PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — What began as a grassroots automotive movement within Mexican American and Chicano neighborhoods across the American Southwest has evolved into an internationally acclaimed art form featuring custom cars.
Starting in the 1940s and 1950s, car enthusiasts began modifying ordinary vehicles with spectacular paint jobs, shining chrome details, luxurious interiors and hydraulic mechanisms that enable the cars to cruise in their signature “low and slow” style.
The cultural movement, which was previously misinterpreted by many, has gained widespread appreciation as an expression of artistic talent, skilled workmanship and community heritage — recently receiving official acknowledgment from the U.S. Postal Service through a commemorative collection of forever stamps featuring these distinctive automobiles.
This photo gallery was assembled by Associated Press photo editors.
