Low and slow, the enduring style of lowrider culture in photos

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Sandy Avila, right, drives her 1966 Chevy Impala SS at the 6th Annual Lady Lowrider Cruise Night in celebration of International Women's Day in Pasadena, Calif., on Sunday, March 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Sandy Avila, left, driving a 1966 Chevy Impala SS, high-fives a fellow lowrider at the 6th Annual Lady Lowrider Cruise Night in celebration of International Women's Day in Pasadena, Calif., on Sunday, March 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) — Sandy Avila, right, drives her 1966 Chevy Impala SS at the 6th Annual Lady Lowrider Cruise Night in celebration of International Women's Day in Pasadena, Calif., on Sunday, March 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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9:08 PM on Thursday, March 12

By DAMIAN DOVARGANES

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — Born in Mexican American and Chicano communities of the American Southwest, lowrider culture has grown from neighborhood boulevards into a globally recognized form of automotive art.

Emerging in the 1940s and ’50s, enthusiasts transformed everyday cars with dazzling paint, gleaming chrome, plush interiors and hydraulic systems that allow the vehicles to glide “low and slow.”

Once misunderstood, the movement is now celebrated as a symbol of creativity, craftsmanship and cultural pride — even earning recognition from the U.S. Postal Service with a new series of forever stamps honoring the iconic cars.

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The dateline has been updated to correct the spelling of Pasadena.

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This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.