Watch: The First Woman in the World to be a Certified Porsche Classic Technician Used to Be a Pastry Chef

Jodi Lai

2025-08-21 · 2 min read

Watch: The First Woman in the World to be a Certified Porsche Classic Technician Used to Be a Pastry Chef

This total trailblazer had a huge career change and learned a lot along the way.

I'm always on the lookout for trailblazers in the automotive world, so when I met Nhu Nguyen, I knew immediately that we'd become friends. She inspired me. While it's impressive that she is the first woman in the world to become a certified Porsche Classic Technician, her path to this incredible accomplishment wasn't a straightforward one, especially in a field that's long been male-dominated.

After burning out as a pastry chef and later toiling away at an unfulfilling 9-5 office job, she embarked on a totally new career path to become a mechanic. From going back to school in her 30s with a bunch of 18-year-olds, to becoming a mechanic's apprentice, and finally landing where she is today fixing and restoring classic and vintage Porsches, Nhu's story is one of resilience, trying new things, accepting herself, and trusting the journey.

I hope you enjoy learning about Nhu's story and find it as inspiring as I do. If you love Porsche, classic cars, or stories of pioneers breaking boundaries, you’ll want to watch this.

Documentary produced by Jodi Lai for AutoTrader x Echo Bay Media

Jodi Lai

Jodi is a multiple award-winning automotive journalist who has been covering the industry for almost 20 years. She has a Bachelor of Journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University (Ryerson), is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), and a jury member for the North American Car/Truck/Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY). Jodi is the Editor-in-Chief of AutoTrader and the recipient of the prestigious 2022 AJAC Journalist of the Year Award.