For most people, a car is just a means of transportation. But there are some people for whom a car is a way of self-expression, or even a canvas on which they pour out everything that has accumulated in them. Of course, it is worth remembering that this is not the cheapest “canvas”.
Lowrider
Lowriders are cars with low clearance, the main task of which is to impress people around by its effective look. And sometimes even the damage to running characteristics does not count!
The uniqueness of such cars is reached not only due to low clearance, but also due to external tuning of the car. Often, the body of low riders is painted in exclusive colors, sometimes with the drawings of gangster themes, which are applied with airbrush equipment.
Moldings and other external decorative elements of the car are chromed or covered with gold dusting. The abundance of chrome is characteristic not only for the car body – the engine, the whole suspension, the under body and the exhaust system are subject to chrome plating. It gives the low rider fantastic look, especially at night, when wheel arches are illuminated from within with neon light – everything shines and sparkles.
The important element of low rider’s exterior is a set of disks. The range of disks is not only limited by the spoke wheels, which are now considered as “classics of the genre”. You can also see the low rider on regular stamped rims with chrome-plated hubcaps.
Drag Racer
Drag racing is a racing event that is a 402-meter (1⁄4 mile) sprint. Less frequent races are 1⁄2 mile (approx. 804 m), 1/8 mile (201 m), or the measured mile (1609 m). In fact, drag racing is an acceleration race held on a straight track. Races of this type became particularly popular in the U.S., where they are held for more than half a century. The most common disciplines are racing cars, motorcycles, and boats with piston engines. For Ford owners: best synthetic oil for ford 6.7 diesel.
Swangas
Swangas are car fashions inspired by the automobile rims with spokes, which were standard on 1983 and 1984 Cadillacs.
But very soon the Swangas culture began to be banned by local authorities because the rims were made extremely large. Swangas enthusiasts attributed this to their unique style, but the common sense and safety of the authorities helped them ban their use in Texas and Louisiana (where the trend gained the most traction).
Hot Rod
The hot rod is a car, originally American, with serious modifications designed to achieve the highest possible speed.
The roadsters were chosen for conversion into hot-rods most often because of their low weight. Often fenders, hoods and other add-on parts of the body were taken off the cars for additional relief, which gave such cars very specific appearance, which later became kind of “classics”. An indispensable accessory of hot-rods – big rear wheels, allowing to realize the engine power to the fullest extent.
The term appeared in the early 30s of the XX century in southern California, where races were held on the tuned cars at the bottom of dried-up lakes northeast of Los Angeles. The activity of racing increased dramatically after World War II, as demobilized soldiers had the technical knowledge necessary to repair and tuning cars, and the rapid postwar change in the model ranges of American car companies dramatically reduced the already low prices of used cars, giving people free access to any units and assemblies. In addition, hot-rods were popularized by the movie industry in the 1950s.
Art Deco
After the First World War there were many new trends in art, among which stands out the direction of Art Deco. It penetrated into painting, architecture and, strangely enough, into the automotive industry. The luxurious models of that time are reminiscent of the cars in the Batman comics. You will find an example here.
During the Great Depression of the 1930s, when people didn’t know where to get their bread, automakers vied with one another to introduce luxury car models. Ford, Alfa Romeo, Bugatti, Talbot and Delahaye radically changed their approach to car production in order to attract an already limited range of buyers.
The development of aerodynamics and art deco style led to the fact that high-end models received a completely new streamlined design (teardrop shape), different from the “square” cars. In addition, the cars were stuffed with options ahead of their time (such as front-wheel drive or electric windshield wipers).
We hope that our article has helped you understand it.
