20 Cars That Make Awesome Lowriders

Any enthusiast will be well aware that cars can be much more than simply a mode of transport. New York's MoMA held its first exhibition of automobiles in 1951, showcasing eight models that the museum's curators thought best displayed the relationship between America's rapidly evolving car culture and the art world. The exhibition focused on unmodified cars, but in doing so, it overlooked two key movements emerging on the other side of the country at the time: hot rods and lowriders. Devotees of the former focused on making their cars faster and more powerful, whereas the latter was all about forging an identity and making a statement.

Lowrider culture emerged in Los Angeles in the late '40s, with Mexican Americans buying and then modifying cars using money they'd earned during the Second World War. Unlike hot rodders, who focused on power, lowriders preferred to cruise "low and slow," with most modifications being centered around visual appeal rather than performance. Over the decades, these cars became increasingly elaborate, with vibrant paintwork, intricate murals, and hydraulic suspension.

Automobiles that started off as simple family haulers became rolling artworks, and fittingly, some of the most famous examples have since been shown in institutions like the Petersen Museum. Most, however, remain in the hands of those who made them or passed down through families. Many American classics can be made into lowriders, but these models stand out as top choices for anyone looking to build their own.

Lowriding continued to grow in popularity in the immediate decades after the war, hitting what many consider to be its golden era in the '60s and '70s. Several models grew to be particularly notable during the era, arguably none more so than the '64 Impala. Many high-profile '64 Impala builds exist, but one in particular stands out from the rest. The Gypsy Rose is a '64 Impala built by Jesse Valadez, most well known for its appearance in the opening scenes of the 1974 sitcom "Chico and the Man." The famous Gypsy Rose is the third car to bear the name — Valadez built two prior Impala lowriders, a '60 and a '63, with the '63 being the first to bear the distinctive rose design.

Unfortunately, that car was destroyed in a gang-related incident, prompting Valadez to build a new Impala even more extravagant than before. It featured 115 roses, along with leaves, cobwebs, and pinstriping, with each detail hand-painted by Walt Prey. The car is still under the Valadez family's ownership today, but in recent years it's been exhibited in the Petersen Museum and even shown at events in Japan.

The Gypsy Rose might be the most famous Impala lowrider, but it's far from the only reason that the '64 Impala is so sought-after. The "6-4's" appearances in TV shows, music videos, and other media have ensured that it's an icon even for those with only minimal knowledge of lowrider history.

While many of the most popular cars for lowriding are GM products, the Blue Oval is also well-represented in the community. Much like the '64 Impala, the low, classic lines of the '64 Galaxie make it a top candidate for lowrider conversion. Its stock engine makes it, again like many classic lowriders, slow by default. However, not all owners are so keen to leave it that way. One lowrider Galaxie that appeared at the SEMA show in 2017 featured a 482 cubic inch twin-turbo big block V8 under the hood, churning out 1,100 horsepower.

It sat just as low as any other lowrider, which helped hide the wide rear tires that ensured the Galaxie's engine could transfer all that power to the ground. Its rims were considerably larger than the usual 13-inch sets that lowriders prefer, presumably a necessity to fit the high-performance tires. Some might argue that, given its stripped-back appearance and high power output, this Galaxie wasn't a lowrider at all, but rather a hot rod. After all, the line between the two can sometimes be blurry. Whatever you want to call it, it's mighty impressive.

Like many great American cars from its era, the '66 Buick Riviera looks great straight from the factory. However, some would argue that almost any car's looks can be improved with the right modifications. Certainly, owners of Riviera lowriders would agree — unique paint, lower suspension, and all the usual flashy extras help differentiate their ride from the rest. The Riviera was first introduced in 1963 and aimed to incorporate European design elements while keeping a distinctly American overall shape.

A minor facelift was introduced for the 1965 model year, with a more thorough overhaul implemented in '66. A new, stretched hood was said to be one of the longest on the market at the time, but for lowrider builders today, that only means one thing: more room for intricate designs. Just over 45,000 examples of the Riviera were sold for the '66 model year, making it significantly rarer than many other lowrider favorites — for context, Chevy sold over 1 million examples of the Impala in '65.

Long, luxurious, and powered by a smooth V8 engine, the Lincoln Continental ticks all the right boxes for a lowrider. Mark V Continentals have been found at lowrider meets for decades, and have remained popular with a new generation of builders looking to emulate the cars they saw as children. The elongated hood and trunk make them a particularly striking sight with their hydraulics lifted — it doesn't take much for the back end of the car to scrape the floor while the front is several feet in the air.

Systems like this were originally born out of necessity for the lowrider community, but they've evolved over the years to become a symbol of the culture. The introduction of hydraulics can be traced back to a 1958 California law that banned cars from having any part of the body ride lower to the ground than the bottom of the wheel rims.

That made lowriders illegal to drive on the road, and so owners fitted hydraulic suspensions that could quickly revert to stock height when cops drove by. From there, the culture of "hoppers" evolved, with owners chasing ever more impressive ways of hitting switches. The Continental isn't usually found in hopping contests — at least, not classics like the '79 –]– but later '90s models have been successfully used for hopper builds. Instead, most '79 owners are content doing what owners of the stock Continental have always done: cruise the streets in style.

The '86 Buick Regal could become several different beasts depending on how it was optioned. At the most affordable end, the base-spec Regal was comfortable and luxurious, but its 110-horsepower V6 engine wasn't going to win any awards for performance. In the middle of the range sat a 307-cubic-inch V8 with a more respectable 140 horsepower. Then, at the top of the range sat the Turbo Regal, with a boosted V6 churning out 235 horsepower. It was crowned by journalists of the era as America's fastest car, beating anything on offer from Chevy or Ford.

A tire-shredding muscle car might not seem like the ideal platform for a lowrider, but builds have appeared over the years sporting the turbo engine. Others prefer to use the mid-spec, Oldsmobile-built V8. Aside from its powertrain, the Regal ticks all the other key boxes for lowrider readiness: an old-school look, a plush interior, and plenty of room in the trunk for those all-important hydraulic systems.

While Chevys are the most common bombs, models like the Pontiac Torpedo also make similarly good starting points for a project. The Torpedo was first launched in 1939 and continued to be produced until 1948, although production was halted during the Second World War. The '47 and '48 model years are the most popular models to find in running condition today, simply by virtue of the large number of examples produced for each model year. Although, earlier examples make just as good a platform for a lowrider project.

The stock or straight-6 straight-8 engines are not the easiest to find parts for, and they're slow even by low-rider standards. As a result, many owners opt to swap in more modern Pontiac or Chevy V8 engines instead. The engine bay is large enough to fit a wide range of GM V8 engines, so exactly what an owner opts for will come down to budget, personal preference, and how much they're aiming to boost their car's performance.

The third-generation Monte Carlo was smaller and lighter than its predecessor, following GM's lineup-wide revision of its models. It debuted in '78 and was produced for only three model years in total. Changes between model years were only minimal, with all years receiving a 20-cubic-inch V6 as a base option. Buyers with more to spend could upgrade to either a gas or diesel V8. None of the third-generation Monte Carlo's engine options were particularly fast, even compared to earlier iterations of the car. But, that wasn't much of a problem for buyers looking to cruise low and slow.

Nonetheless, some '79 Monte Carlo lowriders today feature engine modifications or performance upgrades, especially those with the base V6 under the hood. While most owners would argue that a lowrider can never be too low, it seems that being too slow is still a sticking point for some enthusiasts.

Throughout the late '70s and early '80s, few other cars could match the commercial success of the Oldsmobile Cutlass. It topped the sales charts every year from 1978 through 1981, then again in 1983. By the late '80s, however, its star had begun to fade. Americans began favoring smaller, more nimble cars, with the Ford Escort taking the sales crown in 1987. Despite losing its appeal to buyers at the time, the '87 Cutlass has enjoyed better longevity among enthusiasts than the Escort, in part due to its appeal as an affordable base for modified car projects. It's not uncommon to find '87 Cutlass Supremes converted into drag cars, but they can also frequently be spotted at lowrider meets.

The engines underneath each build vary considerably — some '87 Cutlasses left the factory with a six-cylinder that was borrowed from Buick's lineup, some featured Oldsmobile's 307 cubic inch V8, and other builds choose to rip out the original engine altogether for something more modern and powerful.

What remains across nearly all great Cutlass lowriders, however, is the intricacy of the exterior and interior design. Despite downsizing from the previous generation car, the '87 Cutlass still packs plenty of sheet metal real estate for mural artists and pinstripers to work their magic. That ensures that each lowrider is far removed from the stock Cutlass' run-of-the-mill roots.

Although it's the '64 Impala that remains the most iconic for many enthusiasts, the '67 Impala is pretty close behind. The fourth generation Impala first launched for the '65 model year and continued to see iterative improvements through '67, helping to catapult the car to new sales highs in the process. This popularity has ensured that plenty of examples continue to be available nearly 60 years later in a wide range of conditions.

That last part is particularly key to the Impala's appeal: those with the budget can source a clean example and load it up with expensive parts and accessories, but others with less cash to spend can still restore a rusted-out example without breaking the bank. The end result, when done properly, will still look just as eye-catching either way. The clean lines of the '67 Impala mean that there's no need to go too crazy with the paint designs either — although that doesn't stop some owners from layering on the candy paint.

While cars from the '50s, '60s, and '70s formed the backbone of the lowrider community for decades, continuing the tradition for the modern era inevitably means incorporating more recent models into the fold. One model that's risen in popularity in recent years is the third-generation Lincoln Town Car, which debuted for the 1998 model year and remained in production until 2011. A big, heavy, luxurious sedan, the third-gen Town Car shares many of the key elements that make big body classics so appealing, but it doesn't come with any of the common problems that most 50- to 60-year-old cars will inevitably bring.

It's also affordable to buy used, and should continue to be for the foreseeable future since there are so many examples still on the road. Lowriders built out of modern cars always draw attention — take, for example, the Tesla Model Y on wire wheels that appeared at SEMA 2023. Unlike the Tesla, however, a Town Car still boasts that old-school V8 charm that will win over purists and pioneers alike.