PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — Born in Mexican American and Chicano communities of the American Southwest, lowrider culture has grown from neighborhood boulevards into a globally recognized form of automotive art.

Emerging in the 1940s and ’50s, enthusiasts transformed everyday cars with dazzling paint, gleaming chrome, plush interiors and hydraulic systems that allow the vehicles to glide “low and slow.”

Once misunderstood, the movement is now celebrated as a symbol of creativity, craftsmanship and cultural pride — even earning recognition from the U.S. Postal Service with a new series of forever stamps honoring the iconic cars.

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The dateline has been updated to correct the spelling of Pasadena.

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