You can read the article Joe Ray wrote here on Lowrider's website.
A bit about Joe Ray, from Lowrider:
All my dreams have four wheels. My childhood fascination with Matchbox cars, Hot Wheels, and Revell plastic model cars grew as I got older. Cantwell High School Parking lot and the iconic Whittier Boulevard in East L.A became my automotive playground as both of these locations were considered home of the Lowrider. This was the early ’70’s and while Muscle cars thrived, my heart and soul belonged to the custom painted Lowriders. I especially favored the ’60’s and ’70’s styles of Buick Rivieras, Chevrolet Caprices, and Lincoln Continentals. I purchased my first Lowrider in 1975 and joined Lifestyle Car Club a few month later. As time passed I became more involved with customizing cars because of car show competition and have built some of the most popular Lowriders in the industry. Three decades later in 2006, I was elected into the Lowrider Hall of Fame and a year or so after I was offered the dream job of Editor for Lowrider Magazine. I feel fortunate to be the voice of our culture and express to the world why Lowrider Magazine will forever remain the number one authority in our automotive culture. Under my guidance, the magazine remains committed to extolling the virtues of hard work, creativity, and raising the bar for automotive modification.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. During this time, it also featured cartoonist David Gonzales' monthly comic strip The Adventures of Hollywood, which eventually morphed into theHomies line of toy figurines.
In June 1988, original co-founder Larry Gonzalez along with brothers Alberto and Lonnie Lopez 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 take place all over the Western U.S.
