Lowriders
A lowrider or low rider is a customized car with a lowered body that emerged in the post-WWII, 1940s–1950s era. The exact origin of the lowrider is debatable, but it was probably birthed in Southern California, with many people claiming that lowriders really started in Tijuana, Texas, or New Mexico. Lowriders were particularly popular amongst young Chicanos, who adopted the art of rolling “low and slow” (or bajito y suavecito), directly opposing mainstream culture which focused on fast cars such as hot rods. In lowrider culture, lowriders are considered to serve as transportation art or transported art.
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. 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.
Lowrider rims are generally smaller than the original wheels. 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.
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