Sarah "Bogi" Lateiner may be best known for her role as host on Motor Trend's All Girls Garage television program along with Cristy Lee and Rachel De Barros. But, Bogi's true focus is her mission in life: To help girls, young women, and ladies all around the world know that they, too, have the skills and talent required to participate in all sorts of automotive trades.
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Best of all, Bogi's not just a television personality — she's the real deal. Check out how a prospective Harvard Law student became a celebrity among female mechanics.
So, What's a Bogi?
She was born Sarah Lateiner in Flushing, a neighborhood in Queens, New York. During a high school trip to Hungary, she learned that the name "Sarah" sounds a lot like a Hungarian swear word. To help avoid teasing and confusion, her new Hungarian friends nicknamed her "Boglarka," which is a type of flower.
Over time, that got shortened to "Bogi," which is a type of beetle. Since Sarah's first restoration project was a VW Bug, "Bogi" stuck.
More About That VW Bug
First, the good news: The Beetle Bogi restored in high school is still around, though it is in need of another complete refresh.
At age 16, Bogi had a very typical teenage fascination with cars. Like many kids do, she purchased a real fixer-upper, and attempted to ask professionals for help in bringing it back to a useful condition. Instead, she found lots of criticism and negative experiences awaited her. So, she did what any determined person would do, and took matters into her own hands, restoring the VW Bug on her own with the help of vehicle repair books, mentors, and her high school auto shop class.
Next Steps for the Future Mechanic
Bogi Lateiner didn't rush out and start her own shop the very next day. Instead, she took a quick detour to Oberlin College, where she studied pre-law & society and women's studies. In fact, she was pretty determined to study at Harvard Law.
After significant soul-searching, Bogi decided she would much rather be an automobile mechanic, and set her sights on her new path. She moved to Phoenix, Arizona, and attended Universal Technical Institute, where she honed her skills as an ASE Master Tech.
She went on to work at BMW dealerships back in New York, where she completed the BMW STEP program. Still, she dreamed of her own shop, an auto repair shop were women were treated equally. Where female mechanics were trusted and taken seriously, and female customers weren't given the run-around.
After six years of working on BMWs, 180 Degrees Automotive was born in Bogi Lateiner's own driveway in 2006. The goal was to introduce and empower women in the automotive industry. From educating all women on basic car maintenance to inspiring and educating future female mechanics, Bogi has learned plenty of lessons along the way.
Welcome to Bogi's Garage
The Girl Gang Garage has been working to elevate women in all aspects of the automotive industry.
It started with the Chevy Montage. Presented at the BASF booth at SEMA in 2017, this 1957 Chevy pickup truck restoration involved over 90 women over the course of 10 months. And, to say it's sweet as hell is an understatement.
The Girl Gang Garage isn't just a vehicle repair shop. It's a network of female mechanics and women across the country celebrating and elevating their experience in the automotive industry. It's female shop owners, detailers, restorers, and skilled technicians of all kinds, joining together to involve more women in the industry.
What Is Sarah Lateiner's Net Worth?
Bogi serves not only as the host of the All Girls Garage reality TV show, she's a technical educator, small business owner, business consultant, and motivational speaker. Her shop has experienced terrific success, and experts estimate her net worth to be between $2-5 million.
Sarah "Bogi" Lateiner is helping change the face of the automotive industry, one woman at a time. Proving that any girl can step up to the plate and transform a beat-up VW Bug into a drivable machine, Bogi's story continues to inspire women of all ages and ethnicities to realize their dreams within the male-dominated car scene.
This post was originally published on March 30, 2021.
