Pink Cars and Pocketbooks: How American Women Bought Their Way Into the Driver's Seat - Paperback

by Jessica A. Brockmole (Author)

A fascinating history of how the automotive industry and consumers battled to define what women wanted in a car.

Since the commercial introduction of the automobile, US automakers have always sought women as customers and advertised accordingly. How, then, did car culture become so masculine? In Pink Cars and Pocketbooks, Jessica Brockmole shares the untold history of women's relationship with automobiles: a journey marked by struggle, empowerment, and the relentless pursuit of independence. Brockmole uncovers the stories of pioneering women who defied conventions, such as trailblazer Alice Ramsey, the first woman to drive across the United States in 1909, and Barb Wyatt, whose contributions to automotive manuals broke new ground. Women have always been users of technology, and this book illustrates how the auto industry evolved--as well as how it chose not to evolve--in response.

Author Biography

Jessica A. Brockmole is a historian and independent scholar. She is the author of three novels, including Woman Enters Left and At the Edge of Summer.