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From small-town girl to global star: How Dubai's Supercar Blondie built auto empire
From farm life to Ferraris, becoming one of the world's most sought-after automotive influencers, Supercar Blondie has rewritten the narrative — not just for women in the car industry but for anyone with an unconventional dream
- PUBLISHED: Fri 14 Feb 2025, 6:39 AM
Alex Hirschi, better known as Supercar Blondie, wasn’t born a petrolhead. Growing up on a farm in rural Queensland, Australia, her childhood was filled with animals and the sounds of nature — far removed from the revving engines of luxury cars.
“I grew up in a small country town in Australia, in Queensland. It had about 2,000 people, and I actually grew up on a farm. There were horses, cows, and I even kept guinea pigs. I’ve always loved animals,” she recalls.
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But while her surroundings suggested a quiet country life, a sense of adventure was always brewing inside her. It wasn’t the mechanical intricacies of cars that fascinated her — it was the experience of driving.
Her family, however, got their first glimpse of her car obsession when, at 13, the one thing she asked for as a birthday gift was to rent a limo for an hour. “I just wanted to sit inside, see the starlights on the ceiling, and experience the big chairs,” she says with a laugh.
“When I came back from school, I would spend hours just being with animals. I was a very goody-two-shoes growing up; I always did exactly what I was told. I played the violin because my mom wanted one of us kids to play, and I was the only one who agreed. But driving? That was something I actually wanted to do. It was the freedom of it, the feeling that you can go anywhere, anytime, on your own terms.”
Her first car — a Mitsubishi Lancer, passed down from her older siblings — wasn’t a supercar by any stretch, but to her, it was everything.
“It was already seven years old when I got it. It wasn’t flashy, but I loved it. That feeling of getting behind the wheel, even in a beat-up car, was just incredible.”
Chasing the Dubai dream
After completing a degree in journalism and business, Alex made a life-changing move to Dubai in 2008. But it wasn’t initially for any big career dreams — it was for love.
“My husband, who was my boyfriend at the time, got a job in Dubai straight out of university. I didn’t have a job, so I followed him and tried to find work,” she says.
The timing wasn’t ideal. The 2009 financial crisis made it difficult to land stable work, and she spent years taking whatever freelance opportunities she could. At one point, Hirschi even worked as a receptionist at a bank, an experience that left her restless.
“I just couldn’t do it anymore. I was bored. I really wanted to get into journalism, as that’s what I had actually studied in university.”
She eventually secured a radio job, working her way up to hosting a prime-time show on Dubai’s ARN Network. “I absolutely loved it. But those first few years were really tough. I was on the morning shift, waking up at 3am, getting to work by 4am, writing stories, then coming home exhausted.”
It was during this time that she found herself drawn back into the world of cars. In a city like Dubai — where luxury vehicles are as common as regular sedans — the sight of high-end cars lining 2nd December Street reignited her childhood love for driving, but this time with horsepower.
“Seeing all these amazing cars around Dubai really fuelled my interest. I remember thinking, ‘If they can do it, I can do it too’. The car scene has always been strong here, and over time, it’s only grown,” she says. “Even the Dubai Police understand that supercars are part of Dubai’s image. That’s why they have a fleet of high-end supercars themselves — it’s part of the city’s identity.”
Looking back on how Dubai shaped her career path, she adds, “I don’t think I could have started a supercar content creation channel just anywhere. There are only a handful of places in the world where you have access to so many exotic cars, and Dubai is one of them.”
Hirschi also emphasises how the city’s unique automotive culture provided unparalleled opportunities early on. “If you’re in the right place at the right time, you can connect with car owners, review their cars, or even get a chance to drive them. That level of access is rare. Dubai was the perfect place to start this journey.”
A side hustle that became a phenomenon
At first, Hirschi’s access to supercars came through her journalism work. Manufacturers would lend her press cars to review, and one day, on a whim, she decided to film herself driving one. “I had no plan. I just started filming myself, just for fun. I loved the experience so much that I asked other car companies if they would lend me cars. Every weekend, I was filming my experiences as a side project while working in radio.”
By the time she reached 50,000 Instagram followers, she realised this was turning into something bigger than she had imagined. “I thought, ‘Oh man, this is actually a full-time job now’. It was really hard to juggle both. So I made the big decision to quit radio and go all in on content creation.” It was a risk, but one that most certainly paid off.
Unlike traditional car reviewers, Hirschi brought an approachable, layman-friendly perspective to automotive content. “I wasn’t an automotive journalist discussing engine specs and suspension details. I was just pointing out the coolest things about a car in a way that made sense to everyone.”
Her relatability resonated with a massive global audience of millions of followers across social media platforms. “A lot of my followers weren’t even hardcore car fans — they just loved the excitement and experience.”
Over the years, Hirschi has also taken steps to expand beyond herself. “If a business relies on me being in front of the camera, then it’s not sustainable. My goal was always, ‘How do I create something that lasts beyond me?’”
Today, Supercar Blondie has evolved into a full-fledged media company, with an editorial website, a team of journalists, and four additional presenters covering automotive, luxury, tech, and gaming content.
Breaking into the world of supercars as a woman wasn’t an easy path. For decades, the automotive industry — especially the high-performance and luxury car segment — had been dominated by men, with women often seen as accessories to the cars rather than authoritative figures sharing their expertise and opinions.
The brand of Supercar Blondie challenged that stereotype simply by showing up, talking about cars in a way that was engaging and accessible, and proving that passion, not gender, defines expertise.
Unlike traditional car reviewers who focused on technical specifications, Hirschi built her platform around the experience of driving, making it appealing to a wider audience. “For generations, women in the car world were models standing next to cars, not the ones giving information about them. I wanted to change that.”
As her platform grew, more women started engaging with her content, inspired by seeing someone like them thrive in a field that hasn’t traditionally been welcoming to women. “Now, a lot of women come up to me and say, ‘I never thought I could be into cars, but seeing you do it made me realise it’s possible,’” she shares.
However, she doesn’t shy away from acknowledging that intimidation is part of the process, especially in the early stages. “It’s not easy walking into an industry that’s mostly men. But when you show up, someone else will see you there and think, ‘If she’s there, why am I not there?’ And the cycle continues. That’s how we create real change.”
Building a business beyond content
With millions of followers across platforms, Hirschi knew she needed to evolve beyond being a solo creator.
She expanded her team, bringing in four additional presenters and set about growing Supercar Blondie. “Our website has actually become the most profitable and fastest-growing part of the business. It grew by over 200 per cent last year alone, and we’re expecting another 200 per cent growth this year.”
In addition, she and her husband have also launched a one-of-a-kind luxury car auction platform, making high-end car trading more accessible. “We set a world record by selling the most expensive car ever sold online — a Lamborghini Veneno. We’ve also done deals on cars like the Koenigsegg Jesko, which went for around $3 million (Dh11 million), and facilitated sales from the Middle East to Asia, Asia to the US, and the US to South America.”
Her team now consists of 70 employees spread across Dubai, London, Manchester, and the US, managing different aspects of the business.
From farm life to Ferraris, becoming one of the world's most sought-after automotive influencers, Supercar Blondie has rewritten the narrative — not just for women in the car industry but for anyone with an unconventional dream.
However, despite her success, Hirschi acknowledges the challenges of being a woman in an industry that largely caters to men. “The most important thing is to show up. The more women we have simply showing up, the more they will inspire others to do the same. It all starts with being there — even if it feels uncomfortable at first. Just be there, soak it all in, and own your place.”
