USPS Unveils New Lowrider Stamps as Celebration of Lowrider Car Culture

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has unveiled its new “Lowriders” stamps in celebration of lowrider car culture, which is rooted in working-class Mexican American / Chicano communities in East Los Angeles and across the American Southwest.

“At the Postal Service, we believe that every stamp tells a story,” said Albert Ruiz, a USPS spokesperson. “These stamps honor creativity, engineering [and] art, and celebrate pride and community.”

A lowrider is a customized automobile outfitted with smaller-than-factory wheels – or “rims,” preferably with wire spokes – that reduce its height. Many include dazzling paint jobs, crushed velvet upholstery and welded-chain steering wheels. In addition, a special hydraulic system allows the driver, at the touch of a button, to raise and lower the chassis or run the vehicle through tricks, such as driving on three wheels or “hopping” (bouncing).  

With a considerable amount of time, effort and expense, an older American car model can be transformed into a one-of-a-kind rolling masterpiece. Traditionally, groups of owners show off their rides by driving slowly – or “cruising.”

“A lowrider is a masterpiece of engineering and artistry, a rolling canvas of art. They are often painted with murals that tell stories of family, faith and history,” said Gary Barksdale, chief postal inspector for the USPS. “The lowrider culture is about creating a space to celebrate pride, a sense of belonging and building a community that is always there for each other.”  

Lowrider culture has captured the attention of people around the globe. Clubs have formed in Japan and numerous other countries. At the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, a gorgeous lowrider model stops visitors in their tracks, when they visit the third-floor exhibit. 

The Lowriders stamps feature five photo designs: a blue 1946 Chevrolet Fleetline; a green 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme; a blue 1958 Chevrolet Impala; an orange 1964 Chevrolet Impala; and a red 1963 Chevrolet Impala. 

Lowriders stamps are being issued in panes of 15 as Forever stamps, which never expire and are always valid for 1-ounce first-class mail. The stamps are available at USPS post office locations nationwide and online at www.usps.com/shopstamps.