The U.S. Postal Service unveiled a new series of postage stamps celebrating lowrider car culture on Friday, according to the Associated Press. The stamps are being unveiled during a celebration in San Diego.
The series features five custom cars with pinstriping. The five designs include a 1946 Chevy Fleetline, three classic Chevy Impalas, and a 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme.
Antonio Alcalá, the postal service’s art director, designed the stamps. He described the stamp effort as a way to reflect what the United States finds important about “our people” and “our accomplishments” and said that, “So to have it commemorated on a stamp is a big deal.”
Alcalá said the stamps are intended to “represent the best of America.” He also said the selection of cars and colors required finding the right mix to depict the lowrider world, explaining that he pored over “tons of photographs” before narrowing the designs to the five cars ultimately chosen.
For pinstriping, Alcalá watched a video of Danny Alvarado pinstriping a car, and he said the finish would become the final touch for the corner of each stamp. Alvarado, an illustrator and sculptor who has spent about 50 years perfecting his craft, also teaches others how to “spin the brush” correctly, according to the report.
The Associated Press reported that Alvarado’s work on the stamp project carries personal meaning for him as well. The story said Alvarado’s father worked as a mail carrier for more than 20 years, and the stamp effort marks another milestone for him as lowrider culture gains new fans and more respect.
Lowrider culture traces its roots to Mexican American and Chicano neighborhoods in the American Southwest, the report said, and it has spread beyond regional communities. The Associated Press described lowriders as appearing in mainstream car culture globally, including references to exhibitions such as those at the Smithsonian’s National Mall.
The AP also said cruising restrictions in some cities in the 1980s targeted Chicano youth and associated lowriders with gangs despite the community’s emphasis on artistry and family. It said restrictions have been rolled back in recent years, including California repealing cruising bans in 2024.
In New Mexico, the report said lawmakers celebrated Lowrider Day at the state capitol last year, even though a proposal to enshrine the lowrider as New Mexico’s state vehicle did not gain enough support.
Roberto Hernández, founder and president of the San Francisco Lowrider Council, told the AP he feels the stamp unveiling is recognition for lowriders. Hernández said he feels “like we got the final stamp of approval as lowriders.” Danny Alvarado, speaking from his home in Monrovia, California, said “I mean the lowriding community is so excited about these stamps,” and added that people he has spoken with “just can’t wait till they come out.”
The stamps also reflect the work of Humberto “Beto” Mendoza, whose photographs were used as the basis of three of the stamp designs, according to the report. The AP said Mendoza described lowrider culture as both “a family affair and a big melting pot,” and cited his photography of an “El Rey,” a red 1963 Chevrolet Impala that is featured on one of the stamps and is on display at the National Museum of American History.
Mendoza said he had been a fan long before he built his career photographing lowriders. The report said he attributes his early start to his father, a Mexican immigrant, who taught him how to frame images and later bought him his first real camera.
The AP reported that Mendoza was surprised by the stamp project and said it arrived at a meaningful time after he suffered a stroke in 2022. He told the newspaper, “We’re usually outcasted, you know, so them acknowledging us in this community is historic,” and added, “We feel accepted now.”