In the automotive industry, women are everywhere. Okay, maybe not everywhere, but in the majority of magazines, advertisements, parts catalogs, feature car shoots and trade shows. After all, what would automotive media and the show circuit be without a few gorgeous gals handling some sort of promotional material? But if you’re looking for more than a pretty face and a pose-worthy stance from your female counterparts in the industry, well then you’ve definitely come to the right place.

In addition to our normal news items, monthly tech features, car features, model shoots, shop tours, and event coverage, we’re going to be introducing you to a leading lady in the automotive industry each month here on Rod Authority. These women might be die-hard hot rod fans, car owners, professional builders, automotive journalists, or even leading ladies in some of the industry’s biggest companies. Some will have great accomplishments to showcase, and some will just be getting their start – but ALL will be feature worthy for their valued contributions to the custom automotive community.

In all our years here at Rod Authority, we’ve met some pretty lovely ladies, from models to our beloved feature cars, but this time around, we’ll be focusing on the female enthusiasts who are an active part of our industry.

Sure, gorgeous gals that can pose by impressive rides are great, but for this unique monthly feature, we’re looking for brains, brawn and one hell of a car gal background! As you can see, we’re calling this new monthly feature: Leading Ladies – The Automotive Industry’s Top Gals and nothing will be off limits.

So sit back, relax and enjoy getting to know some of the amazing females in the industry. And trust us, there will be plenty of beauty and brains to go around. As a female in the industry myself, I’ve always looked up to females in the car scene for inspiration for years.

Not only did the females before my time pursue their automotive passions with great dedication, they also fought against many stereotypes and the “common place” of being a woman.

Because of this, the automotive industry is much more accepting of females in various roles throughout. Unfortunately, many females still shy away from automotive fields, whether because of a fear of the unknown or a lack of interest. Of course, all of us females in the industry are always looking to change this.

About Your Author

It may not be a hot rod, but spending a day at the track with any kind of performance vehicle is my idea of a great day. Here I am ready to take on my home track with my beloved ’95 LT1 Trans Am and matching high heels.

To start off this series, Rod Authority’s Group Editor, Mike Alexander, suggested that we introduce someone that all of us here at the Power Automedia office know well – myself, Lindsey Fisher.

While not quite a newbie in the automotive industry, I very much look up to many great automotive gals that have paved the way for us to become more accepted among a largely male-occupied industry. I truly pride myself on sharing the automotive community with many great guys and gals and with the work I do as an automotive journalist I hope to share many more years of interaction and active participation.

I love talking to folks in the industry and always enjoy conveying other people’s stories. Writing about myself, however, is a bit different for me, but we’ll give it a go. Growing up in Colorado, the automotive scene always existed in some form for me.

My dad was and still is a mechanic and we went to a number of car shows when I was younger, mostly of the Volkswagen variety. But it wasn’t until my late teens that I really felt the pull to be a part of the industry and seek out my career.

During my freshman year of college, I bought myself a 1995 Trans Am, a car I’d always dreamed about, and ended up changing my major from Marine Biology to Journalism. While marine mammal rescue still interests me today, I realized I could see myself talking about performance vehicles more than I could the life cycle of a dolphin. From that point on, I never looked back.

I’ve gotten to shoot some pretty stellar feature cars while working with Power Automedia, but Mike Partyka’s rat rod has to be one of my all-time favorites!

In February of 2011, I started on with Power Automedia originally under the Corvette Online and LSXMag titles. From there, I’ve grown into a more well-rounded automotive enthusiast, writing for eight of the Power Automedia titles, including being lucky enough to find a home here at Rod Authority.

It wasn’t until after my first year with the company that I really branched into the hot rod scene. I’d always been aware of the vast array of hot rods and street rods, as well as shows and events specifically dedicated to them, but I never fully immersed myself in the community until a little over a year ago.

Amazing fall colors and an even more amazing ride, who could complain about going to an “office” like this every day?

Since I first started diving into the hot rod community, I’ve now found where I truly believe I belong. Yes, I still have a variety of cars from different genres on my dream list, but more and more of the ones I’m adding these days are of the hot rod variety, including a 50s “farm truck,” a chopped and custom ’49 Merc and what dream list would be complete without a bitchin’ rat rod of some sort to take out and have a little fun.

Hot rod culture just speaks to me. Not only am I a major fan of the old-school pinup look and look forward to dabbling in the pinup modeling hobby a bit more in the future, I also find a shared passion for customization, driving ones’ vehicles and really just enjoying all that the hobby has to offer among fellow rodders.

Hot rod culture is the perfect mix of old-school cool and new-school technology, the idea of really getting your hands dirty to build a car like you want, and pushing a classic vehicle to withstand the test of time. To some, hot rods are old news, but in the long run, I think hot rodding and the culture that surrounds it will actual outlive that of the plastic-ridden rides that so many of our younger generations are into these days. I may only be in my mid 20s, but I dream of classic American steel rather than the modern run-of-the-mill plastic creations.

Now before you ask, I should tell you that I have yet to get a hot rod of my own, but the time will come soon enough where my project-filled garage gets a little more crowded thanks to a 30s, 40s, or 50s era ride. And if you were wondering, yes, I will be doing most of the work on it myself!

It is a great pleasure of mine to be able to share the industry with all the men and women that I do, and an even greater pleasure to be able to introduce you to some of the industry’s leading ladies and some of my personal heroes.

Be sure to stay tuned right here on Rod Authority, to find out who we introduce first!