The Woman and the Car

The Woman and the Car: A Chatty Little Handbook for all Women Who Motor or Who Want to Motor is a book by Dorothy Levitt, first published in 1909.

From 1903 until 1908 Levitt wrote a motoring column for The Graphic, an illustrated weekly newspaper, a series that formed the basis of The Woman and the Car. Levitt's handbook was not the first targeted at women motorists – English writer Eliza Davis Aria had published Woman and the Motorcar: Being the Autobiography of an Automobilist in 1906 for instance – but it was the most widely circulated of its day.

In her introductory chapter Levitt sets the scene by explaining that she is not writing for the benefit of those women who have already taken to motoring; her target audience is instead "those [women] who would like to, but either dare not because of nervousness, or who imagine it is too difficult to understand the many necessary technical details". Photographs illustrating the topics that Levitt describes, including recommended motoring dress, adjusting the footbrake and changing a spark plug were taken by Horace Nicholls.

The Car – There are scores of makes, good, bad and indifferent. I tried many cars and have come to the conclusion that the De Dion is the ideal, single cylinder car for a woman to drive.... The single cylinder car is the most economical to run. The horse-power is usually 8 h.p. or less. As regards carriage work, the Victoria type of body has the most graceful lines. Such a car as I have described will cost, new, from 230 pounds.... The price however is for the car itself, accessories bring up the cost.

Starting a Car – In the front you will notice a handle. Push it inwards until you feel it fit into a notch, then pull it sharply, releasing your hold of the handle the minute you feel you have pulled it over the resisting point....on no account press down on the handle – always pull it upwards smartly. It if is pressed down the possibility of backfire is greater – and a broken arm may result.

Changing Speed – In changing speed always remember to throttle slightly... Never change from first to top speed without using the intermediate speed. The first speed on these little cars is 0–9 miles an hour, the second is 9–18 and the top is 18–28. I should advise you to thoroughly get used to the steering while on second speed... Bear in mind that when riding or driving a horse, it is only partly under your control. As it has a brain... but with a motor-car, you can rely upon yourself alone.

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