10 Old-School Cars That Gave Birth to Lowrider Culture

One of the most beautiful things about lowrider culture is it allows the ultimate expression of individuality across an automotive canvas. There are no restrictions on which cars or trucks can be slammed to the ground, danced with airbags, or popped into three-wheel motion with hydraulics, but there are definitely some models that helped pave the way for what modern lowrider culture has become.

Here are 10 old-school cars that had a huge influence on the lowrider scene.

Chevrolet Impala

It’s impossible to discuss the history of lowriders without highlighting the importance of the Chevrolet Impala. Many early lowriders wore the Chevy badge because the cars were affordable to buy and featured bodywork and bumpers that wouldn’t drag when dropped as low to the ground as possible (especially compared to Fords of the era).

The Impala has been popular as a lowrider since the second-generation car appeared at the end of the 1950s, with the 1959 model’s dramatic tail fins giving it a distinctive appearance. It’s the 1961–1964 editions, however, that have been burned into the public consciousness as the prototypical lowrider. This was due to having an axle both in the original Chicano culture that gave birth to the phenomenon and another in the world of hip-hop, which adopted the ’64 Impala as an icon. The Impala continued to feature prominently among lowrider fans until the body-on-frame version of the car was taken out of production in the mid-1980s.

Mercury Eight

As important as the Impala is to lowrider culture, it was far from the first car to get the low-and-slow treatment. The Mercury Eight, specifically the 1949–1951 model, was a staple of early hot-rod culture in the form of the “lead sled,” which in addition to featuring a chopped roof was often given a significant suspension drop.

That, combined with the huge exposure given to the model by the James Dean movie Rebel Without a Cause, led to serious cross-pollination with lowrider fans, and it remains one of the most prominent cars from the immediate post-WW2 years in modern lowriding.

Chevrolet Advance Design/C10 Pickups

Remember when we said Chevrolet was over-represented among lowrider fans? This wasn’t just limited to cars: There are at least two generations of Chevy pickups out there that have become staples of the scene.

Starting in the late 1940s and moving into the middle of the following decade, the Chevrolet “Advance Design” truck (as it was then known) was a strong choice for lowrider builders. Simple to work on and inexpensive to buy, these trucks also offered plenty of room in the cargo bed for hydraulic suspension setups and air compressors once that technology began to supplant static suspension setups.

Nearly 20 years later, another Chevrolet pickup model—the 1973–1986 “square body” C10—also became a lowrider favorite, for many of the same reasons. Given its extremely long production run and huge aftermarket support, the C10 continues to put in a strong showing as a lowrider platform to this day.

Lincoln Continental

The 1961–1969 Lincoln Continental represents a high-water mark of American automotive design, and its slab sides and rear-hinged doors echo through the industry decades after it left production. It also made an outsize impression in the lowrider community, where its imposing proportions made it a popular choice well after it had outlived its original glory years.

Much of that reflected glory also buffed up the reputation of the Mark series of Continental coupes that followed the sedan into the 1970s. With their hideaway headlights and acres of hood, these gigantic cars were perfect for hopping and dropping.

Chevrolet Monte Carlo

In 1973 General Motors introduced the Colonnade cars, a group of largish midsize models that sat near the top of their respective lineups in the Buick, Chevrolet, Pontiac, and Oldsmobile families. Of these, the Chevrolet Monte Carlo developed a cult following, one that eventually expanded into the lowrider community.

That love affair continued into the 1980s when the Monte Carlo was downsized onto the G-body platform—but as we’ll soon see, the G-body had a pair of heroes of its own that outshone the Chevrolet as time moved on.

Buick Regal/Oldsmobile Cutlass

When the G-body appeared, General Motors pulled its typical “spray and pray” strategy, giving nearly every one of its brands a crack at building a coupe on the body-on-frame design. Gobs and gobs of these rear-wheel-drive two-doors were produced, many of them with V-8 power, and their ubiquity and style made them prime targets for lowrider builders.

In particular, two models have stood the test of time as hot lowrider platforms: the Buick Regal and the Oldsmobile Cutlass.

It’s become a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy, as the mechanical and aesthetic knowledge base around modifying these cars is enormous, making them even more attractive over the years for those looking to get involved in the lowrider world. Throw in the low cost of entry, and it’s easy to see why the Regal and Cutlass are towering figures in lowrider culture.

Chevrolet S-10 Pickup

Ever since the very first mini trucks arrived on the scene in the 1970s, they’ve attracted enthusiasts looking to express themselves with a custom vehicle. Starting in 1982 and stretching all the way to the 1990s, the Chevrolet S-10 pickup quickly became a go-to among lowrider fans curious about the mini-truck scene. In some ways, with its box-twirling antics, it was even wilder than the full-size slammed pickup world that preceeded it.

The S-10 follows a pattern that should by now be familiar on this list of popular lowrider options: cheap to buy, simple to work on, and with plenty of space to add trick suspension gear, what with the wide-open bed area. It also doesn’t hurt that these vehicles were built by the millions, making them readily available to anyone who wanted to try their hand at getting involved with lowriders.

Cadillac Eldorado

The 1980s brought more upscale fare for those who wanted to push a classier lowrider down the block. Cadillac had fallen on hard times during the ’70s as its prestige was pushed to the side by anemic, smog-choked engines and high-tech European imports. But the 1979–1985 Eldorado still had cachet among lowrider enthusiasts who admired the large coupe’s squared-off lines and the potential offered by its full-frame design.

As the decade went on and Eldorado prices dropped precipitously on the secondhand market, these cars found their way into the hands of those looking for an upgrade over a G-body. The collector market still hasn’t caught up to the ’80s Eldo, allowing builders to put most of their money into modifications instead of the purchase price.

Cadillac Fleetwood

Let’s say you had more friends than you could fit inside a two-door coupe but still wanted a Cadillac crest on the front of your lowrider. Enter the Brougham sedan, a car that carried forward the brand’s rear-wheel-drive tradition when most of the rest of the fleet had moved to front-wheel locomotion.

This was a boon to lowrider fans, making it much easier to modify. It was also an imposing piece of machinery, with its upright grille and chunky styling, making it the perfect choice for over-the-top expressions of frame-scraping design. Arriving in 1987, the Brougham was gone by 1992 but lived on spiritually in the Fleetwood sedan, which had by then moved to the same D-body platform (which it sat on until 1996).

Chevrolet Caprice/Impala SS

Almost as important as the original Impala lowriders and the see-them-everywhere G-bodies is the Chevrolet Caprice. Not one but two generations of Chevy’s full-size sedan (and, more rarely, coupe) have left their imprint on lowrider culture.

The first is the “box,” the name given to the squared-off Caprices that were sold from 1977 to 1990. Also offered with the Impala badge (with very few differences between the two models), these cars became the template for ’80s lowriders alongside their smaller G-body siblings thanks to similar attributes (body-on-frame, rear-wheel drive, V-8 power) and the huge number that were built for both taxi and police fleet use.

In 1991 the box gave way to the “bubble,” the more rounded generation Caprice that lasted until 1996. Although it featured a more modern drivetrain and a cabin that was considerably more comfortable, its design details remained strikingly similar to the box under the new body. This made it possible to transfer previous knowledge about modifying the Chevrolet with minimum hassle, ensuring it remained popular in lowrider culture.

This was also true of the high-performance Impala SS available from 1994 to 1996, a car that was functionally no different from its more affordable bubble twin.