Lamborghini is a brand with stratospheric influence. This footprint affords Lamborghini the ability, flex and resources to be able to understand its consumer, or potential consumer, better than ever before.
A large part of this new line of in-depth research and informed inquiry is Lamborghini’s Female Advisory Board, which was set up two years ago in order to create an ongoing dialogue between high profile women from a tremendously diverse range of backgrounds and professions.
The aim of the ‘FAB’ is to draw on the remarkable experiences and invaluable insights of these women, all of whom overcame some kind of seemingly unconquerable challenge and bounced back, bolder than ever before. The members of the FAB do have at least two things in common; they unequivocally believe in the transformational power found in overcoming great challenges and they all identify with the extraordinary brand message of boldness, vivacity and ambition that Lamborghini purveys.
Nathalie McGloin, who is both a highly successful British racing driver and the President of the FIA Disability and Accessibility Commission, spoke to us about her own involvement on the board.
Nathalie revealed, “I attended the first ever meeting of the FAB in London and it was fantastic to be surrounded by successful women, all sharing our stories. When you see a woman in a Lamborghini you see that she has specifically chosen that brand and she wants to portray herself as someone who stands out.”
She continued, “Lamborghini differs from many of its peers not necessarily in terms of something mechanical, but rather in terms of something emotional. I’ve driven many different cars on the racetrack and on the road and the Lamborghini experience is unique.”
She laughed, then said. “I love being in a Lamborghini and people looking through the windscreen to see, to their surprise, a female driver. You should see their surprise when I pull into a disabled spot and get out my wheelchair!”
Nathalie was just 16-years-old when she was in a car accident. The collision shattered her neck and left her paralyzed from the waist down. She recalled, “I was just a passenger, I hadn’t even passed my test”.
She is clearly someone for whom overcoming challenges is not just a distant memory, but rather a daily issue. She said, “My passion for cars comes from my disability. Lamborghini gives me a feeling of empowerment which I lost when I broke my neck.”
Nathalie is in fact the only tetraplegic racing driver in the whole world.
The Board has an ability to create lasting and meaningful lines of communication amongst its members, allowing them to pool their insights and experiences into one vastly powerful resource.
Nathalie revealed, “Seeing other women move into positions of real authority and influence gave me such hope. These changes aren’t just at a grassroots level, they’re happening at the very top.”
She added, “This realisation was a light bulb moment for me and I was connected to this feeling through the FAB. I feel like our successes are being shared, and that our combined work with the FAB is making a real difference. I think that change solicits change and it spreads like wildfire when it’s positive.”
Incredible change is happening within the automotive industry when it comes to inclusion but there is certainly more to be done.
Nathalie advised, “The more women who are seen owning and driving Lamborghinis, the better, and the more impactful this will be. The same can be seen in business, as soon as you see other women who are successful you suddenly believe it’s possible.”
