Background
In 1910, she began work as a draftsperson at the Paisley works of Scottish automobile firm of Arrol-Johnston, the oldest and largest Scottish car manufacturer, where her father, a well-known car designer, was now managering director
In 1910, she began work as a draftsperson at the Paisley works of Scottish automobile firm of Arrol-Johnston, the oldest and largest Scottish car manufacturer, where her father, a well-known car designer, was now managering director
She was educated at Loughborough High School after the family moved to the United Kingdom when she was eight.
Pullinger remained at the Arrol-Johnston until the start of World War I when it changed from producing cars to airplanes. She was appointed female supervisor of the very large munitions facility operated by Vickers in Barrow-in-Furness, where women were employed in the manufacture of high explosive shells. In 1916, her father created a new munitions facility at Arrol-Johnston near Kirkcudbright which included an engineering college for women and an apprenticeship program
After the war, she returned to Scotland where the munitions facility was converted back to the manufacture of automobiles and renamed Galloway Motors Limited, where she was a director and manager.
The company produced a car, the Galloway, for Arrol-Johnson that was designed for women. The company employed a largely female work force under Pullinger"s direction and produced automobiles until 1923 when production was transferred to Arrol-Johnson"s Heathhall works.
She acted as a sales representative for Arrol-Johnson until 1925-1926. In 1924, Pullinger married Edward Marshall Martin (1895–1951), a ship"s purser on the P and O passenger liner Steamship Naldera.
They had two children, Yvette (b 1926) and Lewis (b 1931).
They sold the company in 1946. During World World War II, she was the only woman appointed to the Industrial Panel of the Ministry of Production. Dorothée Pullinger Martin moved to Guernsey in 1947, where she established Normandy Laundries in 1950.
She died in Guernsey on 28 January 1986.
In 2012 she was inducted into the Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame.
As a member of the Conservative and Unionist Party, she served on a panel to address post-war problems, contributing to the 1944 report Looking Ahead: Work and the Future of British Industry. One of the founding members of the Women"s Engineering Society in 1919, a life-long member and active in the society"s Council.