It’s Time to Build Cars for Everyone

by Kristie D’Ambrosio-Correll

I grew up under the hood with my dad, tinkering with our old family Fords. We spent countless weekends in the garage together, fixing whatever needed fixing, listening to The Car Doctor on the radio, and swapping stories from his muscle-car youth. Those early moments taught me not only how things work, but why it feels so satisfying to build and repair with your own hands. They sparked both my love of engineering and my deep respect for car culture.

My dad was loyal to American cars, and one day, when I was about thirteen, I asked him, “If I ever become really successful and can buy any car I want, what’s the best American luxury car? I know the British and Italian ones — but what’s ours?” He thought for a moment and said, “We don’t have one.” That answer stuck with me. Even then, I knew I wanted to change that.

This gap became the catalyst for Dacora Motors.

I founded Dacora to build what didn’t exist: a genuinely American ultra-luxury brand with cars conceived and crafted here at home, by engineers and artisans who believe excellence means personalization, not compromise.

From the start, we believed safety needed to be at the forefront of our design because it’s in Dacora’s DNA to build for the individual, not for the average.

For too long, automotive design has assumed one body type: the 95th percentile male. This is despite the fact that, according to consumer data from cars.com, more than 60% of new cars are purchased by women, who also influence roughly 85% of all new-car buying decisions. We know the consequences: Women are 17% more likely to die and 47% more likely to be seriously injured in comparable crashes, according to research from the University of Virginia’s Center for Applied Biomechanics and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

For us, Made in America isn’t just a label — it’s a way of life. It’s about honoring the legacy of American craftsmanship while showing it can stand proudly on the global stage again.

As the first female founder and CEO of a car company, I’ve seen firsthand how often the industry defines “normal” in ways that simply don’t reflect reality. I’ve been that person climbing into a driver’s seat that doesn’t quite fit, stretching to reach the pedals, sitting too close to the steering wheel, realizing that the car was never really designed for someone my size. Those details matter; they change how confident you feel and how safe you actually are.

That perspective shaped how we engineered Dacora.

We started from scratch. Our cars include a movable floor system to adjust ergonomics for different driver heights and seating positions. The seats are proportioned for the owner — not a standardized template. And when we test, we use anatomically correct female crash test dummies as well — not just smaller male models — because genuine safety begins with designing for all people.

I’m 4’9”, and my Dacora fits me exactly as it should. A few weeks ago, a good friend who is nearly seven feet tall got behind the wheel and fit just as comfortably. That moment says everything about what we’re doing. Our modular system allows every Dacora to adapt to its driver and to evolve with them as life changes.

We’re building the first ultra-luxury American automotive brand in nearly a century. For us, Made in America isn’t just a label — it’s a way of life. It’s about honoring the legacy of American craftsmanship while showing it can stand proudly on the global stage again.

Across our clients, we’re seeing a renewed pride in local artistry — in creating high-quality jobs, and in strengthening the communities that make this country extraordinary. Because when we invest in American manufacturing, that investment doesn’t just create products; it circulates through towns, families, and future generations.

I come from a family of immigrants, and my husband is Potawatomi Native American. We both believe deeply in the promise of the American Dream — that through skill, hard work, and integrity, we can create opportunity not only for ourselves, but for others.

Our goal is for Dacora to stand as a modern symbol of American luxury craftsmanship — proof that America can lead again in the art of making things that last. We want Dacora to set new standards of quality, while inspiring a new generation of makers and builders.

Because to us, true ultra-luxury isn’t about excess — it’s about individuality. Nothing is more personal than the relationship you have with your car: the time you spend in it, the trust you place in it, the way it becomes part of your identity.

At Dacora, that belief shapes everything we build. Each car begins not with a model, but with a person. We design around the individual — their proportions, their habits, their way of moving through the world. The process is closer to commissioning a couture gown than buying something off the rack. From a bonsai garden or a built-in espresso machine to seasonal upholstery upgrades, each Dacora evolves with its owner — a living expression of personal luxury.

At Dacora, we believe innovation and inclusivity belong in the same conversation. Building for the individual means expanding the definition of who belongs in the driver’s seat — in design studios, on manufacturing floors, and in leadership.

Being the first female founder and CEO of a car company isn’t the headline — it’s simply the perspective that shaped how we build. That’s why Dacora vehicles will proudly be built in New York’s Hudson Valley — a place where craftsmanship matters and where every vehicle carries the hands and heart of the people who built it.

Every Dacora will embody that spirit. It’s proof that American luxury can be both innovative and deeply personal.

If, one day, my daughter asks the same question I asked my father decades ago — what best-in-class luxury American car she might drive — I want her to know the answer already exists.