Lowrider

Last updated

1964 Chevrolet Impala named "Gypsy Rose," owned by Jesse Valadez, on display in the Petersen Automotive Museum. It is considered to be one of the most iconic lowriders ever built. 1964 Chevrolet Impala Gypsy Rose.jpg
1964 Chevrolet Impala named "Gypsy Rose," owned by Jesse Valadez, on display in the Petersen Automotive Museum. It is considered to be one of the most iconic lowriders ever built.

A lowrider or low rider is a customized car with a lowered body that emerged among Mexican American youth in the 1940s. [3] Lowrider also refers to the driver of the car and their participation in lowrider car clubs, which remain a part of Chicano culture and have since expanded internationally. [3] [4] These customized vehicles are also artworks, generally being painted with intricate, colorful designs, unique aesthetic features, and rolling on wire-spoke wheels with whitewall tires. [3] [5]

Contents

Lowrider rims are generally smaller than the original wheels. [6] They are often fitted with hydraulic systems that allow height adjustable suspension, allowing the car to be lowered or raised by switch. From 1958 to 2023, the California Vehicle Code made lowriding illegal, which was ultimately criticized as unnecessary and discriminatory toward Chicano and broader Latin American culture. [7] [8]

Origin and purpose

Lowrider car culture began in Los Angeles, California, in the mid-to-late 1940s, and grew during the post-war prosperity of the 1950s within Mexican-American youth culture. Conversion of standard production vehicles included adding lowering blocks and cut-down spindles, reduced-length suspension spring coils, and creating "Z frames" from stock straight frames.[ citation needed ] The purpose of lowriders, as their motto "Low and Slow" suggests, is to cruise as slowly and as smoothly as possible. [9]

Lowrider culture and society public conference in San Jose, California (2019). The city was among the first to repeal its ban on lowriding in 2022. Lowrider Culture Conference San Jose.jpg
Lowrider culture and society public conference in San Jose, California (2019). The city was among the first to repeal its ban on lowriding in 2022.

Section 24008 of the California Vehicle Code went into effect on January 1, 1958, prohibiting cars modified to shift the vehicle body lower than the bottoms of its wheel rims. In 1959, mechanic Ron Aguirre bypassed the law by installing hydraulics that could quickly toggle the height of a General Motors X-frame chassis. [11]

Lowriding became widely popular in the 1980s and 1990s, and bans were enacted in many California cities. [12] It regained popularity a little in 2009, then significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. [13] In the 2020s, activists argued that the practice was harmless and banning it was simply the result of prejudice against Mexican-Americans. [5] San Jose and Sacramento repealed their bans in 2022 that had been enacted in 1986 and 1988, respectively. [10] [12] In 2022, the California State Assembly unanimously passed a resolution urging all remaining cities with bans (including National City, which banned it in 1992) to repeal them. [14] In 2023, California rescinded state restrictions on the height of vehicle bodies and superseded local regulations against cruising. [8]

In 2020, police in Albuquerque, New Mexico introduced a lowrider police car in a reversal of the city's anti-lowriding policies. [15]

Adding height adjustable suspension

In 1959, a customizer named Ron Aguirre developed a way of bypassing the law with the use of hydraulic Pesco pumps and valves that allowed him to change ride height at the flick of a switch. [16] Ron Aguirre developed this modification with help from his father, after conceiving of the idea. Aguirre's motivation was to stop being targeted with traffic tickets, as he had been by local police in his city of Rialto, California after the statewide ban was enacted. [7]

Role of the Chevrolet Impala

1958 saw the emergence of the Chevrolet Impala, which featured an X-shaped frame that was perfectly suited for lowering and modification with hydraulics. [16] The standard perimeter-type frame was abandoned, replaced by a unit with rails laid out in the form of an elongated "X." Chevrolet claimed that the new frame offered increased torsional rigidity and allowed for a lower placement of the passenger compartment. This was a transitional step between conventional perimeter frame construction and the later fully unitized body/chassis, the body structure was strengthened in the rocker panels and firewall. This frame was not as effective in protecting the interior structure in a side impact crash, as a conventional perimeter frame. [17]

Lowrider culture

Lowrider cars had their origins in the 1940s, when Mexican American veterans began customizing vehicles to run "low and slow", a contrast to the hot rod that was customized for speed. During the Chicano Movement in the 1970s, lowriders formed car clubs that began to help their community by using these cars for fundraising. [18] Lowrider cars are typically elaborately painted and decorated, often using graphic art of significance to Chicano culture. [18] [5]

Southern California

At first, lowriders were only seen in places such as Los Angeles, especially in the 1970s on Whittier Boulevard when lowriding came to its peak. Whittier was a wide commercial street that cut through the barrio of the city in Los Angeles, California. Throughout the 1970s that culture spread throughout the Central Valley and San Jose areas of California, helped by release of the funk song “Low Rider” by War, and creation of low riding clubs such as Carnales Unidos in 1975, [19] and further expanded with the publishing of Low Rider magazine by San Jose State students in 1977. [20] At its peak in 1988, Low Rider magazine had monthly sales of over 60,000 copies. Lowriders were featured in the 1979 film Boulevard Nights , which some blamed for associating lowrider culture with street gangs. [5] A mural in Chicano Park celebrates the lowrider culture. [21] In 2024, the Oceanside, California community and its police department collaborated to create a hand-painted lowrider police car, [22] and the San Jose Police Department planned to participate in the city's Cinco de Mayo lowrider parade with its own lowrider vehicle. [23]

New Mexico

In the US state of New Mexico, lowriders play a central role in New Mexican culture, particularly of the Hispanos of New Mexico. [24]

In Albuquerque, cruising on Central Avenue (U.S. Route 66) has become a tradition, particularly on Sundays. The city and Albuquerque Police Department (APD) used to take a firm stance against this practice, [25] but in recent years have reversed this stance, with APD introducing a lowrider police car [26] and the city creating a 'Cruising Task Force' to "promote responsible cruising" in the city. [27]

The cities of Española and neighboring Chimayó have become hotspots for lowriders in the northern part of the state. Española is billed as the "lowrider capital of the world". [4] [28]

Japan

Lowriding culture has also spread to Japan. [29] [30]

Junichi Shimodaira continues to import and sell these cars through his business, Paradise Road. [31] The spread of lowrider culture and the fame of Paradise Road even attracted the attention of Ed Roth, who is famous for creating custom cars such as hot rods and a prominent figure in Kustom Kulture. [32] Since the introduction of lowriders in Japan and the rise of lowriders in Japan in 2001, it is estimated that there are still 200 car clubs that are related to the lowrider scene that are still active to this day. [33]

The 1975 song "Low Rider" by the band War, highlighting the culture, reached #7 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. [34]

In the 1990s, low riders became strongly associated with West Coast Hip hop and G-Funk culture. Eazy-E, Mack 10, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, The Game, Warren G, South Central Cartel, Above the Law and John Cena (In a music video of "Right Now") among others featured low riders prominently in their music videos. [35]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicano</span> Ethnic identity of some Mexican Americans

Chicano or Chicana is an ethnic identity for Mexican Americans that emerged from the Chicano Movement. Chicano was originally a classist and racist slur used toward low-income Mexicans that was reclaimed in the 1940s among youth who belonged to the Pachuco and Pachuca subculture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King & Story, San Jose</span> Neighborhood of San Jose in Santa Clara, California, United States

The King & Story, also known as Story & King, neighborhood of San Jose, California is located in the Alum Rock district of East San Jose, centered on the intersection of King and Story roads. King & Story is one of San Jose's most notable and historic Chicano/Mexican-American neighborhoods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Auto show</span> Exhibition of vehicles

An auto show, also known as a motor show or car show, is a public exhibition of current automobile models, debuts, concept cars, or out-of-production classics. It is attended by automotive industry representatives, dealers, auto journalists and car enthusiasts. Most auto shows occur once or twice a year. They are important to car manufacturers and local dealers as a public relations exercise, as they advertise new products and promote auto brands. The five most prestigious auto shows, sometimes called the "Big Five", are generally considered to be held in Detroit, Frankfurt, Geneva, Paris and Tokyo. Car enthusiast communities along the historic U.S. Route 66 are credited with general popularization of car meets, including ethnic groups such as the Hispanos of New Mexico, Chicanos, and Mexican-Americans of the Southwestern United States; lowrider, high technology, electric vehicle, and other enthusiast show, are popular in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Albuquerque, San Francisco, and Chicago for this reason.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Custom car</span> Passenger vehicle that has been substantially altered in its appearance

A custom car is a passenger vehicle that has been altered to improve its performance, change its aesthetics, or combine both. Some automotive enthusiasts in the United States want to push "styling and performance a step beyond the showroom floor - to truly craft an automobile of one's own." A custom car in British usage, according to Collins English Dictionary, is built to the buyer's own specifications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cruising (driving)</span> Traveling by car for pleasure

Cruising is a social activity that primarily consists of driving a car. Cruising is distinguished from regular driving by the social and recreational nature of the activity, which is characterized by an impulsively random, often aimless course. A popular route is often the focus of cruising. Cruising can be an expression of the freedom of possessing a driver's license. "Cruise nights" are evenings during which cars drive slowly.

The spinner on automobile wheels historically refers to knock-off hub nuts or center caps. They may be the actual, or intended to simulate, the design used on antique vehicles or vintage sports cars. A "spinner wheel" in contemporary usage is a type of hubcap or inner wheel ornament, that spins independently inside of a wheel itself when the vehicle is in motion and continues to spin once the vehicle has come to a stop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lowrider bicycle</span> Customized bicycle

A lowrider bicycle is a highly customized bicycle with styling inspired by lowrider cars. These bikes often feature a long, curved banana seat with a sissy bar and very tall upward-swept ape hanger handlebars. A lot of chrome, velvet, and overspoked wheels are common accessories to these custom bicycles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicano Park</span> Park in San Diego, California

Chicano Park is a 32,000 square meter park located beneath the San Diego–Coronado Bridge in Barrio Logan, a predominantly Chicano or Mexican American and Mexican-migrant community in central San Diego, California. The park is home to the country's largest collection of outdoor murals, as well as various sculptures, earthworks, and an architectural piece dedicated to the cultural heritage of the community.

<i>Lowrider</i> (magazine) American automotive magazine

Lowrider was an American automobile magazine, focusing almost exclusively on the style known as a lowrider. It first appeared in 1977, produced out of San Jose, California, by a trio of San Jose State students. In 2007, it was published out of Anaheim, California, and part of the Motor Trend Group. The magazine was closed in December 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Height adjustable suspension</span> Automobile suspension systems

Height adjustable suspension is a feature of certain automobile suspension systems that allow the motorist to vary the ride height or ground clearance. This can be done for various reasons including giving better ground clearance over rough terrain, a lower ground clearance to improve performance and fuel economy at high speed, or for stylistic reasons. Such a feature requires fairly sophisticated engineering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hi-riser</span> Customized automobile with large wheels

Hi-risers are a type of heavily-customized automobile, typically a full-size, body-on-frame, rear-wheel drive American sedan. They are modified by significantly increasing the vehicle's ground clearance, and adding large-diameter wheels with low-profile tires. Depending on the model, year and bodystyle, cars customized in this style can be labeled "donk", "box" or "bubble". Many within the community refer to this style of car as simply a "big rim" or "big wheel" car.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albuquerque Police Department</span> Municipal police in New Mexico, U.S.

The Albuquerque Police Department (APD) is the municipal law enforcement agency of Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is the largest police force in the state, with approximately 1,000 sworn officers in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicano art movement</span> Movements by Mexican-American artists

The Chicano Art Movement represents groundbreaking movements by Mexican-American artists to establish a unique artistic identity in the United States. Much of the art and the artists creating Chicano Art were heavily influenced by Chicano Movement which began in the 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whittier Boulevard</span> Street in Los Angeles County

Whittier Boulevard is an arterial street that runs from the Los Angeles River to Brea, California. The street is one of the main thoroughfares in both Whittier and East Los Angeles. At various times, portions of Whittier Boulevard carried the designation of U.S. Route 101. Whittier Boulevard also carries a portion of El Camino Real. Its west section leading from the Sixth Street Viaduct was demolished in 2016; the replacement was officially opened in 2022.. Currently, Whittier Boulevard carries two Caltrans controlled highways. The portion between Rosemead Boulevard and Beach Boulevard carries State Route 72 and the portion between Beach and Harbor Boulevards carries California State Route 39. The portion of State Route 72 up to State Route 19 was relinquished back to Pico Rivera in the early 2000s and the portion of State Route 72 between State Route 19 and Downey Road was deleted from SR 72 in 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cal-Style VW</span>

A Cal-Style VW is a lowrider influenced vintage Volkswagen, that for style and cruising was lowered to the extreme in the manner called "dumped" "slammed" or "laid out". The Cal-Style VW originated in the streets of Los Angeles in the late 1970s, when the first generation of teens from Latino neighborhoods veered away from the Low Riders that at the time were associated with gangs and criminal activity, and instead customized their economical VWs into lowriders for the cruising and teen subculture.

Car hydraulics are equipment installed in an automobile that allows for a dynamic adjustment in height of the vehicle. These suspension modifications are often placed in a lowrider, i.e., a vehicle modified to lower its ground clearance below that of its original design. With these modifications, the body of the car can be raised by remote control. The amount and kind of hydraulic pumps being used and the different specifications of the subject vehicle will affect the impact of such systems on the height and orientation of the vehicle. With sufficient pumps, an automobile can jump and hop upwards of six feet off the ground. Enthusiasts hold car jumping contests nationwide, which are judged on how high an automobile is able to bounce.

Levi Romero is an American poet, academic, architect, and lecturer in creative writing and Chicano studies at the University of New Mexico. In 2012, he was named the centennial poet for New Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cholo (subculture)</span> Mexican-American subculture

A cholo or chola is a member of a Chicano and Latino subculture or lifestyle associated with a particular set of dress, behavior, and worldview which originated in Los Angeles. A veterano or veterana is an older member of the same subculture. Other terms referring to male members of the subculture may include vato and vato loco. Cholo was first reclaimed by Chicano youth in the 1960s and emerged as a popular identification in the late 1970s. The subculture has historical roots in the Pachuco subculture, but today is largely equated with anti-social behavior, criminal behavior and gang activity.

Teen Angels was an independent American magazine focused on the Chicano culture of California and the southwest, published from approximately 1981 to 2006. The publication featured art, photos, and writing celebrating pachuco culture, lowriders, cholo street culture, fashion, tattoos, prison art, and varrios, or neighborhoods. The magazine consisted of photocopied photographs, hand-drawn portraits and lowrider art, typographic pages, poetry, community notices, comic strips, dedications, obituaries, articles, and other works. It was produced in self-published zine format.

Jesse Valadez was a Mexican American lowrider and artist based in East Los Angeles who became known as a major figure in lowriding, a cultural practice among Chicanos that he helped pioneer. He was a founding member of the Imperials car club and designed the famous Gypsy Rose lowrider in the 1970s, which went on to make international waves for lowrider culture, boosted by its feature on the show Chico and the Man.

References

  1. ↑ "Gypsy Rose, the Most Famous Lowrider of Them All, Goes to Washington D.C." MotorTrend. June 13, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Lowrider fans pay their final respects to owner of Gypsy Rose in East LA". ABC7 Los Angeles. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 Sturken, Marita; Cartwright, Lisa (2009). Practices of Looking: An Introduction to Visual Culture. Oxford University Press. p. 80. ISBN   978-0-19-531440-3.
  4. 1 2 Tatum, Charles M. (September 5, 2017). Chicano Popular Culture, Second Edition: Que Hable El Pueblo. University of Arizona Press. p. 230. ISBN   978-0-8165-3652-8.
  5. 1 2 3 4 California ends cruising ban that targeted Chicano low-rider culture. PBS NewsHour. October 20, 2022. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  6. ↑ Stavans, I.; Augenbraum, H. (2005). Encyclopedia Latina: history, culture, and society in the United States . Grolier Academic Reference. p.  51. ISBN   978-0-7172-5818-5 . Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  7. 1 2 "Ron Aguirre's 1956 Chevrolet Corvette - The X-Sonic - Kustomrama". kustomrama.com. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  8. 1 2 Hernandez, Jose (October 17, 2023). "Once Harassed by Police, Lowriders Can Cruise Across California Under a New Law". NPR . Retrieved October 22, 2023.
  9. ↑ Arizon, Gabriel (June 29, 2023). "Low and Slow CSUN Holds its First Event Celebrating Lowrider Culture". The San Fernando Valley Sun. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  10. 1 2 "Cruising in National City could make a legal comeback in 2023". San Diego Union-Tribune. January 1, 2023. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  11. ↑ TUNDRA_News. "What Happened To Hydraulics? Nothing. It's Still Here". theTUNDRA. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  12. 1 2 Clift, Theresa (June 6, 2022). "Sacramento Repeals Ban on Lowriding, Rescinding 1988 Law Now Viewed as Discriminatory". The Sacramento Bee . Retrieved October 22, 2023.
  13. ↑ Hernandez, Daniel; Schaben, Allen J.; Chun, Myung J. (May 14, 2021). "The lowrider is back: The glorious return of cruising to the streets of L.A." Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  14. ↑ "State Assembly encourages California cities to repeal cruising bans". KFMB-TV. June 28, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  15. ↑ "APD's Lowrider Makes Debut at Drive-thru Car Show". City of Albuquerque. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  16. 1 2 "Going "Low and Slow" in East Los Angeles". The Golden State Company. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  17. ↑ Niedermeyer, Paul (January 19, 2012). "Automotive History: An X-Ray Look At GM's X Frame (1957 – 1970)". Curb Side Classic. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  18. 1 2 Blanck, Nili (May 5, 2021). "The Vibrant History of Lowrider Car Culture in L.A." Smithsonian Magazine. Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Carnales Unidos Car Club – Lowrider Magazine". MotorTrend.com. August 6, 2010. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  20. ↑ "The life and death of Lowrider: How the Chicano car magazine shaped California". Los Angeles Times . December 14, 2019. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  21. ↑ "Here's the story behind Chicano Park's new mural". FOX 5 San Diego. June 26, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  22. ↑ Candelieri, Domenick (February 17, 2024). "Oceanside police turn law enforcement vehicle into lowrider". FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  23. ↑ Freimarck, Annalise (April 30, 2024). "San Jose police cruise with lowriders on Cinco de Mayo". San José Spotlight. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  24. ↑ "New Mexico History Museum". www.nmhistorymuseum.org. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Lowrider enthusiasts: Police targeting Sunday cruises down Central". KRQE NEWS. July 4, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  26. ↑ "APD's Lowrider Makes Debut at Drive-thru Car Show". City of Albuquerque. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  27. ↑ "City of Albuquerque Cruising Task Force" (PDF). Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  28. ↑ "Lowrider Culture". myText CNM. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  29. ↑ Frost, Bob. "History of Lowriders". Historyaccess.com. Archived from the original on August 18, 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  30. ↑ "LOWRIDER HISTORY". Convictedartist.com. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  31. ↑ Lirones, Brett (February 28, 2019). "Here's Why You'll Find American-Styled Lowriders Roaming Around the Streets of Japan". Hagerty. Retrieved May 5, 2019.
  32. ↑ Mendoza, Beto (November 27, 2014). "Paradise Road - Shop Stop & Talk". Lowrider. Retrieved May 5, 2019.
  33. ↑ Donoghue, JJ. "The Elaborate Customized Cars of Japan's 'Lowriding' Subculture". CNN. CNN. Retrieved May 5, 2019.
  34. ↑ "War Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard . Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  35. ↑ Strait, Kevin. "Lowriders and Hip Hop Culture". Smithsonian. Retrieved August 30, 2021.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.