All-female team in Diamond Bar building custom Ford Bronco for automotive trade show

DIAMOND BAR, Calif. (KABC) -- In a large modern garage in Diamond Bar, a team of young enthusiasts was hard at work on a project for a Las Vegas automotive trade show that gets worldwide attention.

And these budding car customizers are somewhat atypical.

"We're building a Bronco with all females," said Sherry Kollien, an advisor for the team.

The project is sponsored by SEMA, a Southern California trade group representing thousands of companies that make specialty and custom car and truck equipment.

The All Female Build, as it's called, is to showcase both skills and teamwork.

The project has attracted talent from far and wide

"We have had as young as 13 years old, up to a supporting grandma of some of them, at 98 years old," Kollien said.

The team is a couple hundred strong, performing not just hands-on work, but tasks like logistics and social media.

We caught up with some of these ladies doing their handiwork on the 2022 Bronco provided by Ford Motor Company.

Each of them was drawn into the automotive sphere for a slightly different reason, but all with a common theme: a passion for motorized vehicles.

"I was born and raised in a motorsports family. I'm going out to the races, going to car shows every weekend, growing up at the family shop," said team member Shelby Chrisman.

"It's been a family thing. It probably started when I was about 10 or 11 years old, out with my dad in the garage working on our projects," said Alicia Kollien, a team member and daughter of the team advisor. Both her parents have had careers in the automotive industry.

"Any time that we would have motorcycle events in town - we had a Harley-Davidson dealership in my home town - and all these bikes would line up in the parking lot and in the fields and I'd be 'Look at all those motorcycles!'," remembered team member Kira Daczko. She's already working in the automotive service industry, as a student advisor at Universal Technical Institute.

The completed vehicle will be seen by thousands in person at the SEMA trade show in November, and millions will see it virtually.

With that, every detail has to be seen to. From lining up a fender, to making sure that even wiring harnesses are spotless. The team members share their skills in the SEMA garage and deal with problems together.

"We had a few hurdles - things don't fit right - but we work through them as a team, and get things done," remarked team advisor Sherry Kollien.

As for the big picture, it's about encouraging others. For not just a hobby, but a career.

"I wanted to represent women in the business, and hopefully inspire other young girls to get involved," said Daczko.

Next up, the Bronco goes on to Michigan, where another all-female team will add more customization, including a custom wrap. Then it heads to Vegas for its big public debut in a few months.