Breaking the lowrider stigma

By Frank Espinoza
Mail

Phoenix is a hub for American cars from the 1950s through the 1970s driving along in the Phoenix area, covered with intricate paint jobs with murals and designs.

Cars with a suspension slammed so it’s just inches off the ground, and an interior of leather and chromed parts and 13-inch tires will probably drive by you if you’re on the lookout in the downtown area.

This style was made famous within Mexican American culture or Chicano culture dating back to the 1950s.

The Valley, with a large Hispanic population and culture, has a deep-rooted lowrider scene that has evolved over decades.

The Sophisticated Few Car Club is one of those groups, started by  friends and family from south Phoenix in April 1974. It is one of the oldest car clubs in Phoenix and its members have been building custom lowriders for decades.

Clay Zapien, a club member and lowrider owner, reflected on the club’s beginnings s a group of car enthusiasts who loved working on their rides and who went cruising on the streets of Central Avenue to show off their cars in the downtown streets.

The car club grew in popularity and so did its once meager intentions. Members started by hosting car shows, painting, decorating, remodeling and installing suspensions and hydraulics into vintage vehicles.

Now the club isn’t limiting itself to serving the car community, but actively giving into the community by showing up to events and participating by fundraising, donating and being present in the community of Phoenix.

Now the club is a nonprofit organization hoping to one day to operate out of a central location, but as of now they are focused on serving undeserved communities and families in need of help.

Zapian said once you join the club you are part of a family. The club’s members and leaders are made up of family members looking to pass on their roles in the club as wells as their cars for their children and grandchildren to keep.

“Chicanos culture and lowrider culture comes from taking pride in something, other than family. Back in the ’60s and ’70s, it was tough for Chicanos. There were hurdles that they had to go over and a lot of racism that still exists. But the kids in that time were getting active in the American dream by owning your own car and being Mexican. We take pride in what we own and especially our cars,” Zapian said.

Chicanos wanted to take pride and construct a car that stood out to others. They had limited resources at the time, so many were self-taught mechanics who learned how to fix up the cars, paint, and add the famous hydraulics system lift, lower and even make the car hop in an exaggerated fashion,

“The first hydraulic system came from pieces from an aircraft landing gear that some Chicano who was probably in the military, they learned to install and build it from that experience into the car,” Zapian stated.

He estimates a lowrider can cost a anywhere from $10,000 to more than $100,000 to upgrade the mechanical work, not to mention trying to restore what is a vintage car.

But the love of the art form and the people you meet along the way of owning a lowrider, it’s well worth it, Zapian said.

The club has grown in the community of Phoenix, helping with any organization looking to partner and wants help in supporting events seeking donations and charity.

In the past they have worked with people like Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns to give back to Hispanic families in need of items and toys for their children.

In December 2022, Booker came out to a Christmas event in 2022 in the south side of phoenix. He showed up in 1959 Chevrolet Impala that was appreciated by the lowrider community.

Booker donated clothing to families associated with the Roman Home thats supports fostered children in Arizona.

“We’ve wanted to take the car club to another level and step out of the street level and step into an organization level like Saint Vincent de Paul or Chicanos Por La Causa. We want to get a facility so that we can get donation form other car clubs and motorcycles clubs to our location so we can go out and distribute,” Zapien said.

Supporting the community
A longtime parter of the car club is Chicanos Por La Causa, a nonprofit organization based in Arizona that has worked with the community and volunteered to give back to those who need it.

Zambri Araiza, CPLC Community Center Program supervisor, said they have a deep respect and admiration for the car club and its involvement within the Latino community.

“The mission of Sophisticated Few Car Club is to share the love for lowriders, family and community. To encourage participation in the hobby by both young and old, in the art of building and restoring lowriders and bikes and to use our events and activities to do good by helping and contributing to our communities and local charities,” Araiza said.

They first came in contact through social media with CPLC inviting the club to support an event they were hosting, Araiza said.

Since then they have been supporting each other. Whenever CPLC hosts an event, the car club is always welcome and brings not just the cars and motorcycles but also kicks back with guests to enjoy music, food and engaging with the public and share the resources that CPLC offers or can help in.

“The low rider community comes hand and hand with supporting the community events. But lowrider aren’t just cars, its artistic expression and it’s Chicano art in essence. They provide art to our events as people can walk up close to these lowriders and admire the details and craftsmanship," Araiza said.

Every culture has their art forms and the lowrider cars are the ultimate artistic expression, and for Chicanos this is there culture.

“We are confident that this car club will continue on for generations to come. It’s a family built club and that will never change,” Araiza said.

Frank Espinoza
Reporter | Daily Independent

fespinoza@iniusa.org

Frank Espinoza is a recent graduate of Northern Arizona University from the beginning of 2022. He prides himself on covering topics that give a spotlight to individuals or groups who give back to the community. He has covered local sports, community events, and important issues that impact the state. In his spare time, he loves to watch Street League Skateboarding and hang out at Cowtown Skateboards in Goodyear.