For decades, lowrider culture had an outlaw stigma — long associated with gangs and criminal activity. Some cities and states even cracked down on custom cars through bans on cruising and lowrider modifications. Those stereotypes are now giving way to mainstream popularity and official recognition.
The U.S. Postal Service released a lowrider-themed collection of Forever Stamps in San Diego earlier this year. And the Smithsonian Institution is embracing the culture through an exhibition, “Cultura Lowrider en los Estados Unidos,” that will be traveling across the country through 2029.
It’s supposed to be making stops in Scottsdale, Tucson, New Mexico, Texas, Kansas and California. Meanwhile, here in Arizona, a small Valley town with deep lowrider roots has just celebrated a major milestone for its marquee car show.
‘They all want to come this way’
An adobe-style mercado along South Avenida del Yaqui in Guadalupe is typically home to a barbershop, restaurant and even a boxing ring. But each April, this fenced-off patio in the heart of the tiny town — just east of Phoenix — turns into a jam-packed parking lot.
It’s full of colorful lowriders — all sorts of makes and models…