Southern California’s Automobile Driving Museum in El Segundo debuted a new exhibit, “A Woman’s Touch,” on January 27, it focus to recognize the impact that women have had on the automobile industry, from the inception of the automobile to modern times. The women highlighted have been drivers, inventors, CEOs, writers, designers, racecar drivers and even models.
“A Woman’s Touch” examines such diverse topics as: the history of women in the automotive industry; the key players of yesteryear and today; the “Sirens of Chrome,” using women in advertising for car sales; and the role of the automobile in the suffrage movement.
On display will be: Shirley Muldowney’s restored 1977 World Champion Top Fuel Dragster — and a meet and greet with Shirley at a date to be determined; President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt’s 1932 Plymouth Town Car by Brewster; a replica of the 1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen in which Bertha Benz took the first long-distance drive; actress Jean Peters’ 1955 Packard Caribbean Convertible — a gift to her from Howard Hughes; the 1914 Saxon representing the Saxon driven by Alice S. Burke during the American suffrage movement; a 1955 Nash Rambler representing the interior design of Helene Rother; an interactive map showcasing the first woman (Alice Huyler Ramsey) to drive across the United States; and the 125-city, 10,700-mile, 178-day suffrage movement drive of Alice S. Burke and Nell Richardson.
The exhibit will run through May 31, 2017. For more information visit automobiledrivingmuseum.org
