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“Panty Raid”
Danny Galvez’ 1966 Chevrolet Impala lowrider – “Panty Raid” – waits on a residential street, while members of Lifestyle Car Club attend a quinceañera for a club member’s daughter. Los Angeles, California, 2005. Photography © Martin Hoyem.
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Car club meeting
Members of Lifestyle Car Club meet at a gas station parking lot in East LA. In the foreground, “Apocalypse Now,” a 1965 Chevrolet Impala. Los Angeles, California, 2005. Photography © Martin Hoyem.
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Car club plaque
The plaque hanging in the rear window of this car, signals that the owner of the car is a member of Lifestyle Car Club. No merchandise with the Lifestyle logo is available to non-members of the club. Los Angeles, California, 2005. Photography © Martin Hoyem.
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Mural
Like a vision emerging from the clouds, a siren beckons from a door panel at a car show sponsored by Lowrider Magazine. Art by Fonzy. Photography © 2005 Martin Hoyem.
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Mural and pinstripes
Lowrider car – a 1964 Chevrolet Impala called Crème Puff from Techniques Car Club – at a show arranged by Lifestyle Car Club. Los Angeles, California, 2005. Mural by Yasu of Japan. Photography © Martin Hoyem.
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In the garage
Tim Rodriguez’ “Gold Digger,” a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air, parked in a shop owned by a Lifestyle Car Club member. Outside the club members gather for one of their regular meetings. Los Angeles, California, 2005. Photography © Martin Hoyem.
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“Gold Digger”
The woman holding the smoking pistol in the mural is depicted sitting on a chair resembling the rear part of a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air. The car on which this mural is painted – “Gold Digger” – is also a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air. Los Angeles, California, 2005. Photography © Martin Hoyem.
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Wire wheels and 5.20’s
A lowrider car will typically have knock-off wire wheels and 5.20 tires. The 5.20 Premium Sportways are bias ply tires which – because of safety issues – went out of production some years ago. This means that they are quite hard to come by. Los Angeles, California, 2005. Photography © Martin Hoyem.
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Quinceañera
Lowriders from Lifestyle Car Club have parked on a residential street as they attend the quinceañera of a club member’s daughter. The first car is a 1976 Chevrolet Malibu. Behind it is “Apocalypse Now,” a 1965 Chevrolet Impala. Los Angeles, California, 2005. Photography © Martin Hoyem.
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Pachuco style
The teenagers in front of this car, dressed in the style of 1940 pachuco’s, are attending a quinceañera. They will be chauffeured to church, and other ceremonial locations, in cars from Lifestyle Car Club. This tangerine 1966 Buick Riviera is named “Sun Goddess.” Los Angeles, California, 2005. Photography © Martin Hoyem.
Southern California Lowriders
Los Angeles 2005
In 2005, while he was doing fieldwork among lowriders in the southwestern states of USA, American Ethnography Quasimonthly’s owner and editor Martin Hoyem photographed the people he met and their cars. Here are some of his photographs.
- American Ethnography Quasimonthly is published by the Intercontinental Institute for Awesome Anthropology and Ethnographic Excellence
- © 2010, 2011, 2012