Chris Lezotte | Bowling Green State University (original) (raw)

Papers by Chris Lezotte

Feminist Media Studies, Dec 1, 2014

Although women influence nearly 85 percent of new car sales, their experience at automotive deale... more Although women influence nearly 85 percent of new car sales, their experience at automotive dealerships differs significantly from that of men. Not only are women subject to sexist and patronizing behavior from automotive personnel, but they also often wind up paying considerably more for a vehicle than a male customer. In the past two decades, the Internet has evolved as a significant source of automotive information and advice. While the majority of car advice websites offer guidance to the general public, a handful address the automotive concerns of the female driver. These sites are significant not only for the information they make accessible to female visitors, but for what women gain—as drivers, consumers, and political actors—by reading them. This paper examines four popular websites that cater specifically to the woman driver. Calling upon feminist epistemologies, it demonstrates how such online locations empower women to become more informed drivers and consumers through the accumulation and distribution of women's automotive knowledge. Not only does this automotive knowledge aid women as negotiators, but it also provides them with the tools necessary to radically transform the hostile auto dealership culture, ultimately benefiting all in the market for an automobile.

Springer eBooks, 2023

Throughout its storied history, motorsports has been unwelcoming to women. Consequently, it has b... more Throughout its storied history, motorsports has been unwelcoming to women. Consequently, it has been necessary for female racers to develop unique strategies to enter what has long existed as an exclusive masculine enclave. While entry can be facilitated through a familial relationship with a male driver, women without such connections often get their start through participation in women-only racing events. Although these races—which include Powder Puff, Formula Woman, and W Series—have provided women with the opportunity to enter the track, they have not been without controversy. Detractors argue that women will not be considered legitimate racers unless they compete on the same track as men. Proponents view women-only racing not only as a way to attract more women into the sport, but also as an important source of skill development, support, and community building.

This chapter investigates the evolution of women-only racing, from its early introduction as a media stunt, to its current incarnation as a proving ground for serious female open wheel racers. Informed by historical documents, secondary sources, and social media forums, it considers how women-only racing complicates, facilitates, and liberates women’s entry, participation, and recognition in the masculine world of motorsports.

Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Jul 1, 2011

Holstrom, Darwin and Melinda Keefe, eds. Life Is a Highway: A Century of Great Automotive Writing... more Holstrom, Darwin and Melinda Keefe, eds. Life Is a Highway: A Century of Great Automotive Writing. Minneapolis: Motorboots, 2010. 288 pp. $25. It could easily be argued that the 2010 release of Life Is a Highway, which is an eclectic collection of automotive writing, was a product of unfortunate timing. The highly contested government bailout of Chrysler and General Motors in 2008 created a crisis in the auto industry in the United States and uncertainty in the car-buying public. The adversity experienced by automakers, coupled with the animosity directed toward auto executives as they repeatedly asked Washington for emergency assistance, suggests that 2010 was an inopportune time in which to introduce a collection of articles, stories, and book excerpts celebrating the automobile. Yet while the automobile has fueled criticism in the government and the public sector since its introduction at the turn of the twentieth century, the fascination, if not passion, it ignites in the American driver has never been extinguished. As the contributions included in this volume demonstrate, despite or perhaps because of the controversy surrounding it, the automobile has and continues to serve as inspiration for writers of every persuasion. Through the accumulation of automotive writing from a variety of sources, the book provides an introspective into the effect of the automobile on American life, industry, and consciousness over the past century. Yet rather than simply a collection of interesting and informative articles gleaned from newspapers, automotive magazines, and popular fiction, Life Is a Highway serves as an important social history of the automobile. The majority of selections included in the book are quick and enjoyable reads, accessible to the auto aficionado as well as to the everyday driver. Regular readers of car enthusiast magazines will recognize many of book's contributors: Tom McCahill, David E. Davis, Jr., Ken Purdy, and Jean Lindamood Jennings top the list of influential automotive journalists featured in this volume. But the collection not only includes the work of famous automotive writers but that of famous writers. Excerpts from the novels of Stephen King, Hunter Thompson, and Jack Kerouac demonstrate how the automobile has worked its way into American fiction and life. J. Edgar Hoover contributes to the car talk as does Alfred P. Sloan, Jr., the former General Motors chair, and political satirist PJ. O'Rourke. The variety of personalities and perspectives represented in this collection suggests that despite the doom and gloom that perennially hovers over the auto industry, folks still have plenty to say about cars. The articles included in Life Is a Highway are loosely organized in five thematic sections. …

Journal of the History of Childhood and Youth, 2020

Culture, Society and Masculinities, Oct 1, 2015

Since the first Model T rolled off Henry Ford’s assembly line, the automobile has been associated... more Since the first Model T rolled off Henry Ford’s assembly line, the automobile has been associated with a particular configuration of hegemonic masculinity. Such persistent representations—in traditional historical accounts, industry rhetoric, and popular culture—assume only those who are straight, White, and male are truly capable of understanding and appreciating the automobile. Examination of gay car culture—as practiced through participation in the Lambda Car Club International— suggests otherwise. Investigation of club websites, Facebook® pages, and videos, as well as survey responses from eleven Lambda members, provides insight into the meaning gay drivers ascribe to the automobile, uncovers the valuable connections to the past automobiles make possible, and explores the role of cars in creating community among gay drivers. Perhaps more importantly, this inquiry provides an alternative construction of masculinity, one with the potential to disrupt and displace the current hegemonic model that permeates American car culture.

Frontiers, 2013

“Women with Muscle: Contemporary Women and the Classic Muscle Car” examines the growing participa... more “Women with Muscle: Contemporary Women and the Classic Muscle Car” examines the growing participation of aging boomer women in classic muscle car culture. It investigates why women own and drive classic muscle cars, the meanings they ascribe to them, and how women construct themselves as participants in muscle car culture. It suggests that women drive muscle cars not only to celebrate a lifelong passion for the automobile, but also as an important social experience that strengthens family relationships. This research – developed through participant-observation and interviews at classic car events in Southeastern Michigan - not only provides an alternative understanding of the American muscle car and the “woman driver,” but through the lens of conservative feminism, also considers how women call upon the muscle car to negotiate membership in a historically masculine fraternity.

The Journal of Popular Culture, May 30, 2012

The Journal of American Culture, Sep 1, 2013

The Journal of Popular Culture, Sep 7, 2021

Since women first expressed interest in automobility, automakers and marketers have directed the ... more Since women first expressed interest in automobility, automakers and marketers have directed the female motorist toward the practical ‘family’ vehicle. While men are encouraged to purchase automobiles that reflect power, performance, and toughness, women are expected to drive a safe, reliable, and functional automobile that reinforces the gender appropriate role of wife and mother. Yet while the association between women and practical vehicles remains commonplace in American life, there is one location that frequently disrupts this pervasive representation. In the female road trip film, the protagonist is likely to drive a vehicle rarely associated with the woman driver. These unconventional modes of transportation are significant not only for the meanings they convey about the woman who drive them, but also for their ability to challenge common woman driver stereotypes. This paper examines the relationship between a woman and her automobile in 10 road trip films. Focusing on the car rather than the journey, it reassesses the role and significance of the automobile in film; examines how the woman’s car in film has the ability to disrupt both the dominant road trip and cultural narratives; and broadens the notion of women’s car use to include considerations of identity, agency, reinvention, friendship, family, and empowerment.

European Journal of American Culture, Jun 1, 2019

The journal of transport history, Jul 23, 2019

It is estimated that in the years leading up to the Second World War, less than one quarter of US... more It is estimated that in the years leading up to the Second World War, less than one quarter of USA women held driver’s licenses. Due to the absence of data on women’s automotive participation prior to 1963, what is known about the female motorist of this era is limited. While feminist historians have painstakingly recovered the woman driver through traditional research methods, there remains an absence of first-hand accounts of women’s automobile experience. This paper calls upon the narratives of 21 elderly women to provide new insight into women’s automotive history. These rich oral histories not only fill in the gaps about what is known about women and cars, but examined through the lens of Portelli’s “living voices”, reveal how automotive experiences affected women’s lives in the past, and how the meaning of those experiences has been remembered and reconstructed over time.

The Journal of American Culture, 2023

Because automotive knowledge has been traditionally associated with men and masculinity, young gi... more Because automotive knowledge has been traditionally associated with men and masculinity, young girls rarely grow up with an understanding or appreciation of the automobile. Unless introduced to cars by a male family member at a young age, girls have very few opportunities to gain automotive experience or knowledge. This absence of auto awareness in young girls can have significant repercussions in adulthood. However, one of the unexpected routes to a girl’s automotive education is the Barbie car. With over 100 models in a variety of categories, the Barbie car plays an important role in opening up the automotive world to those traditionally excluded from it.
As this examination of six generations of Barbie vehicles argues, not only can the Barbie car encourage automotive interest in young girls, but as a source of “pink power” has the ability promote independence, imagination, identity, and empowerment in the future female driver.

The Automotive History Review, 2023

Articles on ASpects of Automotive Hsotory by Louis Fourie, Norm Darwin, John Field, Chris Lezott... more Articles on ASpects of Automotive Hsotory by Louis Fourie, Norm Darwin, John Field, Chris Lezotte, Mark Forbes, Stuart Blond, Vincent Stephens.

The Journal of American Culture, 2013

The Journal of Popular Culture, 2021

Since women first expressed interest in automobility, automakers and marketers have directed the ... more Since women first expressed interest in automobility, automakers and marketers have directed the female motorist toward the practical ‘family’ vehicle. While men are encouraged to purchase automobiles that reflect power, performance, and toughness, women are expected to drive a safe, reliable, and functional automobile that reinforces the gender appropriate role of wife and mother.

Yet while the association between women and practical vehicles remains commonplace in American life, there is one location that frequently disrupts this pervasive representation. In the female road trip film, the protagonist is likely to drive a vehicle rarely associated with the woman driver. These unconventional modes of transportation are significant not only for the meanings they convey about the woman who drive them, but also for their ability to challenge common woman driver stereotypes.

This paper examines the relationship between a woman and her automobile in 10 road trip films. Focusing on the car rather than the journey, it reassesses the role and significance of the automobile in film; examines how the woman’s car in film has the ability to disrupt both the dominant road trip and cultural narratives; and broadens the notion of women’s car use to include considerations of identity, agency, reinvention, friendship, family, and empowerment.

Automotive History Review, 2021

The Journal of Transport History, 2019

It is estimated that in the years leading up to the Second World War, less than one quarter of US... more It is estimated that in the years leading up to the Second World War, less than one quarter of US women held driver’s licenses. Due to the absence of data on women’s automotive participation prior to 1963, what is known about the female motorist of this era is limited. While feminist historians have painstakingly recovered the woman driver through traditional research methods, there remains an absence of first-hand accounts of women’s automobile experience. This paper calls upon the narratives of 21 elderly women to provide new insight into women’s automotive history. These rich oral histories not only fill in the gaps about what is known about women and cars, but examined through the lens of Portelli’s “living voices”, reveal how automotive experiences affected women’s lives in the past, and how the meaning of those experiences has been remembered and reconstructed over time.

European Journal of American Culture, 2019

Of all the vehicles produced for the American driver, perhaps none is more strongly associated wi... more Of all the vehicles produced for the American driver, perhaps none is more strongly associated with masculinity than the full-size pickup truck. Although women are recognized as the fastest growing segment of the US pickup market, the reaction to women’s intrusion into what has long been considered male territory has been met with a fair amount of resistance. Female truck drivers often have their femininity questioned, and are subject to unwarranted criticism and negative stereotyping from male peers. However, rather than change the culture, female truck owners have developed a strategy to gain acceptance and legitimacy within it. Identification with the cowgirl – the strong, courageous, and fiercely independent woman who helped build the American West – grants women the authority to enter the masculine world of pickup trucks on their own terms. It acknowledges them as adventurous, hardworking, and worthy of respect. As noted by the 25 pickup-owning women interviewed for this project – and considered through the lens of cowgirl feminism, a concept coined by Laura Jane Moore in her historical examination of the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame – the assumption of the cowgirl persona not only provides women access into a historically masculine culture, but pronounces them as exceptional women drivers.

Automotive History Review, 2019

Since the 1908 debut of Ford's mass-produced Model T, the automobile has been associated with a p... more Since the 1908 debut of Ford's mass-produced Model T, the automobile has been associated with a particular configuration of hegemonic masculinity. Such persistent representations—in traditional historical accounts, industry rhetoric, and popular culture—assume only those who are straight, White, and male are truly capable of understanding and appreciating the automobile. This examination of gay car culture— as practiced through participation in the Lambda Car Club International — suggests otherwise. Calling on Lambda club websites, Facebook® pages, and videos, as well as survey responses from eleven Lambda members, this investigation provides insight into the meaning gay drivers ascribe to the automobile, uncovers the valuable connections to the past automobiles make possible, and explores the role of cars in creating community among gay drivers. Perhaps more importantly, this inquiry provides an alternative construction of masculinity, one with the potential to disrupt and displace the current hegemonic model that permeates American car culture.

Feminist Media Studies, Dec 1, 2014

Although women influence nearly 85 percent of new car sales, their experience at automotive deale... more Although women influence nearly 85 percent of new car sales, their experience at automotive dealerships differs significantly from that of men. Not only are women subject to sexist and patronizing behavior from automotive personnel, but they also often wind up paying considerably more for a vehicle than a male customer. In the past two decades, the Internet has evolved as a significant source of automotive information and advice. While the majority of car advice websites offer guidance to the general public, a handful address the automotive concerns of the female driver. These sites are significant not only for the information they make accessible to female visitors, but for what women gain—as drivers, consumers, and political actors—by reading them. This paper examines four popular websites that cater specifically to the woman driver. Calling upon feminist epistemologies, it demonstrates how such online locations empower women to become more informed drivers and consumers through the accumulation and distribution of women's automotive knowledge. Not only does this automotive knowledge aid women as negotiators, but it also provides them with the tools necessary to radically transform the hostile auto dealership culture, ultimately benefiting all in the market for an automobile.

Springer eBooks, 2023

Throughout its storied history, motorsports has been unwelcoming to women. Consequently, it has b... more Throughout its storied history, motorsports has been unwelcoming to women. Consequently, it has been necessary for female racers to develop unique strategies to enter what has long existed as an exclusive masculine enclave. While entry can be facilitated through a familial relationship with a male driver, women without such connections often get their start through participation in women-only racing events. Although these races—which include Powder Puff, Formula Woman, and W Series—have provided women with the opportunity to enter the track, they have not been without controversy. Detractors argue that women will not be considered legitimate racers unless they compete on the same track as men. Proponents view women-only racing not only as a way to attract more women into the sport, but also as an important source of skill development, support, and community building.

This chapter investigates the evolution of women-only racing, from its early introduction as a media stunt, to its current incarnation as a proving ground for serious female open wheel racers. Informed by historical documents, secondary sources, and social media forums, it considers how women-only racing complicates, facilitates, and liberates women’s entry, participation, and recognition in the masculine world of motorsports.

Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Jul 1, 2011

Holstrom, Darwin and Melinda Keefe, eds. Life Is a Highway: A Century of Great Automotive Writing... more Holstrom, Darwin and Melinda Keefe, eds. Life Is a Highway: A Century of Great Automotive Writing. Minneapolis: Motorboots, 2010. 288 pp. $25. It could easily be argued that the 2010 release of Life Is a Highway, which is an eclectic collection of automotive writing, was a product of unfortunate timing. The highly contested government bailout of Chrysler and General Motors in 2008 created a crisis in the auto industry in the United States and uncertainty in the car-buying public. The adversity experienced by automakers, coupled with the animosity directed toward auto executives as they repeatedly asked Washington for emergency assistance, suggests that 2010 was an inopportune time in which to introduce a collection of articles, stories, and book excerpts celebrating the automobile. Yet while the automobile has fueled criticism in the government and the public sector since its introduction at the turn of the twentieth century, the fascination, if not passion, it ignites in the American driver has never been extinguished. As the contributions included in this volume demonstrate, despite or perhaps because of the controversy surrounding it, the automobile has and continues to serve as inspiration for writers of every persuasion. Through the accumulation of automotive writing from a variety of sources, the book provides an introspective into the effect of the automobile on American life, industry, and consciousness over the past century. Yet rather than simply a collection of interesting and informative articles gleaned from newspapers, automotive magazines, and popular fiction, Life Is a Highway serves as an important social history of the automobile. The majority of selections included in the book are quick and enjoyable reads, accessible to the auto aficionado as well as to the everyday driver. Regular readers of car enthusiast magazines will recognize many of book's contributors: Tom McCahill, David E. Davis, Jr., Ken Purdy, and Jean Lindamood Jennings top the list of influential automotive journalists featured in this volume. But the collection not only includes the work of famous automotive writers but that of famous writers. Excerpts from the novels of Stephen King, Hunter Thompson, and Jack Kerouac demonstrate how the automobile has worked its way into American fiction and life. J. Edgar Hoover contributes to the car talk as does Alfred P. Sloan, Jr., the former General Motors chair, and political satirist PJ. O'Rourke. The variety of personalities and perspectives represented in this collection suggests that despite the doom and gloom that perennially hovers over the auto industry, folks still have plenty to say about cars. The articles included in Life Is a Highway are loosely organized in five thematic sections. …

Journal of the History of Childhood and Youth, 2020

Culture, Society and Masculinities, Oct 1, 2015

Since the first Model T rolled off Henry Ford’s assembly line, the automobile has been associated... more Since the first Model T rolled off Henry Ford’s assembly line, the automobile has been associated with a particular configuration of hegemonic masculinity. Such persistent representations—in traditional historical accounts, industry rhetoric, and popular culture—assume only those who are straight, White, and male are truly capable of understanding and appreciating the automobile. Examination of gay car culture—as practiced through participation in the Lambda Car Club International— suggests otherwise. Investigation of club websites, Facebook® pages, and videos, as well as survey responses from eleven Lambda members, provides insight into the meaning gay drivers ascribe to the automobile, uncovers the valuable connections to the past automobiles make possible, and explores the role of cars in creating community among gay drivers. Perhaps more importantly, this inquiry provides an alternative construction of masculinity, one with the potential to disrupt and displace the current hegemonic model that permeates American car culture.

Frontiers, 2013

“Women with Muscle: Contemporary Women and the Classic Muscle Car” examines the growing participa... more “Women with Muscle: Contemporary Women and the Classic Muscle Car” examines the growing participation of aging boomer women in classic muscle car culture. It investigates why women own and drive classic muscle cars, the meanings they ascribe to them, and how women construct themselves as participants in muscle car culture. It suggests that women drive muscle cars not only to celebrate a lifelong passion for the automobile, but also as an important social experience that strengthens family relationships. This research – developed through participant-observation and interviews at classic car events in Southeastern Michigan - not only provides an alternative understanding of the American muscle car and the “woman driver,” but through the lens of conservative feminism, also considers how women call upon the muscle car to negotiate membership in a historically masculine fraternity.

The Journal of Popular Culture, May 30, 2012

The Journal of American Culture, Sep 1, 2013

The Journal of Popular Culture, Sep 7, 2021

Since women first expressed interest in automobility, automakers and marketers have directed the ... more Since women first expressed interest in automobility, automakers and marketers have directed the female motorist toward the practical ‘family’ vehicle. While men are encouraged to purchase automobiles that reflect power, performance, and toughness, women are expected to drive a safe, reliable, and functional automobile that reinforces the gender appropriate role of wife and mother. Yet while the association between women and practical vehicles remains commonplace in American life, there is one location that frequently disrupts this pervasive representation. In the female road trip film, the protagonist is likely to drive a vehicle rarely associated with the woman driver. These unconventional modes of transportation are significant not only for the meanings they convey about the woman who drive them, but also for their ability to challenge common woman driver stereotypes. This paper examines the relationship between a woman and her automobile in 10 road trip films. Focusing on the car rather than the journey, it reassesses the role and significance of the automobile in film; examines how the woman’s car in film has the ability to disrupt both the dominant road trip and cultural narratives; and broadens the notion of women’s car use to include considerations of identity, agency, reinvention, friendship, family, and empowerment.

European Journal of American Culture, Jun 1, 2019

The journal of transport history, Jul 23, 2019

It is estimated that in the years leading up to the Second World War, less than one quarter of US... more It is estimated that in the years leading up to the Second World War, less than one quarter of USA women held driver’s licenses. Due to the absence of data on women’s automotive participation prior to 1963, what is known about the female motorist of this era is limited. While feminist historians have painstakingly recovered the woman driver through traditional research methods, there remains an absence of first-hand accounts of women’s automobile experience. This paper calls upon the narratives of 21 elderly women to provide new insight into women’s automotive history. These rich oral histories not only fill in the gaps about what is known about women and cars, but examined through the lens of Portelli’s “living voices”, reveal how automotive experiences affected women’s lives in the past, and how the meaning of those experiences has been remembered and reconstructed over time.

The Journal of American Culture, 2023

Because automotive knowledge has been traditionally associated with men and masculinity, young gi... more Because automotive knowledge has been traditionally associated with men and masculinity, young girls rarely grow up with an understanding or appreciation of the automobile. Unless introduced to cars by a male family member at a young age, girls have very few opportunities to gain automotive experience or knowledge. This absence of auto awareness in young girls can have significant repercussions in adulthood. However, one of the unexpected routes to a girl’s automotive education is the Barbie car. With over 100 models in a variety of categories, the Barbie car plays an important role in opening up the automotive world to those traditionally excluded from it.
As this examination of six generations of Barbie vehicles argues, not only can the Barbie car encourage automotive interest in young girls, but as a source of “pink power” has the ability promote independence, imagination, identity, and empowerment in the future female driver.

The Automotive History Review, 2023

Articles on ASpects of Automotive Hsotory by Louis Fourie, Norm Darwin, John Field, Chris Lezott... more Articles on ASpects of Automotive Hsotory by Louis Fourie, Norm Darwin, John Field, Chris Lezotte, Mark Forbes, Stuart Blond, Vincent Stephens.

The Journal of American Culture, 2013

The Journal of Popular Culture, 2021

Since women first expressed interest in automobility, automakers and marketers have directed the ... more Since women first expressed interest in automobility, automakers and marketers have directed the female motorist toward the practical ‘family’ vehicle. While men are encouraged to purchase automobiles that reflect power, performance, and toughness, women are expected to drive a safe, reliable, and functional automobile that reinforces the gender appropriate role of wife and mother.

Yet while the association between women and practical vehicles remains commonplace in American life, there is one location that frequently disrupts this pervasive representation. In the female road trip film, the protagonist is likely to drive a vehicle rarely associated with the woman driver. These unconventional modes of transportation are significant not only for the meanings they convey about the woman who drive them, but also for their ability to challenge common woman driver stereotypes.

This paper examines the relationship between a woman and her automobile in 10 road trip films. Focusing on the car rather than the journey, it reassesses the role and significance of the automobile in film; examines how the woman’s car in film has the ability to disrupt both the dominant road trip and cultural narratives; and broadens the notion of women’s car use to include considerations of identity, agency, reinvention, friendship, family, and empowerment.

Automotive History Review, 2021

The Journal of Transport History, 2019

It is estimated that in the years leading up to the Second World War, less than one quarter of US... more It is estimated that in the years leading up to the Second World War, less than one quarter of US women held driver’s licenses. Due to the absence of data on women’s automotive participation prior to 1963, what is known about the female motorist of this era is limited. While feminist historians have painstakingly recovered the woman driver through traditional research methods, there remains an absence of first-hand accounts of women’s automobile experience. This paper calls upon the narratives of 21 elderly women to provide new insight into women’s automotive history. These rich oral histories not only fill in the gaps about what is known about women and cars, but examined through the lens of Portelli’s “living voices”, reveal how automotive experiences affected women’s lives in the past, and how the meaning of those experiences has been remembered and reconstructed over time.

European Journal of American Culture, 2019

Of all the vehicles produced for the American driver, perhaps none is more strongly associated wi... more Of all the vehicles produced for the American driver, perhaps none is more strongly associated with masculinity than the full-size pickup truck. Although women are recognized as the fastest growing segment of the US pickup market, the reaction to women’s intrusion into what has long been considered male territory has been met with a fair amount of resistance. Female truck drivers often have their femininity questioned, and are subject to unwarranted criticism and negative stereotyping from male peers. However, rather than change the culture, female truck owners have developed a strategy to gain acceptance and legitimacy within it. Identification with the cowgirl – the strong, courageous, and fiercely independent woman who helped build the American West – grants women the authority to enter the masculine world of pickup trucks on their own terms. It acknowledges them as adventurous, hardworking, and worthy of respect. As noted by the 25 pickup-owning women interviewed for this project – and considered through the lens of cowgirl feminism, a concept coined by Laura Jane Moore in her historical examination of the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame – the assumption of the cowgirl persona not only provides women access into a historically masculine culture, but pronounces them as exceptional women drivers.

Automotive History Review, 2019

Since the 1908 debut of Ford's mass-produced Model T, the automobile has been associated with a p... more Since the 1908 debut of Ford's mass-produced Model T, the automobile has been associated with a particular configuration of hegemonic masculinity. Such persistent representations—in traditional historical accounts, industry rhetoric, and popular culture—assume only those who are straight, White, and male are truly capable of understanding and appreciating the automobile. This examination of gay car culture— as practiced through participation in the Lambda Car Club International — suggests otherwise. Calling on Lambda club websites, Facebook® pages, and videos, as well as survey responses from eleven Lambda members, this investigation provides insight into the meaning gay drivers ascribe to the automobile, uncovers the valuable connections to the past automobiles make possible, and explores the role of cars in creating community among gay drivers. Perhaps more importantly, this inquiry provides an alternative construction of masculinity, one with the potential to disrupt and displace the current hegemonic model that permeates American car culture.

McFarland Press, 2018

Since its introduction in 1964, the fast, loud, and powerful American muscle car has been associa... more Since its introduction in 1964, the fast, loud, and powerful American muscle car has been associated with masculinity and the male driver. Not surprisingly, women’s participation in muscle car culture has traditionally been limited to that of passenger or spectator. However, the twenty-first century has witnessed a marked increase in female muscle car ownership. Aging baby-boomer women can be often found exhibiting classic muscle cars at local car events. And while the newest generation of muscle cars continue to be marketed to men, women in their 30s and 40s can often be spotted [and heard] driving to work in modern Mustangs, Camaros, and Challengers.

This book explores the relationship between women of all ages and muscle cars of all generations – classic muscle cars, modern cars, and the generations in between. Developed from interviews with 88 muscle-car-loving women, this research acknowledges that not all women are interested in cars for practical reasons; that women’s relationship to cars differs from but is not less than that of men; that fast and powerful cars are not the sole province of male drivers; that women have the means and ability to challenge gender stereotypes through car use; and that women view muscle car ownership as an important contributor to their identity, relationships, and quality of life.