Vintage Color Photos of Women With Automobiles From the 1950s

In the 1950s, women began to embrace automobiles not just as a means of transportation, but also as symbols of independence and modernity. The post-war era saw an increase in women’s participation in the workforce, and owning a car provided greater freedom, enabling them to travel for work, leisure, and family responsibilities.

While cars were still largely marketed to men, advertisements increasingly featured women behind the wheel, reflecting changing social norms. Women became more visible in the car culture, with the automobile offering them a sense of mobility and autonomy, even though the industry remained heavily male-dominated.

The 1950s marked the beginning of a shift in how women interacted with their cars, laying the groundwork for future generations to further challenge and redefine gender roles in the automotive world. Here is a collection of vintage color photos from Vintage Cars & People, featuring women with their automobiles from the 1950s.

A young lady in an ankle-length white dress posing with an Opel Olympia. A second Opel – a pre-war Kadett – can be seen in the background, circa 1950

A brunette lady posing with a black 1948 Oldsmobile in the drive of a suburban home. The car is registered with 1951 licence plates, 1951

An elegant lady posing in the driver's seat of a powder blue Opel Olympia in the countryside. She is dressed in a white blouse, navy blazer, grey pleated skirt, and white pumps, circa 1952

A blonde lady cuddling with a dog in front of a 1953 Studebaker Commander DeLuxe Sedan, circa 1954

A lady in a short-sleeved dress and a little dog posing with a 1951 Hudson Hornet Club Coupe in a middle class residential area, November 22, 1954

A young lady posing with a red 1951 Ford Sedan in a parking lot. The white and green car to her left is also a 1951 Ford. The car is registered in the state of California, December 1954

An elegant young lady posing with a white 1953 Ford Customline Tudor Sedan in the drive of a colonial mansion, January 18, 1954

A blonde lady in a skirt and cardigan posing with a Ford Taunus 15 M in the countryside. The car is registered in the West German town of Calw, circa 1955

A blonde lady posing with a maroon and cream Vauxhall Cresta in the countryside. The car is registered in the state of Lower Austria, circa 1955

A brunette lady posing with a Fiat 600 on a country road in an Alpine setting, circa 1955

A cheerful lady posing with a light-colored Fiat 600 in the drive of a private home. The car is registered with licence plates of Allied-occupied Germany, circa 1955

A young blonde lady in shorts posing with a yellow and white 1954 Buick Century in mid-day sunshine. The car is equipped with a so-called Continental Kit, an external spare wheel mounted above the rear bumper, September 12, 1955

A young lady in a green coat with a red 1950 Mercury Sedan in a suburban street, September 17, 1955

An ash-blonde lady in a pleated dress posing on the bumper of a white 1955 Chrysler 300 in the drive of a suburban home, June 25, 1955

Two brunette ladies posing on a checkered blanket next to a pastel yellow VW 1200 in summertime. The car is registered in the West German city of Hanover, circa 1955

A middle-aged lady posing with a red and white 1955 Buick on the side of a road in the countryside. She is wearing an elegant patterned blouse, a pleated skirt, nylon stockings and pumps, circa 1956

A girl in a red and white 1954 Buick Super. The car is registered in the state of New York, April 27, 1957

A fashionable lady wearing a colorful floral dress and white opera gloves posing with a metallic grey VW 1200. The car is registered in the city of Hamburg, circa 1958

A middle-aged lady in a brown patterned dress posing with a blue and white Opel Kapitän P 2,5 in the countryside. The car is registered in the West German city of Bielefeld, circa 1958

An elegant lady posing with a light-grey Mercedes-Benz 190 on a country road lined with birch trees. The car is equipped with a full-length folding canvas sunroof and registered in the West German town of Solingen, circa 1958

Two cheerful ladies posing with a white and black Opel Rekord P1 on a coastal road in summertime. The car is registered in the West German district of Rendsburg-Eckernförde, circa 1958

A cheerful lady posing in the driver's seat of a white Simca Aronde Océane Cabriolet in an Alpine setting, circa 1959

A lady in a knee length dress posing with a blue and white Ford Taunus 17 M de Luxe. The car is registered in the city of Vienna, circa 1959

A lady in a pleated dress posing next to a white and red 1957 Mercury Convertible convertible, March 1959

A lady in a swimsuit leaning against the tailfin of a 1957 Chevrolet on a sandy beach, June 1959

A middle-aged woman wearing a straw hat, crimson pants and a belly shirt posing with a blue 1959 Pontiac Catalina Four Door Hardtop Sedan, circa 1959

A platinum-blonde lady wearing a white top and dark sunglasses posing next to a 1959 Chevrolet Biscayne 4-Door Sedan under immaculate blue skies. The car is registered in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, March 1959