By Anna Bowden
Ladies, imagine being in the middle of nowhere with no cellphone reception, totally alone and with a flat tyre. Would you know what to do?
If you don't, eight teenage girls have the perfect solution. Auto Mate.
It's themed in pink and black, its aim is to empower drivers and
it's designed specifically for the female motorist.
The car manual was one of about 15 products on display at the annual Young Enterprise Scheme trade fair at Bayfair over the weekend - an opportunity for students to showcase their products after months of business and marketing planning.
Other products included a high-speed longboard skateboard, chess piece cookie cutters, iPod cases and a recycle bin caddy.
Denise Mortlock was one of thousands of customers who wandered past the stalls during the fair weekend - and was taken by Auto Mate's female-friendly approach to mechanics.
"Every woman should have one of these by the sound of it ... I could've done with this years ago."
Sam Hill, managing director of Epic - Empowering People in Cars - said while the product was originally designed with women in mind, men were buying it too.
She said Auto Mate was checked by three mechanics and a race-car driver for accuracy. It holds a wealth of information covering from how to change a tyre or fan belt to what to do at the scene of an accident and finding a good mechanic.
Auto Mate was created by eight Tauranga Girls' College students as part of their work in a Young Enterprise Scheme class.
The class sees students devise business plans, do market research and advertising and make real profit from products if successful.
Some Auto Mate tips:
* As much as you shorten your skirt and twirl your hair, not all mechanics are trustworthy
* Avoid using air-conditioning as you can save 10 per cent on fuel
* Be careful when refilling brake fluids or oil as they can ruin your best outfit
* You should always drive with your lights on dip in the fog
For a copy, email: epic.manuals@gmail.com
