Editor-in-chief Joe Ray Frequency Monthly Total circulation
(December 2015) 32,523 | Categories Automobile magazine Publisher Ricardo Gonzalez Year founded 1976 | |
Lowrider is an American automobile magazine, focusing almost exclusively on the style known as a lowrider. It first appeared in 1977, produced out of San Jose, California, by a trio of San Jose State students. As of 2007, it is published out of Anaheim, California, and part of TEN: The Enthusiast Network (formerly Source Interlink Media).
Contents
Lowrider focuses on all aspects of lowrider culture, from cars to music and fashion. It also covers political and cultural issues related to Chicanos, and funds an annual scholarship program. The magazine has also released a series of music videos through their label, Thump Records.
Lowrider's monthly circulation is less than 33,000, but the magazine sells less newsstand copies than any other U.S. car magazine — probably due in large part to the lack of bikini-clad women featured on the cover that used to grace each issue. (In 2000, the magazine's monthly circulation was more than 200,000, which now is a significant drop in circulation.)
History
Lowrider was founded in the mid-1970s by San Jose State students Larry Gonzalez, Sonny Madrid, and David Nunez, "who sought to present a voice for the Chicano community in the Bay Area." The first issue debuted in January 1977. Essentially self-distributed, the magazine struggled until the November 1979 issue, when it began pairing bikini-clad women with lowriders on the cover each issue. During this time, it also featured cartoonist David Gonzales' monthly comic strip The Adventures of Hollywood, which eventually morphed into the Homies line of toy figurines. Even so, after being taken over by its printer, Lowrider folded in December 1985.
The magazine was revived in June 1988 by original co-founder Larry Gonzalez along with brothers Alberto and Lonnie Lopez. They moved the magazine's headquarters to Fullerton, California (closer to the heart of lowrider culture), and began featuring customized trucks on the cover.
As the magazine increased readership through the late 1980s and early 90s it spun-off other titles, established a merchandising division, and began sponsoring multi-annual lowrider shows which took place all over the Western U.S.
Lowrider Publishing Group was acquired in 1997 by automotive periodicals conglomerate McMullen Argus Publishing, which was itself acquired in 1999 by Primedia. In 2007, Lowrider was taken over by Source Interlink Media, now known as TEN: The Enthusiast Network.
Cover models
Women featured on the cover of Lowrider over the years include Alexis Amore, Jami Deadly, Staci Flood, Sunny Leone, Ashley Massaro, Nina Mercedez, Candice Michelle, Cherie Roberts, and Arban Severin.