Automotive is often seen as a boys' club, but there have always been women in the industry. From mechanics to speed record holders, they are a key part of the auto world.
When Motortrend TV started looking for new reality show talent in 2012, they built what would become All Girls Garage. In each episode the hosts work on a different project and show off the vehicles that end up under their roof.
It's intended in part to be an educational show, helping people who need to learn new techniques or fix specific problems. In particular, these women encourage others to not be afraid to work on their own vehicles, showing that skill in the automotive world isn't limited by gender.
With eight seasons out of the way and another coming up, All Girls Garage has been a commercial success for Motortrend's Velocity Network.
A Rotating Cast
As with many reality shows, the cast sometimes changes. The show has had several high-profile departures. Jessi Combs, who co-hosted All Girls Garage from 211 to 2014, passed away in 2019. She was no longer filming All Girls Garage at this time, having moved to The Discovery Channel's Break Room. But while she was on the show, the core group of Combs, Sarah “Bogi” Lateiner, and Cristy Lee made it what it is today.
Combs died on August 27, 2019, as part of an attempt to break her own land speed record in a 52,000-hp jet car. She had already set the land speed record in 2016 at 477 mph, and was aiming to hit 512 mph on the next run. Combs died doing what she loved. From all accounts, she was passionate about cars in any form. A speed racer always going for the next big record, she began her journey with a degree from WyoTech, focusing on fabrication. She hosted a variety of different automotive TV shows and blogs, and appeared on Mythbusters for 12 episodes while Kari Byron was away on maternity leave. Combs worked on all sorts of projects as co-host of All Girls Garage, but was particularly skilled in fabrication.
Rachel De Barros departed in 2019, and the reason for her leaving the show is not entirely clear. According to the show's official Facebook page, she "left to pursue other opportunities."
Experienced Mechanics
The current cast is made up of Sarah "Bogi" Lateiner, Faye Hadley, and Cristy Lee. Lateiner has been with the show from the beginning. Her career began with work as a BMW-certified mechanic, which she then left to pursue opening her own shop. Lee is a motorcycle racer and overall car enthusiast. She has also appeared as a mechanic on MotorTrend's Garage Squad.
Newest addition Faye Hadley is the founder of Pistons & PixieDust, her own shop in Texas, where she works as a Toyota- and Lexus-certified automotive technician. She also founded Women and Machine, a trade organization for female automotive workers. As part of the organization, she runs educational and technical classes targeted toward women (but open to all genders) about how to navigate buying and repairing one's own car.
This isn't a show where the cast seems to get along on set but are willing to snap at each other once the camera is off. Tensions can get high in a garage; most people who have ever worked on their own cars know how frustrating it can sometimes be.
But, at least, for Cristy Lee, this cast seems to thrive on genuinely liking one another. "As soon as the cameras are off, we're still joking, hanging out and even go out, after the show, quite a bit," Cristy said.