I’m a career girl in a man’s world.
I’m a career girl and I can make my own way.
Go ahead baby, do your thing
Go ahead baby, do your thing.
—“Career Girl,” by Carrie Lucas
The Ford automobile heiresses Anne and Charlotte Ford have written a book about motorcars (though only Ford cars are featured in the drawings and photographs in the book), called How to Love the Car in Your Life. The book, which they wrote with the assistance of two professional writers, has fifty-nine pages and is unquestionably useful. It tells the reader what to do about backseat drivers, seating arrangements, conversation in the car, neatness, smoking, eating in the car, cats and dogs in the car, buying gasoline, opening the door for a woman, getting directions, travelling with children, entering the freeway,
pulling off the road. But perhaps the most useful thing about it is that it is a guide to what to say to Anne or Charlotte Ford at a party.
Guest to Anne or Charlotte Ford: “What is an automatic transaxle?”
Anne or Charlotte Ford to guest: “An automatic transaxle makes automatic shifting available in small front-wheel-drive cars equipped with transaxles.”
Guest to Anne or Charlotte Ford: “What is a dipstick?”
Anne or Charlotte Ford to guest: “A thin metal rod used to check an engine’s oil level.”
Guest to Anne or Charlotte Ford: “What is a jack?”
Anne or Charlotte Ford to guest: “If you don’t want to be your own demolition derby, it’s important to know that proper positioning of the jack varies from car to car.”
The other day, the people at the Ford Motor Company threw a cocktail party for Anne and Charlotte Ford at the new Palace Hotel. Almost all the guests there looked as though they never drove themselves anywhere, or, if they did, they didn’t actually have to. Anne, who studies political science at the New School, wore a short, snazzy-looking black dress. Charlotte, an acclaimed designer of women’s clothing and the author of a book on etiquette, also wore a short, snazzy-looking black dress. Governor Carey was there, and as he stood between Anne and Charlotte Ford and posed for photographers he looked less like a governor, though not like a mayor. Former Mayor Wagner was there, and he looked like a mayor and a governor and a President all rolled into one.
Anne and Charlotte Ford’s children were there, and they were very friendly. Anne Ford’s piano teacher was there, and he was very nice and said a lot of nice things about her. About Charlotte Ford we heard a woman who is in the public-relations department of the Ford Motor Company say to the Ford account executive at the Wells, Rich, Greene ad agency, “Only you would appreciate this story of one-upmanship. The other day, I was up at Charlotte’s apartment and we were going over the guest list. She came to Mary Wells’ name and she said, ‘My God! I’ve never met Mary Wells Lawrence.’ And so I said, ‘Well, I have, ha, ha, ha.’ Of course, you know Charlotte is very interested in women who make it on their own, and for that Mary Wells is the ultimate role model.”
—January 19, 1981