"Women's Rally Club: MINI Cars, Big Ideas" Strategies for Smart Car Buyers

Women's Rally Club: MINI Cars, Big Ideas

One of the great things about cars is that it can bring people with common (and not so common ) interests together. And surprisingly often, those people don't fit the stereotype of the typical car enthusiast. One such example is the Mini Skirts, a mostly girls Mini rally group based in Southern California.

"Chief" Mini Skirt Victoria Hanseroth, who used to work at a Mini dealership in North Hollywood, got the idea for a female-centric car club in 2006 while on an organized drive from Santa Barbara to Las Vegas. Since then, she's created a social network for women with Minis and other female car enthusiasts who don't find it easy to meet kindred spirits. The group does various planned drives and social events, some of which support charitable organizations.

Perhaps one of the most interesting things about the Mini Skirts is this: Hanseroth believes these events have not only made the participants better drivers, but better car shoppers.

"Most girls that buy Minis have no idea with their [car is] capable of," says Hanseroth. "But once you've spent a day rallying around with the Mini Skirts, girls really do talk about a greater appreciation for what their vehicle can do."

For those who might think performance driving events encourage a lead foot on city streets, Hanseroth says the increased responsibility the girls learn for their cars translates to being even better drivers on the road. "We're the road warriors against road rage," she says.

And when it comes time to go to the dealership or repair shop, Hanseroth agrees that the more you've driven and tinkered around with a particular car, the more of an advantage you'll have when negotiating a price for a new car, or understanding a service that's being done to a car you already own.

"With the amount of time we spend in our cars these days, we should all be able to know how to look for the quality in how a car (new or used) handles, accelerates, brakes and steers," Hanseroth says. "Those things ... can make a big difference in driving experience, not to mention give you some insight as to the possible wear and tear on a used car that someone assures you is fine because it has low mileage."

Among the Mini Skirts' next events are a "Rally from the Valley to the Mali(bu)," and a fundraiser for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And while the group's main focus is motoring, it has a slightly different, more holistic take than some car clubs.

"We're not just about driving," Hanseroth says. "We definitely don't talk about the mods on our cars, we don't get up early to avoid traffic so we can drive fast at our rallies. We're all interested in being a part of something bigger than ourselves, and our cars bring us together."