Automobile advertisements in the 1930s clearly illustrate the cultural associations between driving cars and masculine power, superiority, leadership, and status. When the automobile was introduced it was automatically labeled as a machine for men. Men regarded the automobile as an accessory or “toy” for gaining status in society. In the Cadillac advertisement we find a high-status conquistador representing the leadership and achievement of quality in the new Cadillac V-12 5-passenger sedan. The conquistador has absolutely no relevance to the vehicle other than to distinguish the fact that the ownership of a vehicle like the Cadillac will give you feeling of leadership, prestige, and status.

Women, on the hand, were always depicted as weak, timid, and dainty. Women in the early 1900s had their own conceptions about the automobile. Women saw the automobile as a symbol of power but only in the sense of controlling one’s own life rather than having power over others. Driving was seen as a route to freedom, mobility, and escape--an opportunity to become a “modern woman.” Typically women were associated with the aesthetics of the car rather than the horsepower, number of cylinders, or other mechanical features. In the Ford advertisement, we find the message, “RICHLY COSTUMED FOR A LEADING ROLE.” In a poor attempt to give status to women, Ford focused on the modern woman but still enforced the characteristics that are typically important to a woman when searching for the perfect automobile. Ford talks about the richness of the interior, the spring cushions of each seat, and, of course, the variety of colors to match perfectly with the color-conscious woman.

Automobile advertisements today are different. While some ads still support stereotypical views of gender, including ads for tires that feature female cheerleaders holding up the tires, other ads depict women drivers and women’s driving as empowering. The two advertisements by Chevy S-10 illustrate that driving a truck is cool and tough; and both men and women are featured in their ads. In one ad we see a navy seal representing the survival strength of a man and his Chevy. In the other ad we find a woman with the rather rugged, mean, and tough name of Rocky McIntosh. Like the navy seal we find Rocky representing the “welded steel” strength of a female “Urban Metalsmith” and her Chevy. Also note that the woman is kneeling on the concrete as if to depict the idea that women are not afraid to get down-and-dirty.

Suggested Readings:
Virginia Scharff, “Femininity and the Electric Car,” in Sex/Machine ed. by Patrick Hopkins. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1998.

Racer Chicks, http://www.racerchicks.com

Greaser Girls, http://www.greasergrrls.org