They attract attention with original styling, are comfortable in daily use and meet the expectations of drivers of both sexes. We present exceptional cars created by women.
Designers, constructors, engineers and mechanics – the automotive industry seems to be dominated by men. But the fact is that women have always had a significant influence on it. Bertha Benz made the first long-distance trip in an automobile in 1888, film star Florence Lawrence invented today’s turn signals, Alabama farmgirl Mary Anderson patented windshield wipers, and British Dorothy Levitt invented rearview mirrors. The fairer sex also takes an active part in designing cars
One of the most influential female designers in the history of automobiles is Mimi Vandermolen, a native of the Netherlands who grew up in Canada and has been employed in Ford’s design office since 1970. Her work resulted in a number of designs for American cars that dominated the roads in the 1980s and 1990s. Among others, Vandermolen supervised works on the second generation of the famous 1992 Ford Probe. Thanks to her, the sports coupe gained a more feminine character. Among other things, the members of the male engineering team led by the designer had to wear fake nails while working in order to get a better feel for the role of a woman behind the wheel.
The second iteration of the stylish BMW Z4 roadster, which debuted on the roads in 2009, is the work of two ladies, Juliane Blasi and Nadya Arnaout. The former was responsible for the exterior of the car, while the latter designed its interior. The car did not differ much from the first generation of this model, which was designed by Anders Warming. However, Juliane Blasi made it sleeker and less aggressive, and redesigned the rear end to make it more in line with other BMW models of the time.
Honda NSX, also known under the brand Acura is a legendary vehicle that stands out for its excellent performance, unique design and high price – in the European market the car costs about 750 thousand zlotys. The author of the design of the second generation of this model, which appeared on the market in 2016, is an American Michelle Christensen, who has worked as the first external designer of Acura since 2005. The work on the body line of the car took 3 years, and the result is a sleek sports car, which is a dream of almost every fan of fast driving.
Another legendary sports car on our list is the Chevrolet Corvette, which is an iconic American automobile. The car has been produced since 1953 and has seen several body styles. One of them is the Stingray, which refers to the Coupe design. The author of the interior design of the seventh generation of this model is a British Helen Almsley, associated with General Motors since 1993
The popular Renault Scénic utility vehicle is the work of designer Anne Asensio, who became the French company’s chief designer of small and medium-sized vehicles in 1997. The concept design of the car was first presented in 1991. On its basis, a compact minivan was developed, which entered production in 1996. The car combines the advantages of compact cars and a family hatchback. A woman is also responsible for preparing newer versions of the Renault Scenic. This is Aneta Dahlgren, who also managed the work on such models as Megane and Kadjar.
Another sleek and distinctive car on the road designed by a woman is the family crossover Nissan Rogue. The author of this successful project is Diane Allen, who also participated in the works on other models of the Japanese giant, including the sporty Nissan 350 Z and the Nissan Titan pickup.
The futuristic Volvo YCC concept car is the result of a female design team. The premise of the project was to create a car for the “independent, professional woman”. Presented in 2004, the vehicle was an elegant four-door coupe with wing doors and a minimalist interior. It had a number of features designed with women in mind, including increased visibility, easier ingress and egress, plenty of storage, and customizable interior design.
(Photo: pixabay.com)
