The Story
They helped build one of America's most powerful industries. Their names were left out of the story.
Bertha Benz drove the world's first automobile across 66 miles of open country in 1888, proving the car was practical when no one else believed it. June McCarroll painted the first centerline down a California highway and changed road safety forever. Mary Anderson invented the windshield wiper in 1903, watching streetcar drivers struggle to see through the snow. Emeline King became the first Black woman automotive designer at Ford. Tia Norfleet broke the color and gender line in NASCAR.
These women didn't just participate in automotive history. They shaped it. And history forgot to mention.
Victorious Women in the Automobile Industry is a six-part hybrid documentary series that brings these pioneers back into focus through cinematic reenactments, expert interviews, and rare archival material. We're not telling a forgotten story. We're correcting one.
Women weren't passengers in automotive history. They helped drive it.
Why Now
The auto industry is being rebuilt for an electric, autonomous future. The question of whose names get told this time is being answered right now.
And the gap between what women contribute and what we're credited for has never been more visible:
- Women influence 65% of all car-buying decisions (Frost & Sullivan, 2023)
- Yet women make up less than 25% of the motor vehicle workforce — and less than 10% in technical roles (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023)
- Women of color face even steeper barriers, despite generations of contribution to factories, design, and motorsport
- A new generation is demanding representation in STEM, sports, and leadership — and they need to know whose shoulders they're standing on
Before we write the next chapter, we have to tell the truth about the last one.
Where Your $60,000 Goes
Every dollar is accounted for. Every dollar moves us closer to a series that honors these women the way they deserve.
- $22,000 — Production (cinematography, reenactment crew, locations)
- $14,000 — Historical research & archival licensing
- $12,000 — Post-production (editing, color, sound, score)
- $7,000 — Expert interviews & travel
- $5,000 — Platform fees, fulfillment, contingency
Stretch Goal — $80,000
A companion educational toolkit for high schools and community programs — bringing these stories directly to the next generation of girls who need to know their names.
Perks
Light the fuse. Be in from the start.
Inspired by Bertha Benz, the woman who took the first car on the first long drive, with no road map and no permission, just to prove it could be done.
- Early access to the sizzle reel (digital)
- Exclusive behind-the-scenes updates throughout production
- Your name on our official Supporters page
Inspired by June McCarroll, who painted the first centerline down a California highway and made every road in America safer.
- Everything in The Spark
- Invitation to a private virtual screening + Q&A
- Digital companion booklet: Women Who Drove Change
- Limited-edition digital poster set — pioneer portraits
- Your name in end credits under "Special Thanks"
Shape what comes next.
Inspired by Emeline King, the first Black woman automotive designer at Ford, who proved that the future of design has always been bigger than the room let on.
- Everything in The Trailblazer
- Signed collector's poster, mailed (limited edition)
- Access to exclusive extended interviews
- Personalized thank-you video from the team
Limited to 50 backers
Don't watch from the stands. Get on the track.
Inspired by Tia Norfleet, who broke the color and gender line in NASCAR and made room for every woman who'd come after her.
- Everything in The Designer
- Seat at a private roundtable with the filmmakers and historians
- Submit a question featured in bonus content
- Invitation to the premiere event (virtual or in-person)
- On-screen credit as "Associate Producer"
Limited to 10 backers · single 90-minute virtual roundtable
Build the future you may never see finished.
Inspired by Mary Anderson, who invented the windshield wiper in 1903 watching streetcar drivers struggle through snow. The industry dismissed her. Her patent expired before they adopted the design as standard. She built the future anyway.
- Everything in The Speedster
- On-screen credit as "Executive Producer"
- Invitation to visit a filming location during production
- Private dinner (virtual or in-person) with the creators
- VIP premiere access — priority seating and meet-and-greet
- Featured recognition across press, website, and screenings
Limited to 3 backers · set visit and dinner bundled into one day
Highlights
See all activity3Activity
Light the fuse. Be in from the start.
Inspired by Bertha Benz, the woman who took the first car on the first long drive, with no road map and no permission, just to prove it could be done.
- Early access to the sizzle reel (digital)
- Exclusive behind-the-scenes updates throughout production
- Your name on our official Supporters page
Inspired by June McCarroll, who painted the first centerline down a California highway and made every road in America safer.
- Everything in The Spark
- Invitation to a private virtual screening + Q&A
- Digital companion booklet: Women Who Drove Change
- Limited-edition digital poster set — pioneer portraits
- Your name in end credits under "Special Thanks"
Shape what comes next.
Inspired by Emeline King, the first Black woman automotive designer at Ford, who proved that the future of design has always been bigger than the room let on.
- Everything in The Trailblazer
- Signed collector's poster, mailed (limited edition)
- Access to exclusive extended interviews
- Personalized thank-you video from the team
Limited to 50 backers
Don't watch from the stands. Get on the track.
Inspired by Tia Norfleet, who broke the color and gender line in NASCAR and made room for every woman who'd come after her.
- Everything in The Designer
- Seat at a private roundtable with the filmmakers and historians
- Submit a question featured in bonus content
- Invitation to the premiere event (virtual or in-person)
- On-screen credit as "Associate Producer"
Limited to 10 backers · single 90-minute virtual roundtable
Build the future you may never see finished.
Inspired by Mary Anderson, who invented the windshield wiper in 1903 watching streetcar drivers struggle through snow. The industry dismissed her. Her patent expired before they adopted the design as standard. She built the future anyway.
- Everything in The Speedster
- On-screen credit as "Executive Producer"
- Invitation to visit a filming location during production
- Private dinner (virtual or in-person) with the creators
- VIP premiere access — priority seating and meet-and-greet
- Featured recognition across press, website, and screenings
Limited to 3 backers · set visit and dinner bundled into one day
