means of getting from A-to-B. I believe that’s exactly what the Macan does. I drove from A-to-B feeling secure in a spacious SUV, yet excitable when I started the engine and heard it grumble.”
Trinity Francis, Student
(above right)“Finding your emotional centre in a car is key to understanding what moves you to buy one. For me, the heart of a car is the boot. I know, it sounds weird. But ever since I was little, if my dad brought home a new car I would inexplicably disappear and after a few hours he’d always find me in the boot. The smell, opening all the little compartments and exploring a new space: there was something comforting about it.
“When I opened the boot of the Macan I was transported right back to being that little oddball seven-year-old. My mind immediately started trying to figure out how many me’s (present day) could squeeze in there, settling on a conservative six or an uncomfortable eight. Although I’m not sure that’s a particularly useful unit of measure, in reality you could fit at least three big suitcases, with hand luggage either side. But that’s not a very exciting visually is it? All seats fold down if you need to fit bigger items in the boot (or another three or four of me, comfortably).
“When I opened the boot of the Macan I was transported right back to being that little oddball seven-year-old. My mind immediately started trying to figure out how many me’s (present day) could squeeze in there, settling on a conservative six or an uncomfortable eight. Although I’m not sure that’s a particularly useful unit of measure, in reality you could fit at least three big suitcases, with hand luggage either side. But that’s not a very exciting visually is it? All seats fold down if you need to fit bigger items in the boot (or another three or four of me, comfortably).
Michelle McDermott, Genealogist
(below left)“Having driven many Porsches over the years, jumping in the driving seat of the new Macan was comparable to being given a hug by an old friend, but with the excitement of getting to know someone new. I settled myself into the interior of the Macan GTS. The tech inside the car has been enhanced, the screen has superb clarity resembling an expensive laptop, whilst its size is unobtrusive and does not dominate the centre console. The touch-click button system and turned metal toggles made operating the heating and cooling systems as easy as One - Two – Three – or Touch – Press - Enjoy.”
Lindsay Vine Smyth, Producer
(above right)“In keeping with the traditional clichés of residents in Surrey, where we drove the Macan, the 2021 model has had a minor facelift - a little nose job in the front and a bottom lift around the back. It’s also got bigger wheels, in new designs, and you can choose the colour from 14 different options, including a juicily-named Papaya Metallic. On the road, the Macan feels like it has everything in hand, even if you as the driver are a little nervous of its size through the country lanes. Don’t worry – it’s as if it’s wearing Spanx! Lane-keep assist is a useful feature and, while there is a Sport mode for those with a heavy right foot, I didn’t even feel the need to use it. It’s easy to see why the Porsche Macan is so appealing to female buyers. It is a looker inside and out and has all the practicalities you could wish for in a car costing in the ballpark of £50,000. That’s not a price tag that will leave you clutching at your pearls, particularly not if you live in Surrey, but if you really want to keep up with the Joneses, you should start saving for the all-electric Porsche Macan, which is set to launch in 2023.”
