Our Stories San Diego’s Lowriding Legacy By Alberto López Pulido, Ph.D. USD Professor of Ethnic Studies
The Bean Bandits The birth of car customization in the United States began in the post-WWII era due to the availability of more expendable income and the rapid growth of the automotive industry and expansive highway system. In San Diego, this gave birth to the era of the hot rod and drag car racing scene. That, in turn, gave rise to the unique Mexican American racing team known as the Bean Bandits. The Bandits represent the most intelligent and innovative car customizers who dominated the regional car racing world during this era. As a team, the Bandits had one of the most successful racing careers, breaking numerous speed records. They rarely ever lost a race. Led by Joaquin Arnett, Jr. from Logan Heights, the Bean Bandits produced some of the leading car customizers in the Southern California region. Individuals such as Mathias Ponce and Robert Martinez were distinguished by their fearless vision in car experimentation and modification of vehicles. Ponce and Martinez were the first customizers to lower and paint cars in unique and imaginative ways. Their creative craftsmanship and spirit set the standard for future lowrider car customizers. Today we refer to this as Chicano or Mexican ingenuity practiced by the majority of lowriders.
The Legacy of Lowriding in San Diego must be understood alongside the major lowrider hubs in the United States such as Los Angeles, California, Las Cruces, New Mexico and El Paso, Texas. They all represent U.S. historical sites for telling the lowrider story. Yet, San Diego offers a perspective for understanding lowrider expressions for the following two main reasons: 1) The San Diego lowrider movement emerged out of the early Hot Rod and drag car racing scene; and 2) Key relationships between the lowrider communities of San Diego and of Tijuana, Mexico were established and proved to be quite significant for the lowrider movement in the borderlands region of the Southwest.
Bean Bandits Car Club (Photo courtesy Alberto L. Pulido)
Mathias Ponce – Serra Car Club (Photo courtesy Marvin Israel Mayorga, USD San Diego Lowrider Archival Project)
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