LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Lowriders
built 606 days ago
Lowriders are riding high. For instance, the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles recently opened an exhibition titled "La Vida Lowrider: Cruising the City of Angels." It includes 21 cars, several bicycles, pedal cars, scale models, photographs and other images from the lowrider culture of Los Angeles. This is not the museum's first exploration of the subject. In 2000, it held a show called "Arte y Estilo: The Lowriding Tradition." "We always thought about revisiting the subject," said
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Lowriders, choppers or cruisers, they are a South West American invention, just like the surf board, the in-line skates, skate boards and the Beach Boys. All these cool lowriders are straight from the California beach style.
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Lowriders are often custom vehicles designed to look flashy with expensive custom paintjobs. They traditionally have small solid or chrome spoke wheels. They ... have a number of exterior body enhancements such as neon or LED lights, curb-feelers, tinted windows, spoilers, and fifth wheels. Some of the more detailed vehicles have engine and exhaust modifications and beautifications. The interiors of these vehicles are elaborately done up with leather or velvet or with a variety of lights, gold or chrome accents, and woodgrain panels. The iconic chain link steering wheel is also part of the entire interior setup of the vehicle.
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Traditional lowriders are cars from the early 1960s onwards such as the Chevy Impala, Chevrolet Monte Carlo, Buick Regal, Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, Lincoln Continentals, and Pontiac Grand Prix. Some pass for restored stock vehicles, though others are radically modified to the extent of becoming pure show cars. Modifications like targa tops, suicide doors and the like are common on show cars because more modifications mean more points are given by judges. The quality of the modifications in terms of execution is an important criterium for judging.
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Many Chicanos responded enthusiastically to a periodical created by Chicanos for Chicanos, and the magazine featured lowriders, pachucos, cholos, and cultural symbols of Chicano barrio life. Over time, LRM made it possible for lowrider culture to expand across ethnic, class, gender, and geographic boundaries. Such outreach has brought lowriding to African Americans, Asian Americans, and members of other cultural groups, adding to its vitality. Though other magazines endeavor to capture the lowrider lifestyle, LRM has achieved international popularity, creating a means by which all lowriding enthusiasts can unite and celebrate the culture.
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Unfortunately this popularity was short lived, because the lowriders were overshadowed by a new bike fad the BMX bike. However, a resurge of lowrider popularity developed again in the 1970s when Mexicano kids began to customize their bikes to be lowriders. Bike manufacturers noticed this trend and began to manufacture lowriders again.
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Lowriders