BASF works with celebrity builder Bogi Lateiner to drive initiative for more women to seek automotive careers
Bogi Lateiner has partnered with BASF and Volvo to complete another All-Female Build, a project designed to encourage more women to consider work in automotive trades.
Both BASF and Lateiner, founder of Girl Gang Garage, share a passion for promoting diversity in the trades. More than 150 women from around the world participated in the historic build, including a week-long takeover by seven BASF women.
The project, called Iron Maven, is a 1961 Volvo PV544 retrofitted with the 415-horsepower powertrain and hundreds of other systems, parts, and components from a 2021 Volvo S60 T8 Recharge Polestar Engineered sedan. The Volvo Cars Technical Support team, based in both the United States and Sweden, assisted with select component and system integrations.
“This opportunity is a dream come true for so many women,” said Bogi Lateiner, owner of Girl Gang Garage. “It takes a lot of guts to step out and try something big that you’ve never done, and these women are doing it. I love watching each of them realize how strong and talented they really are.”
Lateiner, BASF, and painter Connie Manjavinos created three paint colors that each represent a unique piece of Volvo’s long history:
- She Is Sage Green – A light green color that plays off the color used on Volvo’s first pure electric vehicle, the XC40 Recharge
- Resilient Gray – A gray color inspired by the array of options available on current Volvo luxury cars and SUVs
- Rebel Berry Purple – A purple color that is a modern interpretation of several purple tones available on heritage Volvo products throughout the years
“We are excited to see more women chase their dreams of working in the trades,” said Tina Nelles, marketing services manager for BASF Refinish. “I believe this build is having a really strong, positive impact on the industry. It is an honor to work with Girl Gang Garage to drive this initiative and get more people involved.”
Fans can choose one of three colors to paint the Iron Maven at https://girlganggarage.com/iron-maven-color-contest/. Submissions will be accepted until August 3, 2022.
This will be the second unveil at the BASF booth for Lateiner ahead of the 2022 SEMA show in the Las Vegas Convention Center on November 1, 2022.
Photo caption: Stacey Landry, Ruby Joseph, Chelsey Simpson, Bogi Lateiner, Tina Nelles, Shipra Sharma, Lisa Wyatt, Lucia Guevara