What Are Lowrider Car Shows About?
And who goes to these shows?
For many enthusiasts, lowrider car shows are the equivalent of a religious convention. They inspire and motivate, raising the bar for lowrider cars across the country and they result in higher standards of excellence. Those who would worship at the chrome altar agree that such events bring together a community of likeminded people, all with similar goals in mind: to observe and exhibit, to congratulate and receive praise and to salivate at the sheer range of vehicles on display. Anyone who attends lowrider car shows goes for the spectacle and the opportunity to mix it with others who share their passion.
Out-of-towners book their trips up to a year in advance and turn up at the show toting compact photo albums of their machines to display a private gallery to anyone interested. Never mind happy snaps of the grandkiddies; these pictures are of the four-wheeled, not the two-legged family favorite variety. Lowrider car shows bring together that big happy club of car lovers who prefer their automobiles almost scraping the ground. It's a public party where you pay admission but you get to drool over acres and acres of floor space dedicated to the country's top lowrider machines, their accessories and the people who put their souls into them.
Why is there such a romance behind lowriders? Well, nostalgia for one thing. Over fifty years ago, the post-World War II era of youthful exuberance saw adolescents and their friends piling into big cars and heading to the beach or the drive-in movie theater for fun and thrills. While the all-American kids were jacking their cars up, the Chicano boys from the barrios were adjusting the suspension so that their cars were just a few inches from the bitumen. Competition between the cultures was fierce, with street racing practically a national sport in the 1950's. Lowrider car shows revisit this history and remind everyone what it felt like to be young and carefree.
In addition to the voyeur factor, lowrider car shows offer trophies and prize money for a range of contests such as "Champion Car Of Show", "Best Import", "Most Authentic Restoration" and so on. The prizes are often sponsored by a motoring magazine or car club and even if the windfall is not particularly lucrative, entrants try their luck for the sheer prestige of taking home the honor.
At lowrider car shows, visitors can meet with suppliers to the industry, learn about the history, obtain information and sometimes participate in a memorabilia auction or buy collectibles. There are often seminars on topics ranging from improving gas economy to how to safely transport show cars.
'Boy toy' events such as lowrider car shows are not complete without the presence of hot girls in revealing clothes. Models are hired to add extra style to the occasion and definitely ramp up the testosterone levels a notch or two. Having said that, the shows attract people from all sectors of the community who share the interest, and it's not uncommon to see children attending with grandparents keen to tell a story or two about the good old days.