Mother’s Day is here, and now is a great time to reflect on the contributions of women to the car world. Since the automobile became a mainstream method of transportation, women have been a force both behind the wheel and under the hood. Here are just a few of the women who have invented, raced, and otherwise worked to break the gender gap and become part of automobile history.
- Anne French – First woman to earn driver’s license in 1900.
- Mary Anderson – First to invent the first windshield wiper in 1902.
- Emily Canham – First to invent “dipped headlights” in 1908 to reduce glare of oncoming car lights.
- Alice Huyler Ramsey – President of the first “Women’s Motoring Club” in the US. First woman in history to cross the US in a car by herself in 1909.
- Florence Lawrence – First to invent the first turn signal which attached to the car’s rear fender. Later developed a brake signal.
- Helen Blair Bartlett – First to invent new insulations for spark plugs.
- Wilma Russey – First woman to work as a taxi driver in New York (also an expert garage mechanic).
- Helene Rother – First woman to work as an automotive designer.
- Janet Guthrie – First woman to start in the Indianapolis 500.
- Shirley Muldowney – first woman drag racer to exceed 250 mph. Became first woman to win the Winston World Championship in 1977.
- Tammy Allen – Well-known female car collector who opened a museum of her collection in 2011 with over 80 of her vehicles on display.
If you have an exceptional woman in your life who is also a classic car enthusiast, why not get her a collector car club membership for Mother’s Day? Not only will this gift get her benefits such as private invitations to collector car events, she’ll also get a discount on Classic Auto Insurance so you can make sure that Mom’s classic cars are protected! Our customizable classic car insurance policies are tailored to her driving habits and insurance needs. Get a free instant online classic car insurance quote today!
About the Author
Drew Yagodnik is Vice President of Classic Automobile Insurance Agency, Inc. Classic Automobile Insurance Agency has been protecting collector, classic and exotics since 1992.
