Long Island car community is seeing a rise in female enthusiasts

The Rescue Vixens beside a 1955 Pontiac Chieftain in Mattituck. Credit: Randee Daddona

Very much like baseball fans, classic car enthusiasts cannot wait for spring to arrive. Their vehicles are typically stored in garages all winter waiting to come out. While this has been a male-dominated hobby for many years, female car owners and enthusiasts are on the rise.

"Being in the car world as a woman is not always an easy situation. Sometimes they don’t take you seriously all the time and it can be a little overwhelming," says Virginia Scudder, 50, of Aquebogue. "But once you are part of the community, they are willing to accept everybody."

Scudder owns a 1955 Pontiac Chieftain and is the founder of the Rescue Vixens, a car booster club that dresses up in retro clothing while fundraising for the North Fork Country Kids Animal Rescue. The Vixens annually run their own two-day car show, "Deuces Wild" at The Maples in Manorville, July 26-27. Cars, trucks and bikes are all welcome with a special focus on female participation.

"We have tried to break the glass ceiling on Long Island because there are a lot of women who own cars here," Scudder says. "We not only fundraise, but we are an empowerment group to give women a voice at car shows."

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