Family and friends tried to dissuade her, but Mandy Neo ignored the gender stereotyping and followed her passion be a female mechanic in the 90s. Now 46, she’s still in love with cars and how they work – she tells CNA Women about her unusual career choice.

hen she was a teenager, Mandy Neo’s older friends would take her on midnight and pre-dawn joy rides. That was the beginning of her love for cars and how they worked – and laid the foundation for her becoming a car mechanic in the 90s. 

“We’d wind down the window for some fresh air and listen to the engine sound. Sometimes, we’d go for food at Bukit Timah or just hang out after the drive admiring one another’s engines and modifications, which are no longer legal today.

“I also loved to visit car workshops with friends,” the 46-year-old recalled.

This ignited a fascination with engines. “I love the way the engine moves and functions, how powerful they are, and the technology behind them,” she said.