Created in December 2023 with the aim of bringing together women who love cars, motorcycles or aviation, the Women's Motor Club cultivates mechanical excellence as much as the bonds of a modern sisterhood. The founder, Mylène Dorange, regularly organizes dedicated activities and gets involved in events that interest its members.
For a weekend at Le Mans Classic, the Women's Motor Club invited Luxe Infinity to share a moment of conviviality and to discover the values that unite these passionate women with multiple profiles.
Without the Women's Motor Club, their paths might very well never have crossed. Their geographic origins are as diverse as their age groups. And what about the professional activities they engage in? Club members can be drivers or mechanics, as well as work in real estate or the music industry. No matter where they come from or what they are, a passion for mechanics in all its forms unites them.
We first met them at an evening event at the Breitling boutique on Rue de la Paix: three members of the club spoke to tell their stories and discuss their experiences. Clearly, an invisible bond had already been formed between the members of this circle, founded and chaired by Mylène Dorange, a journalist specializing in motorsports. A presenter for La Chaîne L'Equipe, the young woman also runs her own social media channel, My Gasoline, in the company of Valentin Simonet.
A year and a half ago, she developed the desire to break free from the car and motorcycle world, which is too often in the hands of gentlemen. The idea for the Women's Motor Club came to me after numerous invitations to the Automobile Club de France, says the founder. I was attracted by the concept of a place where car enthusiasts could gather for lunch or a car rally. Since this place was historically reserved for men, I thought it was time to create our own club and establish our presence in this ultra-competitive sector. "After a year, the Women's Motor Club had 30 members, and at the time of writing, it had grown to 75.
However, the goal is not for it to grow excessively, and Mylène Dorange reserves the right, along with other founding members, to carefully study each application and evaluate the applicants' motivations. However, the group is not closed. Quite the opposite. The mantra of those who created it remains sharing. The Women's Motor Club aims to be a space for exchange, collaboration, and development for women, through meetings, round tables, and networking. But also, through convivial moments such as dinners, road trips, factory visits, and discoveries of motorsport-type events.
During Le Mans Classic, a gathering of vintage sports cars on the famous Sarthe circuit, the Women's Motor Club invited Luxe Infinity to share the experience with around twenty of its members. Those leaving from the Paris region met on Friday morning for coffee in Boulogne, before hitting the road in convoy, cars and motorcycles alike. Upon arrival at the Le Mans Classic campsite chosen for the camp, the vehicles were parked in a circle: Delahaye, Jaguar Type E, Porsche 911S, Lancia Delta Intégrale, Mercedes 500 SL, 205 CTI, Golf convertible, not to mention the vintage motorcycles. Around them, Sahara tents were set up, which Mylène Dorange quickly had taken down and put back up: for the club president, these tents were too far apart and did not create the convivial space she had imagined.
For weeks, Mylène and her team have been meticulously preparing for this event, the most important of the year for the Women's Motor Club. Nothing is left to chance, especially since Mylène is a perfectionist. Between interviews with TF1, France 3, and the regional press, she keeps a close eye on everything. The safari tents are set up according to her instructions, and the furniture is installed for the night: two beds per tent, bedside tables, and even shelves for evening and weekend outfits. Because the club members never forget the femininity that characterizes them as much as their passion for motorized vehicles. In an instant, they swap jeans or biker gear for a t-shirt and shorts, for a tour of the Le Mans Classic pits, then for a little dress for the evening.
At the campsite, everyone is busy transforming the experience into "glamping": camping, yes, but with a touch of glamour. A long table is set in the center, with a cloth tablecloth, porcelain dishes, LED candles, vases of natural flowers... The scene is set, the evening can begin. For the aperitif, a spritz workshop allows everyone to choose their favorite spirit or a soft drink. Meanwhile, a fire pit has been lit with a selection of meats and kebabs. That evening, it's the gentlemen who are in charge: setting up the tents, preparing the buffets, taking photos to immortalize the moment.
At the table, the guests are 100% female. Mylène Dorange asks each of them to introduce themselves: Marion is an airline pilot, while Agna works in rail logistics, and Julia is beginning her studies in automotive design. Among those who were not part of the Parisian convoy: a second Marion runs a classic car auction house in Lyon; Céline has just opened a car and motorcycle paint shop in the Arcachon Bay; Christine left France for Geneva after thirty years in water sports. Other members of the Women's Motor Club work in sectors that have nothing to do with their passion for cars, motorcycles, or airplanes.
Laurence is an architect – both exterior and interior, as she explains – while Mathilde works in the music industry and organizes the Cabourg mon amour festival. A founding member, she brings her management experience to the club. Just like Audrey, a press officer, who is responsible for promoting this women's circle and helping it to shine. I have never seen such a caring group of women. ", Mylène Dorange proudly says. The president emphasizes this sense of sharing that unites them. She herself constantly sets an example: without her involvement and her relationships in the motorsport world, many doors would not have been able to open during this weekend at Le Mans. The president ensured that her group could not only attend the Le Mans Classic races, but also access the starting grid, the pits, and the paddocks. Some members, chosen at random, even experienced first-timers in Mylène's Lancia Delta Intégrale, or even laps in a BMW and Ferrari on the main circuit.
Not to mention the backstage experience of the public concert Kavinsky gave on the event's lawn on Friday evening. After the performance of this French electronic music artist, made famous by his song "Nightcall", the women of the Women's Motor Club were able to chat with him at length and pose for impromptu photo shoots, in a good mood mixed with jokes.
It was already late at night when the little group went to watch the cars go by from the stands. The most daring managed to watch them from a paddock, pretending they needed help to evade the vigilance of the security guards... An anecdote that sums up the spirit that Mylène Dorange has instilled in the group: female solidarity without taking itself too seriously, a passion for motorsports and engines of all kinds, but avoiding all the stereotypes that could be applied to a women's club.
Carine Loeillet
Photos: Quentin Dherbilly and Carine Loeillet
