January 23rd, 2010

Goodbye Home Ec, Hello Auto Mech

Welcome to Automotive High School in Brooklyn, New York. The school was established back in 1925, and by 1938 they had 1543 boys enrolled. That same year the girls annex was established but not for all things auto—for homemaking! Listen, it was 1938.

Since then things have changed and these young female students have gone from cooking with oil to changing the oil. Now the school has 62 female students and 1200 students total.

The principal of the school is Melissa Silberman who according to the New York Times, “wears pearls and has a weakness for Hello Kitty items and the color pink.” We love her!

Although the school’s motto, which is carved in stone above the entrance is “Manhood, Service, Labor, Citizenship” the school is very welcoming to female students. Principal Silberman even started a female softball team called the Pink Pistons.

Way to go ladies! We wish you many homeruns on the field and a homerun career in the automotive field after school!

January 22nd, 2010

Grade School Racer: Meet 8-Year-Old Macy Causey

Macy Causey, 8, loves her cars and her pink sunglasses. She races a Bandolero car, which looks like a mini car and has a top speed of 75 mph, in the Beginner Bandits Division for boys and girls 8-12.

This second-grader is already somewhat of a veteran having started out at age 5 helping her father who also races. At 8 she’s already reaching the podium—she finished 2nd in a race in Orlando this past February.

This family has quite a racing pedigree. Her grandmother, Diane Teel also raced and in 1978 she was the first woman to win a NASCAR race in the Limited Sportsman Division at the speedway in Virginia.

Bleacher Report also adds “Teel is believed to be the first woman to ever win a track championship in NASCAR, and when she was offered a full-time ride in the Busch Series, she turned it down, electing to stay at home and raise her family while continuing to drive a school bus.”

Read more about Macy Causey.

January 21st, 2010

Want to Drive like Julia Roberts or Don Johnson?

Want to drive like a celebrity? Volo Auto Museum has an entire collection of actual cars from the actual movies for sale on the site. Want to drive like a prostitute? If so, the Lotus Esprit from the movie Pretty Woman is being being sold for $55,000.

According to the dealer notes: “Both Ferrari and Porsche declined the opportunity to allow the use of their cars in the movie because they did not want to be associated with soliciting prostitutes. Porsche was especially strict on this after the unauthorized use of the 928 Porsche in Risky Business... Their [Lotus] sales tripled in 1990 and 91.”

Or would you rather drive like the cop who busts prostitutes? If so read on…

Read More

January 20th, 2010

Princess Ready to Get Behind the Wheel.

Saudi Arabian Princess Amira al-Taweel, whose high-profile and mega-wealthy  (he is the 13th-richest person according to Forbes Magazine) husband is the nephew of Saudi King Abdallah, has announced today that she is ready to drive in her own country when it is so permitted! The Associated Press reported that her husband, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal,  said “he would be the first to let his wife and daughter drive if the ban was lifted.” Her Royal Highness said that she already drives in other countries.  “Certainly I’m ready to drive a car. I have an international driver’s license, and I drive a car in all the countries I travel to.”

January 19th, 2010

Female Owned Garage: A Luscious Experience

We predicted in our Jan 13 Beware Mechanics: Women Can Wield Tire Irons too ”DLAW prediction: We will soon see a vast increase in female mechanics and garages run by women for women.” Here is one such garage in San Francisco.

Meet Carolyn Coquillette, owner and lead technician of Luscious Garage—great name!—in San Francisco. Although they work on all cars they specialize in hybrids. And yes, men you are welcome too!

They have a perfect rating on Yelp and this is what Bonnie from Oakland had to say: “Kudos to this wonderful Hybrid specialist, woman owned garage. After buying a Ford Escape Hybrid and having a terrible experience at the dealership on my first visit, I found Luscious Garage because of an art exhibit they were hosting. Yes, this garage is clean enough and special enough to have rotating art exhibits. Their service is the best and I love that everything is paperless.” Female mechanics, a clean garage, and art exhibits—Great work Caroline!

Contact information: 459 Clementina Street San Francisco, CA 94103 415-875-9030.

January 18th, 2010

What is a Chick Car?

What is a chick car you ask? Well Urbandictionary.com had quite a few interesting definitions. Apparently chick cars are “most often white.” White is the new black. Chick cars include “any hybrid such as the Prius.” At least chicks are environmentally correct. They also “always have automatic transmissions.” How utterly dreadful.

Oh, it’s all so cliche. Although there’s nothing wrong with a white, automatic Prius it seems as if the definition could use a little updating. How about the Lotus Elise or Exige? Not to mention, the Evora—cannot wait to get this on the road for a test drive! They are small, fantastic on road and track and have lots of power. I defy a 6 foot tall man to get in and out of that car with ease. How about the Tesla? Also small, it’s an environmentally correct vehicle with the heart (and engine) of a sports car.

As for color, although gray is actually the new black, black is always in fashion. So what is the new chick car? As you know it is a staple to have  a LBD in your closet. Well the new staple is to have in your garage an LBC—little black car.

January 16th, 2010

Woman to Celebrate 107th Birthday by Racing Cars!

Let’s all wish Dulcibella King-Hall, our new hero, a big Happy Birthday! Disclaimer: her birthday was in 2009, but we loved this story so much we need to tell you about it. For her 107th, what is her birthday wish? Racing cars of course! King-Hall was the oldest person ever to complete a lap at Brands Hatch circuit in Kent, England. She will be the passenger in a BMW M3.

King-Hall, born in 1902, has always loved cars.  She tested vehicles “commandeered from civilian use” during WW II.

Lena Akers, who coordinates events at Ms. King-Hall’s nursing home had this to say, “Her love of speed has her constantly asking our mini bus driver ‘to go a little faster, please.’” Akers also points out “What she’s really after this time is a chance to go that bit faster than ever before, 100 mph or more. She won’t be happy with anything less.”

And indeed she must have been thrilled since at 106 (she’ll be 107 this Saturday) she reached 108 mph! We only hope we’ll still be racing cars at that age. We would like to present Ms. Hall-King with our DLAW Hero Award for a lifetime love of cars! We salute you and wish you a very happy birthday and a speedy mini bus driver!