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Car Stories

An SAH Car Story.

Posted on by Chris Lezotte

We all have a car story. As the newly elected president of the Society of Automotive Historians, I was asked to share mine. Here’s what I wrote: 

Over the past 50+ years, newly elected SAH presidents have used the opportunity of the SAH Journal ‘President’s Perspective’ to introduce themselves to the SAH membership. As I looked over past Journal issues in preparation for this task, I was, frankly, very much overwhelmed by the wealth of automotive knowledge and experience shared by past presidents over the years. I am honored and somewhat intimidated to follow such a respected and accomplished group of automotive historians.

My freshly washed 1970 VW Beetle. At $2293 out the door, its only options were a radio and crank sunroof.

As for my own automotive history, I was born in Detroit. My maternal grandfather was one of thousands of Polish immigrants who came to this country in the early twentieth century for employment in the auto factories; he spent the most of his life working on the line at the Dodge Main Plant in Hamtramck. My mother, as was the practice of immigrant families at the time, never learned to drive. Consequently, when my father died unexpectedly when I was nine, we were without a car until my brother turned 16 four years later. We went through a series of sibling-shared automobiles; I learned to drive on a used 1960 Corvair [three-on-the-floor] followed by a 1964 Tempest [three-on-the-tree]. My instructors were my oldest brother, a Detroit police officer, who patiently accompanied me as I ground gears driving around a local high school parking lot, and my brother-in-law, who let me practice shifting on his Falcon family station wagon. On my twenty-first birthday I purchased my first car, a brand new 1970 Volkswagen Beetle, the vehicle of choice for financially strapped Wayne State University commuters like me. That red Bug began a lifelong love affair with German automobiles, which have included two Beetles, two Audis, a Scirocco, a Rabbit, a GTI, and two Golf Rs. 

A much younger me pictured on the right, shooting a commercial for the Buick Regal in 1982.

Thus, unlike my predecessors, I came to the SAH by a rather unconventional route. I did not grow up with an interest in cars; I do not have an encyclopedic knowledge of automobiles; I do not have a background in the history of anything, much less automotive history. My interest in the automobile, in fact, came simply by chance. When I entered graduate school after a career in advertising, while enrolled in a class titled ‘Gender, Technology, and Pop Culture,’ I discovered that the subject of women and cars had not received much attention in scholarship. As I was looking for my academic ‘niche,’ I decided that my Motor City upbringing, coupled with my experience writing car commercials, could serve as the foundation for this new direction. I started writing and publishing journal articles and attending academic conferences to receive feedback on my work. It was at one of these conferences, put on by the Popular Culture Association, that I met Carla Lesh, who suggested I join the Society of Automotive Historians. The rest, as they say, is [automotive] history.

My PhD dissertation committee, after my successful defense of “Have You Heard the One About the Woman Driver: Chicks, Muscle, Pickups, and the Reimagining of the Woman Behind the Wheel”

As I met more people in the SAH, at conferences and through my local Leland Chapter, I decided I wanted to become more involved in the organization. Once again, Carla served as an impetus, convincing me to run for the board. Although it took me two tries to succeed, once elected I quickly took on whatever was asked of me. Painfully shy, I preferred to work behind the scenes, chairing the Awards Committee, Brick and Mortar Working Group, and serving on the Brigham Awards Panel. After conducting research at the IMRRC and presenting at Watkins Glen, I also became involved in Argetsinger Symposium planning. When asked to run for Vice President, I initially refused, believing I did not have the temperament nor automotive provenance to serve. However, after persistence from a few longtime members [you know who you are], I decided to give it a shot, which eventually led to my election as SAH president. So here I am.

Now that I am in office, I am fortunate to have fellow officers and a board of directors eager to take on the formidable task of moving the SAH forward – perhaps kicking and screaming – into the twenty-first century. As a team we endeavor to make the SAH more accessible, to provide timely communications, and to encourage member participation. In addition, our hope is to expand the SAH’s reach, to welcome those – much like me – outside the traditional confines of ‘automotive historian.’

In my role as Awards Chair, presenting at the SAH annual banquet

Since taking office in October, a monthly newsletter has been instituted, and an Executive Committee has been formed to address pressing SAH issues. Future objectives for the organization include restructuring the publications committee to accommodate new media as well as to develop a timely and attainable publication schedule, establishing a finance committee to oversee the organization’s financial health, planning, and accountability, and to begin the transition of SAH publications to digital. In addition to the Awards Banquet and Hershey in the fall, there are also plans in the works to co-sponsor a seminar in conjunction with the Studebaker National Museum 2026 Concours d’Elegance at Copshaholm weekend this summer.

As I begin my term, I want to express my appreciation to the membership for entrusting me with the leadership of this organization. And lest I forget, thank you especially to Carla Lesh, as well as all the others who have supported and encouraged me to become a part of the Society of Automotive Historians.

Car ChicksCar Culture

What is a ‘Hot Girl Car’?

Posted on by Chris Lezotte

A recent Jalopnik article asked its readers, “What’s the Most Hot Girl Car?” I couldn’t help but wonder what, exactly, was the answer this query was looking for. Was Jalopnik trying to determine what car, when driven by a woman, qualifies her as ‘hot?’ Or was it, in fact, requesting its readers to name the hottest car among female drivers? 

Jalopnik writer Amber DaSilva’s hot girl car

Historically, the auto industry has featured advertising which features a ‘hot’ women posed next to a vehicle as a means to lure the male consumer. The implication is that driving such a car will attract the type of sexy woman a man couldn’t win over on his own. The measure of a car’s hotness can also be determined by the nature of the woman who drives it. For example, a 2007 Cadillac GTS commercial featuring Kate Walsh famously asked, ‘when you turn your car on, does it return the favor?’ The question equated the thrill of driving a Cadillac to that of a sexual encounter with a beautiful woman. In each of these representations, women’s assumed preference for a particular automobile marked the woman, and the car with which she was associated, as ‘hot’.

Asking the readers to name the hottest car among female drivers, on the other hand, was a question that could be answered by looking at marketing studies that ranked car purchases by gender. It didn’t seem like the kind of request a magazine that caters to a young and often skeptical demographic that prefers an irreverent, humorous, and often critical take on the automotive industry would, in fact, make.

1990s Golf Cabriolet

As neither of these answers seemed to suffice, I relied on ChatGPT, the preferred research instrument of the auto site’s target audience: young adults, the majority male, under 30 years of age. When I posed the question, ‘what is a hot girl car?’ to the popular AI tool, the answer wasn’t at all what I was expecting. 

According to the collected sources, a hot girl car is an informal, often humorous, slang term to describe a vehicle that exudes a fun, stylish, or confident vibe, frequently associated with trendy, independent, or unapologetically stylish young women. The term is not presented in a derogatory manner; rather, it lists the traits of the hot girl car as stylish or cute, compact or sporty, well-kept or accessorized, and associated with urban, fashion-forward, or lifestyle branding. A hot girl car exudes confidence, elan, or a ‘let’s go on an adventure’ attitude. The vehicles most often associated with this label are the Mazda Miata, Mini Cooper, Fiat 500, VW Beetle, or for the adventurous types, the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco Sport. 

The ultimate chick/hot girl car – Mazda Miata

What struck me about this answer was its similarity to the definition of the ‘chick car,’ a term that became popular during the early 2000s. In an article published in 2012, I described the chick car as a type of vehicle favored by women that was small, quick, stylish, and fun to drive. Unlike the hot girl car, however, the chick car was considered inferior by the male contingent for its association with the woman driver. As I wrote, ‘Women’s attraction to a particular automobile causes members of the male population to question the car’s technology. […] The assumption that women lack technical expertise creates a reverse kind of logic in the minds of many male consumers. They believe that since women cannot appreciate the finer technical characteristics of a car, such as power, handling, and performance, the cars women purchase must be technologically deficient. Women’s approval, in the minds of many men, leads to the devaluation of the car.’[1] The male constituency of auto makers, journalists of that time often disparaged the chick car, referring to it as “the kind of car no manly man would be caught dead driving.”[2]

Ford Bronco Sport, for the adventurous hot girl

However, based on the Jalopnik article responses, that sentiment has evolved. The author of the article, Amber DaSilva, invited her readers to ‘think up your definition of a hot girl, and pair that girl with the car that fits her best. What’s the most hot girl car you can buy?’ Many of the vehicles I defined as chick cars – Beetles, Minis,  Miatas, and Golf Cabriolets – were included as bona fide hot girl cars. Jeeps, classic muscle cars, and anything-with-a-stick-shit also made the list. And although the majority of responders were male, they were not regarding the car choices, or the women who made them, in a pejorative way. Rather, they were admiring the women for their automotive preferences; i.e. the choice in itself awarded some hotness. Granted, the readership of Jalopnik skews more left than the majority of car magazines, but I found it encouraging to see that most of posters – while having a little fun – did not disrespect young female drivers. And as the writer defined herself as a hot girl herself, the question – and the responses – were all made it a lighthearted, convivial manner. 

Mini Cooper

As I noted over a decade ago, despite the attempts of male journalists and drivers to disparage the chick car, women embraced the category and made it their own. As I asserted, ‘to the women who drive them, the chick car represents personal freedom, independence, agency, and a whole lot of fun.’[3]It is heartening to know that young people today – men and women alike – embrace the chick/hot girl car a means to adventure, identity, and empowerment.

[1] Chris Lezotte. “The Evolution of the ‘Chick Car’: Which Came First, the Chick or the Car?” The Journal of Popular Culture, Vol. 45 No 3 2012, 525.

[2] Quote from John McElroy, host of Autoline Detroit.

[3] Lezotte, Chick Car, 529.

Car CultureCar StoriesWomen & Car Advertising

Ladies and Buicks

Posted on by Chris Lezotte

Curbside Classic promotes itself as collector of automotive stories. Relying on contributions from its subscribers, the online publication assembles donated photographs of classic cars to construct “a living time capsule of collective knowledge, experiences, and history.”

Woman in blue pictured with 1955 Buick Roadster 4-door sedan
[Curbside Classics photo]

A Curbside Classics story that recently caught my eye was titled ‘Ladies and Buicks: 1950s Style.’ It included a number of photos of well-dressed suburban women posed next to their Roadmasters, Rivieras, Centurys, and Special Deluxe Tourback sedans. As one who worked on the Buick account during the mid-eighties, with the assignment to reconfigure the Regal into the ‘women’s car,’ I was intrigued by how – 30 years earlier – women had claimed the ‘doctor’s car’ as their own. 

During the 1950s, Buick’s primary market was the aspiring middle and upper-middle class American consumer. Positioned in the General Motors lineup just one rung below the luxurious Cadillac, Buick was an attractive choice for professionals, managers, and business owners. Symbolizing success without ostentation, Buick appealed to doctors, lawyers, executives, and mid-level corporate managers.

Lady and dog in grey and white with matching 1954 Buick Riviera 2-door hardtop
[Curbside Classics photo]

While Buick advertising most often centered on the male breadwinner, it increasingly acknowledged women as influential decision makers in the home, particularly where budgets were concerned. The move to the suburbs in the post war era resulted in the increased presence of women behind the wheel. Consequently, automakers promoted automotive features they believed were important to women drivers, such as automatic transmissions, power steering, and power brakes. These features were often framed as making the car easier and more comfortable for the woman driver. Advertising marketed toward men, on the other hand, was more likely to emphasize power and performance.

The ladies pictured alongside their Buicks in the Curbside Classic story are fashionably dressed, often in outfits that complement the car. The relationship between automobiles and fashion in these photographs is not just a coincidence; during the 1950s, women’s fashion was an important influence on automotive design. As Richard Martin argues, “Not only were the ideas expressed in these two arts [fashion and auto design] alike, so, too was the very timing of the style changes.” 

Woman in white with turquoise 1954 Riviera 2-door hardtop
[Curbside Classics photo]

Harley Earl, widely considered the father of modern automotive design, fundamentally transformed automotive styling in the United States. Employed by General Motors from the late 1920s to the 1950s, Earl elevated styling from a secondary consideration to a central driver of automobile sales and brand identity. The GM Art and Colour Section, established by Earl in 1927, was the first formal automotive design studio in the industry. Color was placed alongside form as a core element of vehicle design. Paint was planned simultaneously with body styling, rather than applied after engineering decisions. Designers – much like those in the fashion and interior design industries – studied color harmony, fashion trends, and consumer tastes. And while Earl was perhaps best known for his influence on exterior styling, as Hemmings writer David Conwell notes, “the designer replaced the engineer on the inside as well.” Interiors, upholstery, dashboard finishes, and exterior paint were coordinated into complete color schemes. In essence, Earl helped establish the idea that color could shape how a car looked, how it expressed status, and how consumers connected with it emotionally. Paint schemes became tools for emphasizing form, communicating brand identity, and encouraging consumers to view the automobile as a fashionable object. Earl was the first to employ female designers – referred to as the “Damsels of Design” – to shift the automotive focus from purely mechanical performance to [female] user experience and aesthetics.

As historian Robert Tate asserts, during the 1950s, “automakers observed that fashionable colors and accessories were bringing more women into dealerships.” Thus automotive color design – shaped in part by the styling practices of designers such as Earl – became closely tied to gendered marketing strategies. Postwar cars were often produced in pastels and fashion-inspired colors; advertising often implied these colors would appeal to women because they resembled fashion palettes, harmonized with suburban homes and lifestyles, and softened the car’s mechanical image. As automakers acknowledged women’s influence in consumer decisions, 1950s advertising encouraged women to view the car not just as transportation, but as another designed element of the modern household.

Women in red plaid jacket next to red 1953 Super 2 door Riviera hardtop
[Curbside Classics photo]

The photographs in the Curbside Classic collection demonstrate the influence of women’s fashion on automotive style. They also reflect how women, pleased with their automotive choices, often clothed themselves in coordinating ensembles to express their newfound relationship with the car.

Baron, Rich. “Ladies and Buicks: 1950s Style in Vintage Photos.” curbsideclassics.com Feb 26, 2026.

Conwill, David. “GM’s Art & Colour Section Put Interiors Front and Center” hemmings.com July 3, 2024.

Martin, Richard. “Fashion and the Car in the 1950s.” Journal of American Culture 20 (3) Fall 1997.

Tate, Robert. “The Influence of Women Consumers on Automotive Design” Motorcities.org March 22, 2023.

Car ChicksCar Culture

Ladies and Limos

Posted on by Chris Lezotte

One of the more unusual items for sale posted on Facebook’s Marketplace recently was a long, low, stretched-out, hot pink limousine. Covered in graphic flowers, the limo’s prior use was as a party vehicle for young, Sweet & Sassy ‘party girls on the go.’ The interior carried the pink theme throughout; facing seats and a star shaped sunroof contributed to the festive atmosphere. As it turns out, Sweet & Sassy is a franchise that caters to young girls; promoted as a kids spa, salon, and fun learning workshop, it offers a variety of events designed to ‘delight, thrill, and create lasting memories for kids of all ages.’ To get to the fun-filled event, kids are treated to a ride in a fancy pink limousine. The limo on Facebook, once listed for $20,000, is no longer available, suggesting that the stretch Chrysler 300 has found a new purpose. Perhaps someone has taken Jalopnik writer Amber Dasilva’s advice to start a business ‘shuttling hot girls with taste to and fro.’

However, it is not only color that links ladies to limos. Women are joining the historically male-dominated chauffeur industry in increasingly numbers. When Kathy Shorr took a job as a limo driver in the late 1980s as part of a graduate photography project, she was an anomaly. However, once her clients got over the shock of a woman behind the wheel, they became very comfortable in her presence, so much so that the Brooklynites allowed her to photograph them in and out of the car. Little did Shorr realize she was setting the stage for women to enter the field a mere forty years later.

Today, female limo drivers are increasingly common, offering professional, safe, and personalized luxury transportation. Female travelers often feel more comfortable with women drivers, citing safety as a primary concern. Studies show that female drivers are less likely to engage in aggressive driving behaviors compared to male counterparts, with a significantly lower percentage of reckless driving convictions. Not only are women proven to be safer drivers than men, but traveling women feel more protected against unwanted sexual harassment or attack when the vehicle operator is female. Consequently, many companies now specifically offer female-chauffeured limo services, catering to clients who prefer the comfort and security of a female driver, particularly business women and those traveling alone with groups. 

Female drivers are frequently perceived as more trustworthy, professional, and attentive to detail than male drivers, providing a friendly, calm, and reassuring presence. Women enjoying a ‘girls’ night out’ can hire a female driver without worry they will be taken advantage of in a small, enclosed space. Many also purposely choose female drivers to support other women in a traditionally male-dominated field.

While the notion of a female chauffeur may lead some to think of women driving neon pink vehicles adorned with bright flowers and cute sayings, women’s entry into the luxury chauffeur industry challenges longstanding gender roles and expectations that have historically defined the sector. These women are breaking woman driver stereotypes that have existed since the early twentieth century, when Henry Ford’s first Model T rolled off the assembly line. It is not surprising that the most fervent supporters – and clients – of female limo drivers are other women. These customers not only understand the challenges female drivers face upon entering a traditionally male automotive environment, but recognize – and reward – them as competent, professional, and trustworthy women behind the wheel. 

Auto Industry

Women’s Choice

Posted on by Chris Lezotte

A recent article from Autoblog News announced the winners of this year’s Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year [WWCOTY]. The jury for this competition consisted of 84 women motoring journalists from 54 countries; all eligible vehicles were required to be produced and sold in at least two continents or 40 countries between January and December 2025. The awards were broken down into six categories: compact car, compact SUV, large car, large SUV, 4×4, and exclusive car. The six category winners will advance to the final round for the overall Car of the Year during the week of International Women’s Day.

While the competition is judged by a panel of all women [the only all-female jury in the automotive industry], the cars are not evaluated in terms of what auto manufacturers typically market to women. Rather, as the judges made clear, the evaluations are based on universal criteria of importance to all drivers regardless of gender. Key considerations in the evaluation process included safety, design, quality, comfort, performance, efficiency, environmental impact, ease of driving, and value. The winners selected by the judges included the Nissan Leaf [compact car], Skoda Elroq [compact SUV], Mercedes-Benz CLA [large car], Hyundai Ioniq 9 [large SUV], Toyota 4Runner [4×4], Lamborghini Temerario [exclusive car]. 

What is interesting about the list of winners is that they are all imports; none of the vehicles were produced in the United States. Granted, this was an international panel of judges and not all cars are available to American buyers. But the results confirm a longstanding and growing trend: women prefer imports to domestic automobiles.

My own research confirms this preference. As I noted in an earlier blog, American auto manufacturers have never quite figured out the female consumer. Domestic automakers have traditionally built big cars for the big, wide open US highways, without taking into consideration that driving conditions do not necessarily dictate what all drivers want. US carmakers have historically refrained from developing small cars because, as James Flink, author of The Automobile Age, remarked, ‘large cars are far more profitable to build than small ones’ [the male preference for large pickup trucks is a current example]. Such a sentiment ignores the fact that the majority of US automobiles produced before 1990 were simply too large and cumbersome for the average woman to drive comfortably. Dissatisfied with domestic automobile choices – big and expensive, or cheap and spartan – female drivers began to notice that the economical, well-appointed and well-designed Asian and European cars ‘fit’ them better. As they switched to imports, women found the vehicles to be more reliable, durable, and have greater resale value than the domestic cars they left behind. 

In a past research project, in which I interviewed 21 women aged 80-90 about their early automotive experiences, the majority expressed an early loyalty to American models [often taking advantage of employee discounts], but switched to imports once such cars became readily available. Although Lee Iacocca’s introduction of the minivan in the mid 1980s was successful among a certain population of suburban moms, eventually replaced in popularity by the ubiquitous SUV, foreign manufacturers continued to broaden their offerings to include compacts, sedans, and SUVs to appeal to a wide range of women drivers. American manufacturers have since eliminated sedans from their respective lineups. Consequently, women have and continue to demonstrate a preference for import brands, citing qualities such as reliability, fuel efficiency, practicality, higher resale value, and smaller vehicle sizes when shopping for a vehicle. 

Although the jury emphasized that there is no such thing as a ‘woman’s car’, as a panel of women, they no doubt looked for qualities that were important to them as female car buyers [the same could be said for men]. However, as the article noted, as a jury composed entirely of women, the contest provided the awarding body with a voice in what has traditionally been a male dominated industry. Time will only tell if the American automotive industry will listen to such a voice.

Auto MuseumsWomen & Car Advertising

Trip to Marysville

Posted on by Chris Lezotte

The Wills Sainte Claire Auto Museum is a small museum located in the out-of-the-way city of Marysville, Michigan, separated from Canada by the St. Clair River. It is devoted to the history of C. Harold Wills and the automobile he created – the Wills Sainte Claire – and their impact on auto history and the city of Marysville. The small building holds 20 Sainte Claire automobiles – the largest collection in the world – as well as original photos, color advertising, and other artifacts relating to the company’s brief history. The automobiles on display are include ‘survivors’ as well many that are impeccably restored. The museum is only open one Sunday afternoon a month; our visit included a short video as well as peek behind the scenes into the museum’s storage facility.

Wills Sainte Claire workers, which included women

C. Harold Wills was Henry Ford’s first employee. He served as chief designer and metallurgist; he was responsible for the design of the Ford script logo, still in use today. Wills desperately wanted to make changes at Ford; unable to do so he left the company – with his $1.5 million severance pay – to build a car in Marysville along the banks of the St. Clair River. His plans also included a housing development  – the “City of Contented Living” – for Sainte Claire employees.

1926 Wills Sainte Claire Roadster, marketed to upper class women

The automobile Wills envisioned was the polar opposite of Ford’s affordable, mass-produced, Model T; rather, it was a somewhat futuristic vehicle that used state of the art engineering concepts and materials. He hoped to compete with luxury automakers such as Packard, Lincoln, and Pierce Arrow. The first car rolled off the assembly line in the spring of 1921, by November 1922, the Wills Co. was $8 million in debt and forced into receivership. Although beautifully crafted and ahead of its time, the car did not do well. It was too expensive, and Wills continually interrupted production to implement every conceivable improvement. The company did not survive the 1926 recession and after producing 12,000 cars, was liquidated. Wills subsequently joined Chrysler as a metallurgical consultant; Chrysler purchased the former Wills Sainte Claire factory which is still in use today.

The female Wills Sainte Claire customer

Throughout its short history, Wills Sainte Claire advertised extensively, always promoting the automobile’s luxury. As one advertisement read, “How can classic be defined?  Sleek, stylish, perfection, unique, timeless, and valuable are words of articulate, lasting design. If you assemble these words in the form of a tangible object you have defined the unique and beautiful Wills Ste. Claire automobile.” What is unusual for this time period is that many of the advertisements – on display at the museum – feature women behind the wheel. 

As women rejected the electric automobile in favor of the faster and more affordable gasoline-powered car, automakers – recognizing a growing consumer base – developed strategies to lure the female driver. Marketing plans shifted from “discussing merits of products to constructing promises for, and listing the expectations of, those who consumed the products.”[1] Relying on the rise in readership of popular women’s magazines, one of the more prominent sales tactics to emerge was advertising that “invited women to seek social status via the purchase of an automobile.”[2]

Wills Sainte Claire wholly embraced this strategy in its advertising. As a 1926 advertisement in the Saturday Evening Post read, “plain, blunt transportation can be purchased for less than Wills Sainte Claire. There are those, however, who demand and are willing to pay for a plus element called style. And these constitute the Sainte Claire clientele – as they constitute Bendel’s and Pierre’s.” The ad includes an illustration of two fashionably attired women travelling – with scarves flying – in a bright red Wills Sainte Claire roadster. An ad published in National Geographic, accompanied by an illustration featuring a woman seated in the driver’s seat with two children behind her, informs its female audience that the 1926 Model T-6 5-Passenger Sedan, “is something genuinely new, and better…and smarter…and sturdier… will become more impressively obvious as the weeks go by.”

Society women out for a spin in a Wills Sainte Claire Roadster

The strategies employed by auto advertisers were constructed, in part, as a response to Ford’s early domination of the automotive market. By 1921, Ford produced over half of all cars in the world. Fords were not only plentiful, but affordable; “growing cheaper by year, the Model T opened new vistas for ordinary people,” which included the growing population of women drivers.[3] Unable to compete head-to-head with “Everyman’s [and Everywoman’s] Car,” manufacturers set out to distinguish their automotive offerings by including an intangible benefit – status – with vehicle purchase. As Ford’s dominance began to erode – due primarily to the company’s unwillingness to move on from the Model T – the automobile as representative of women’s social standing became a popular, effective, and longstanding strategy among luxury cars manufacturers.

Unfortunately for the Wills Sainte Claire, the association of the automobile and social status was not enough to save it. However, the advertising of this little known manufacturer – on display at this small museum on the Michigan-Canadian border, provides insight into the efforts of luxury auto manufacturers to attract the female consumer.

[1] Michelle Ramsey. “Selling Social Status: Woman and Automobile Advertisements from 1910-1920.” Women and Language 28(1) Spring 2005: 26.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Virginia Scharff, Taking the Wheel: Women and the Coming of the Motor Age (Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1991), 55.

Car CultureCar Stories

December to Remember

Posted on by Chris Lezotte

Every year around this time, Lexus runs a version of its ‘December to Remember’ Christmas commercial. Originally designed as an end-of-year promotion, the spot features a ‘heartwarming’ holiday story, which invariably ends with the unveiling of a shiny new Lexus wrapped in a big red bow. Considered a ‘cornerstone of Lexus marketing,’ the campaign has run for over 25 years; its obsequious presence has been parodied to great effect on Saturday Night Live. Although the commercial has never encouraged me to put a Lexus on my gift list, it did make me wonder if not a Lexus, what automobile would I love to find under my Christmas tree?

I have been fortunate in my later years to be able to own the automobiles I admire. But that wasn’t always the case. When I was younger I used to imagine myself behind the wheels of cars that were very much unattainable, which made them all the more desirable. So I thought it would be fun, in the spirit of the holiday, to remember the cars that I would have loved to have received for Christmas, or any other time of year.

When I was in college, driving my rusting VW Beetle, I would gaze longingly at the occasional Triumph TR6 convertible that passed me on the highway. With its distinctive wedge shape and Lichfield Green exterior, it was, to my mind, the iconic sports car. Its impracticality for Michigan winters never crossed my mind. I only imagined my younger self with the top down, leaving beat up VWs in the dust. Unfortunately my infatuation with the Triumph led me to eventually purchase a similar vehicle – a Fiat Spider convertible – which was a disaster of a car. So much for that dream.

The 1960s and 70s romanticized the vagabond hippie life. Although I was as straight arrow as they come, I thought it would be fun to own a VW Westfalia Camper and spend the summer touring the USA. Since I had to work to put myself through school that was never an option, but it didn’t stop me from thinking about the possibility. I had an opportunity to drive a VW bus when visiting California, and with the engine in the back, the lack of a hood coupled with the right-on-the-road experience of driving took some getting used to. Unfortunately I got in a bit of an accident with the bus which put a bit of a damper on my desire to own the ‘box on wheels.’

As a fan of Volkswagens, I always imagined trading in my Bug for a sporty Karmann Ghia. One of the single female co-workers at my first full time job had one, and it seemed to represent freedom and fun, something that was lacking in my newly [and short lived] married life. As noted on a classic car site, the Karmann Ghia was an instant success when it was first introduced, especially among ‘starry-eyed Americans who wanted to cruise around in something cool.’ As I was neither stylish nor cool, nor did I have the funds to achieve such status, I continue to pine after my co-worker’s Karmann Ghia as I watched my VW slowly rust away.

The 1978 Vietnam drama Coming Home featured Jane Fonda driving a 1957 Porsche 356 Speedster. Fonda’s character, Sally Bender, acquired the Speedster while her US Marine husband was deployed. When in California on a commercial shoot around the same time, I had the opportunity to see a similar vehicle up close and personal. As one of the crew members pulled up in the classic vehicle, I was star struck. by its simplicity and timeless design. Nearly 60 years later, my heart still goes a flutter whenever I come across a Speedster at a car show.

Christmas has come and gone, and unsurprisingly, there was no gift-wrapped automobile waiting for me. But it’s fun to remember the cars that I wished for so very long ago.

Happy Holidays, and may your car wishes come true. 

Car Stories

Family Cars

Posted on by Chris Lezotte

In a recent article in Curbside Classic – a popular automotive blog for devotees of older cars – a contributor creates an ‘auto’ biography out of the cars of his childhood. The author, who could be described as a bona fide auto aficionado – not only recalls the make, model, year, and color of each car that made its way into his driveway, but calls upon the family automobile to recall the everyday events of his young life. This recollection cause me to think about my own family automotive history, which, as it turns out, couldn’t be further removed of that of the man who ‘grew up loving cars.’

Although I grew up in Detroit during the Golden Age of Car Culture, I was aware of cars in only a general sense. I remember being able to recognize the makes of cars quite easily; the ‘planned obsolescence’ of the 1950s, which resulted in new and distinctive designs every model year, made it possible distinguish one auto manufacturer from another without having an extensive automotive background. Games of ‘I spy’ during family road trips also gave me an awareness of the different car makes and models. However, in terms of our family cars, my memory is quite shaky, most likely because there was a significant amount of time when we as a family didn’t have a car at all.

I remember the first car that we owned was a 1950ish Kaiser which was dark green in color. At some point it was traded in for a 1951 or 1952 light green Oldsmobile. I don’t recall much about these cars other than they were roomy enough to hold two adults and three squirmy kids. We took this car on trips to Camp Dearborn for picnics and to a rented cottage on Lake Avalon, one of Michigan’s many inland bodies of water. However, the car I remember most from this era didn’t belong to us at all, but to my oldest brother. When we ventured on a road trip to Texas, with my cigar-smoking grandfather in tow, my brother allowed us to use his brand spanking new fire engine red 1957 Oldsmobile. That was a fun ride.

In the winter following the Texas trip, my father died, leaving us carless as my mother never learned to drive. Consequently we spent the next five years bumming rides and relying on public transportation until my brother turned 16. My mother purchased a 1960 white Ford Fairlane – why and from who I don’t know. My brother drove the Fairlane until he totaled it driving down our neighborhood street. My mother replaced that car with a 1960 Corvair which was the car I learned to drive on. I was able to get a driver’s permit at 15 with the stipulation that an adult was present in the car while I was driving. This requirement made absolutely no sense, as my non-driving mother and very nervous was appointed to make sure I was competent behind the wheel. I remember my mother grimacing and holding onto the door handle tightly whenever my gear shifting was less than perfect. It is no wonder that I never became a confident driver.

At some point the Corvair was replaced with a 1964 Pontiac Tempest, no doubt selected by my brother for its resemblance to a GTO. That was the car I shared with my brother until he purchased a 1967 VW Beetle on his 21st birthday. My mother knew nothing about cars; consequently, she concluded if she paid for insurance and gas we were good to go. The cars were never maintained properly; the muffler on the Tempest was replaced only after I received a ticket for excessive noise.

My younger sister and I shared my brother’s VW while he was off at school. The car was a bit beat up; my brother had repeatedly smashed in the front end. He didn’t get it repaired until I ran into something and paid for my damage [and his] out of my own pocket. When I turned 21, I purchased my own Beetle and drove it for seven years until it was totaled while parked in front of my apartment building.

It is often said that music is the history of our life. Yet the same could be said for the automobiles that carried us through our childhoods and teenage years. Just as a song often serves as a connection to a particular event from the past, a car can bring back memories of family vacations, sibling dynamics, or a young life on the verge of adulthood.  

Conferences

Argetsinger 2025

Posted on by Chris Lezotte
2025 Argetsinger Program, designed by me

The Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History was started in 2015 as a joint effort between the IMRRC [International Motor Racing Research Center] and the Society of Automotive Historians. Other than a break during COVID, the symposium has been held annually, and has grown exponentially from three presenters in 2025 to 20 in 2024. The symposium has been traditionally held at the Watkins Glen International Speedway Media Center. This year the conference was scaled back; it was held in a new venue – the Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel – and limited to 14 presentations. This revised setup eliminated the ‘run over’ presentations and provided ample time for questions. Although the Speedway location was an interesting place to visit, it involved a long drive out of town on very hilly roads. Having the symposium in the hotel also provided a better environment for networking and camaraderie. The two-day conference also included a film festival and reception at the Watkins Glen Chamber of Commerce. Despite its historical significance as the origin of road racing, Watkins Glen is a sleepy town, especially during the off season. Being from the western part of the Eastern time zone, I was not used to darkness falling before 5PM which made for interesting walks around town.

Presenter Jim Miller

I became involved with the Argetsinger when I travelled to the IMRRC to conduct some research for a paper on women-only racing a number of years ago. I presented at the conference the following year, and subsequently became part of the SAH contingent that organized the event. I presented a paper in 2024, but attended this year as a spectator. Although I am quiet and have often felt invisible at the gathering of so many motorsports experts [of which I am not], there was a perceptible difference in how I was regarded this year, no doubt due to my new role as SAH President. I received a dinner invitation for the first time in five years! But my new position allowed me to connect with many of the attendees in interesting ways, which I ultimately enjoyed. The only downside to the two days in Watkins Glen was the 3:15AM wake up call for my flight out of the two-gate Elmira airport.

Tech wiz Eric Monteraselli

The symposium was live streamed and converted to youtube for future viewing. If you have any interest in motorsport history, I suggest you check out the videos from this and past years. The presenters come from many disciplines – from academics to motor racing enthusiasts – so there is certain to be something for everyone. 

Car Stories

What’s Your [Car] Color?

Posted on by Chris Lezotte

A number of years back, as I pulled up to a stop light, I noticed a long line of vehicles in the next lane – four or five at least – that were almost identical in appearance. Although the cars represented different manufacturers, they were all small SUVs, and they were all black. Black, as it turns out, is the second most popular car color in the United States, representing 22% of the automotive market. White cars constitute one quarter of cars sold, with grey and silver contributing another 34%. During the golden age of car culture – the 1950s and 1960s, cars were not only bigger, but came in a wide variety of hues. The muscle cars of the 60s and 70s introduced us to colors that were bright and bold; Panther Pink, Vitamin C Orange, Grabber Blue, Plum Crazy Purple, and Rallye Red described the car, and the person who drove it, as outgoing, outrageous, and fun.

On the road today, cars that are not white, black, silver, or grey stand out, not just because there are so few of them, but because it makes one wonder what makes an individual go against the grain with such an unusual or bold color choice. Arm chair – and legitimate – psychologists have often contributed to stories that ask “what does your car color say about you?” 40 years ago, psychologists Peter Marsh and Collett discussed car color [as well as other automotive characteristics] in Driving Passion: The Psychology of the Car. The pair argued that the economic climate – booms and recessions – often affect the color of cars on the road. Booms feature cars of primary tones and bright colors – yellows, light blues, and reds – whereas when the economy is in decline, there is a tendency for people to select somber colors like greys, browns, and dark blues. Marsh and Collett also suggested that the aspect of personality a car reveals most accurately is “the person’s need for achievement.” Those with a high need for achievement will select cars with subdued colors; folks with relatively low levels of ambition will opt for bright colors including red and yellow.

The connection between car color and human personality remains a subject of interest today. In a recent article, Jaloponik notes how many people consider red to be an exciting color that lets others know “you’re passionate, intense, and ready for adventure.” The Today show goes a step further, asserting that the person who owns a red car is “sensual, dynamic, and outgoing.” Yellow cars, states Jalopnik, is associated with happiness, as it inspires people to “feel happier and more optimistic.” Today attests that the owner of a yellow car is likely to be joyful, has a sense of humor, and is young at heart. Today also suggests that an individual who chooses a dark blue car is confident, credible, and authoritative. If you find yourself attractive to blue cars, writes Jalopnik, “there’s a good chance you’re trustworthy, reliable, and calm.”

In my own car history, I have owned a lot of red cars. My first car was a red Beetle; other vehicles have included a maroon Fiat convertible, burgundy Sirocco, bright red Rabbit, and a brilliant red Audi. In this regard I go against stereotype, as I am anything but outgoing and ready for adventure. It is likely I chose red vehicles to project the persona of who I would like to be, rather than the shy and reticent individual that I am. Of my most recent cars, two out of three – both Golf Rs – have been Lapis Blue. Blue has always been my favorite color. I suspect I choose blue not only because it matches my eyes, but because it projects the confidence and authority I lack. Perhaps by choosing colors that are so against type, some of the qualities associated with them will rub off on me.

I have owned a couple of silver cars, and the only positive thing I can say about them is that they were less likely to show dirt. Although they were attractive in their own right, such color conformity was never something I wanted to embrace. Although I am what you would call an older woman, I am not yet ready to succumb to the neutral, unimaginative, and dare I say boring, black, white, and silver cars that populate the roads today. I’ll continue to enjoy surprising folks when they see me, a small, silver-haired woman, behind the wheel of a rumbling Lapis Blue-Black Edition, hot hatch Golf R.