It's all in the grooming

Samara Glover, 18, is just as at home in shiny high heels as high-shining a Holden. The 18-year-old hasn't let being a finalist for indulge Bay Model 2014 go to her head. The boys at work keep her grounded. Samara works as a new-car groomer at Ebbett Holden in Tauranga.

"Since I have been in the paper they have been giving me grief. All in good spirits."
Samara is used to the male-dominated environment of the car world, having grown up with it. "Dad Steve is Steve's Marines, so I have basically grown up around all this. I love cars and motorsports, but I also love dressing up and looking nice too when I go out."

Currently single, she says some men are impressed she knows a lot about cars.

"Although it depends whether they like cars too."

Last week she was at the BP Delta gas station up the road when she found out she was a finalist. "I went there to fill up one of the cars, and they were all congratulating me. I phoned up Dad and told him to go and buy lots of papers."

The former Otumoetai College girl is Tauranga-born and bred.

"I still live in the house I grew up in."

Her boss Craig Innes, principal dealer at Ebbett Holden, said the company was excited about Samara's success.

"We wish her all the best and we had better get voting for her. We hope Samara has a good career ahead of her in the automotive industry - car grooming is the first stage."

After that Samara hopes to step up to sales. But first, come September 26, it will be a catwalk she is stepping up on to, to compete with the 15 other finalists.

Kelly Taylor, 44, is another indulge Bay Model Finalist in the automotive industry but, unlike Samara Glover, she is not "into cars".

"I leave that part up to my husband Hayden who loves all that. Me, I do the admin side."
The couple own Total Lubricants and Wholesales in the Mount, selling oil to automotive and commercial industries.

"It can be male dominated, and I don't dress up for work because I do sports. If I dress up everyone will remark on it saying, 'oh you look fancy'."

Kelly says she found out she was a finalist when her girlfriends started texting her last Saturday morning.

"But I thought they were joking. Then I saw the paper. And all week customers have being bringing in cut-outs from the paper and are all excited."

Her biggest fan is husband Hayden. "When we got the paper he said, 'I know why they picked you because you are beautiful and funny, that's what I see.' Which was very sweet. It will be fun."