While browsing the web about automotive marketing to women, I stumbled upon this splendid women’s car guide - put out by Studebaker no less! Entitled Going Steady with Studie, it was geared at making women owners of new 1964 Studebakers more comfortable with their cars (evidently I’m not the only one who calls her Studebaker “Studie!). It’s not only chock-full of fabulous illustrations, but it has some hilarious words to go along with them. Here are 7 of my favorites:
1. Women Aren’t Mechanically Minded
“It’s a rare woman among us who understands all the “nuts and bolts” and technicalities about a car. We’re just not mechanically minded! Many of us, bless our hearts, think a ‘distributor’ is a door-to-door brush salesmen, a ‘condenser’ has something to do with contented cows, and ‘transmission’ is something we go through in psychoanalysis.” – Pg.2
While the arching belief that women aren’t “mechanically minded” is gone, they’re still often taken advantage of when taking their cars in for repairs. I highly recommend both women and men to educate themselves on the basics under the hood, if only to know how to talk to a mechanic.
2. Always Look Attentive, Even If the Person Talking to You is a Doofus
“You’re likely to get all kinds of off-beat, low-key, mixed-up and conflicting suggestions about how to take care of your new darling…The thing to do is smile, look attentive (but turn a deaf ear) and follow these 5 simple rules [on caring for your new car].” – Pg. 9
The ’60s cultural rules of being a “lady” were sure reinforced throughout this booklet! Not only did it seem to advertise the notion that housework, laundry, and keeping oneself looking good were the only matters in life, but its instruction to “look attentive” just made me laugh! I’m so thankful I’m not expected to smile and look attentive whenever someone is talking to me!
3. Your Car is Your Living-Room-On-Wheels
“No grooves or wells in the floors to accumulate flotsam, jetsam, loose dimes and bobbie pins. A few flicks of a whisk broom and your living-room-on-wheels is neat and clean as a pin.” – Pg.11
Loose dimes and bobbie pins still clutter the floor of my Studebaker… but I sure don’t know what flotsam and jetsam are ! While I’ve actually compared my front seat to a couch… this “living-room-on-wheels” seems like another reference to a woman’s place being in the home.
4. Women’s Mysteries Consist of Running a Household and Looking Nice
“Some of the little details of running the household smoothly, keeping yourself looking beautiful, are little mysteries only you know. Your Studebaker, like a woman, has a few of these girl-type secrets.” -Pg.12
Secrets indeed! But I’m afraid they’re about much more than running a household 
5. Use Sex Appeal When Stranded on the Road
“Every woman knows that if there was ever a time when plain unvarnished feminine charm and good old-fashioned ‘girl appeal’ comes in handy, it’s that unhappy moment when a tire problem develops on the road.” – Pg. 15
How very ’60s of them to say “girl appeal” when what they really meant was “sex appeal!” We all know this is still in play, but the fact that an automotive manufacturer’s suggestion was to first use “girl appeal”, then walk to the nearest phone to call for help, and only as a last resort turn to the owner’s manual and fix it yourself after which you may, “Feel a wonderful rewarding surge of self-reliance that you never felt before!” Oh my!
6. Ladies Don’t Like to Go Fast
“Men may think of their cars as gleaming demons of surging horsepower roaring vertically to the pinnacle of Pike’s Peak. But not us! We want plenty of power and performance, but we don’t feel any mad, irresistible urge to push the pedal flat and zoom around the track at Indianapolis. To us, a car is a beautiful, functional way to accomplish all kinds of pleasant things – gracefully, stylishly and safely!” – Pg. 17
I’ve certainly never felt that mad, irresistible urge! Haha! It’s bewildering to me that there were numerous women stunt drivers and daredevils in the early days of the automobile (look up Helle Nice), but examples seem to disappear from the ’40s through the ’60s. It would be 1978 before Janet Guthrie would be the first woman to pilot a car at the Indianapolis 500.
7. Happiness is a Thing Called Studebaker
“With your car you’re on your own, free as a bird. You’ve suddenly discovered that parking is a pleasure, traffic is a breeze, turning’s no trick at all, and happiness is a thing called Studebaker!” – Pg. 22
They do have to fit in that marketing message after all! Although, on this one I would have to agree – my Studebaker does bring me much happiness!
So… Give a Girl a Wrench!!!
On many fronts I think that Studebaker was actually being very forward-thinking making this booklet speaking to the ’60s female and informing them about their car. Part of me would like to merely laugh and be thankful for what a long way we’ve come - but there’s another part of me that feels we’ve still got a ways to go.
A recent article on Speedhunters titled Banishing the Female Car Enthusiast drew over 400 comments! The article’s point is that one day we won’t need to be labeled “female”… just “enthusiasts.” Comments varied widely – ranging from outrage to agreement. To me, they showed how, even with a young readership like Speedhunters, many people don’t see any need for progress to be made in this area – in fact bringing up the female card sent a number of readers into fury. Why are less than 2% of automotive mechanics and body workers female*? Some argue that surely it’s just because we’re not that into cars.
This is actually a big reason why I started GreaseGirl six years ago. After having so much fun getting to know the mechanics of my Studebaker, I looked around at the rockabilly/classic car shows I was attending (which had no shortage of women who dug cars) and wondered where all the other women car owners and girls with grease under their nails were. I just can’t bring myself to believe chromosomes have anything to do with liking cars.
I’ve come to learn that people get involved with what’s available to them. Sure, there are the exceptions, but for the most part people follow paths known. Nobody ever told me I couldn’t work on cars, but I don’t remember ever being told I could be a mechanic when I grew up either. My hope is that by writing this blog, other beginners can follow along on my journey and be inspired to begin their own automotive path. While we can laugh about what women were being told in 1964, let’s take some action and make sure that these aren’t still the messages being given to our daughters. Take a kid to a car show, ask your daughters into the garage to help you, give a girl a wrench and tell her about the automotive professions available to her. The world is so much funner when people can find their true passions and follow them!
Full booklet can be seen where I got all the original images from - thanks for posting it Raylin Restorations!
*Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2013.
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