March 8th, 2019 is International Women’s Day. What better time to look at some of the most inspiring women who’ve broken the stereotypes and made a name for themselves in the automotive industry? For decades, anything to do with cars was termed a ‘man’s job.’ Slowly but surely, that attitude has been changing but we still have a long way to go. Nevertheless, the future looks promising, with more and more women refusing to back down when faced with such outdated and misogynistic views. Instead, they’re crushing their critics and naysayers by showing the world what they can do.
Here are 3 Inspiring Women Who Broke Barriers
Bianca Timbers – Car Mechanic & Entrepreneur
Less than one percent of car mechanics in Australia are women, and Bianca Timbers belongs to this exclusive group. From being laughed at when she tried for apprenticeship to being the only women in her class when she did her course, it hasn’t been an easy road for Bianca. But she persevered and now owns a successful auto repair shop called True Revolution, along with her husband.
Fabienne Wohlwend – Formula Driver
Fabienne Wohlwend has made a name for herself in history as one of the few female drivers in the world competing at the coveted Formula level. Her obsession with racing started with go-karting when she was just seven. She pursued her dreams as an adult and is now racing in a Ferrari, driving at up to 300kmph. One thing’s for sure, at speeds like that, there’s no stopping this racer in her tracks!
Bertha Ringer – The first woman to drive a car over a long distance
Bertha Ringer, a.k.a. Bertha Benz, carved her name in history as the first woman to drive a car long distance in 1888. While her husband was the one who created the car and had test driven it, he hadn’t driven it over a long distance. Bertha drove the car over 100 kilometres, creating history.
Historically and at present, women have been constantly pushing boundaries and exploring new territory. As the saying goes “well-behaved women seldom make history.” So, in order to make history, you need to break the shackles, challenge the status quo and not be afraid to be different.
