OVERVIEW:
Low Rider magazine was started by three San Jose State students - Larry Gonzalez, Sonny Madrid and David Nunez. The three founders
were actively involved in the Chicano movement at the university. They sought to establish a strong voice in their Bay Area community as their
Mexican-American pride grew in the 1960s and early 1970s.
Mr. Madrid came up with the idea of publishing a magazine when he was promoting dances in San Jose. The leaflets showed pictures of lowrider cars, and this generated strong interest. He borrowed $4,000 from his mother to launch the magazine, and his partners kicked in about $1,500 each. The magazine covered cultural and political issues as well as cars, music and fashion. It was initally sold door-to-door in East San Jose, and sales outlets included grocery and liquor stores. The team also sold the magazine during car shows and community events. Titled as Low Rider with two words, it is the forerunner to Lowrider that began in 1988.
The first operations were done at 282 W. Willow, San Jose. The early issues do not include the publisher's name, but within the first year it was listed as ATM Communications at 203 Terrace in Capitola, California. By 1980, the main office was at 444 E. William in San Jose. Mr. Madrid was the named editor and publisher, Mr. Gonzalez handled distribution and circulation, and Mr. Nunez was responsible for advertising sales.
Madrid and associates established branch offices and hired distribution representatives in key cities: Los Angeles and San Diego, California; San Antonio, Texas; and Phoenix, Arizona. Madrid traveled extensively for three years and often used a fully customized lowrider as advertisement. The magazine also sponsored large lowrider shows in Los Angeles, Albuquerque, and Phoenix. The first large sponsored event was the 1979 SuperShow in Los Angeles that had 20,000 attendees.
As the magazine grew in the 1980s, the core staff still handled distribution, often spending 25% of their time on this task. This approach reduced content and coverage, and it killed productivity. Competitors such as Q-Vo and Firme: Chicano Life contributed to increasing financial challenges. A new editor added lifestyle and advice columns, but production eventually ceased with the December, 1985 issue.
Much has been written about the huge impact of this magazine. The founders created a platform that ultimately spread the lowrider culture globally. It also helped build a strong multi-cultural and multi-generational community centered around lowrider cars and Chicano culture.
But this impact did not end in 1985. Original founder Larry Gonzalez, along with publisher Alberto Lopez and managing editor Dina Loya, bought the rights to the magazine and formed Park Avenue Publishing. Re-located to Southern California in Fullerton, the first issue of Lowrider was launched in June, 1988 with an initial print run of 20,000. It continued through 2019 when print production ceased.
The table of contents can be seen by clicking on the icon.
PUBLICATION DATA:
The publisher did NOT provide net paid circulation data to N.W. Ayer.
CONTENT COMPLETENESS:
A total of 91 issues was printed from January, 1977 through December, 1985. Magazine cover images are complete for this title.
![Low Rider Jan January 1977](Low%20Rider/1977%20v1n1.jpg)
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![Low Rider Feb February March Mar 1977](Low%20Rider/1977%20v1n2.jpg)
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![Low Rider 1977 Nbr 3](Low%20Rider/1977%20v1n3.jpg)
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![Low Rider 1977 Nbr 8](Low%20Rider/1978%20v1n8.jpg)
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![Low Rider 1978 Nbr 9](Low%20Rider/1978%20v1n9.jpg)
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![Low Rider July 1978](Low%20Rider/1978%20v1n10.jpg)
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![Low Rider Aug August 1978](Low%20Rider/1978%20v1n11.jpg)
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![Low Rider Sept September 1978](Low%20Rider/1978%20v1n12.jpg)
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![Low Rider Oct October 1978](Low%20Rider/1978%20v2n1.jpg)
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![Low Rider Dec December 1978](Low%20Rider/1978%20v2n2.jpg)
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![Low Rider Jan January 1979](Low%20Rider/1979%20v2n3.jpg)
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![Low Rider Feb February 1979](Low%20Rider/1979%20v2n4.jpg)
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![Low Rider May 1979](Low%20Rider/1979-05.jpg)
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![Low Rider June 1979](Low%20Rider/1979-06.jpg)
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![Low Rider July 1979](Low%20Rider/1979-07.jpg)
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![Low Rider Aug August 1979](Low%20Rider/1979-08.jpg)
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![Low Rider Sept September 1979](Low%20Rider/1979-09.jpg)
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![Low Rider Oct October 1979](Low%20Rider/1979-10.jpg)
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![Low Rider Nov November 1979](Low%20Rider/1979-11.jpg)
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![Low Rider Dec December 1979](Low%20Rider/1979-12.jpg)
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![Low Rider Jan January 1980](Low%20Rider/1980-01.jpg)
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![Low Rider Feb February 1980](Low%20Rider/1980-02.jpg)
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![Low Rider June 1980](Low%20Rider/1980-06.jpg)
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![Low Rider Aug August 1980](Low%20Rider/1980-08.jpg)
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![Low Rider Sept September 1980](Low%20Rider/1980-09.jpg)
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![Low Rider Oct October 1980](Low%20Rider/1980-10.jpg)
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![Low Rider Dec December 1980](Low%20Rider/1980-12.jpg)
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![Low Rider Jan January 1981](Low%20Rider/1981-01.jpg)
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![Low Rider Feb February 1981](Low%20Rider/1981-02.jpg)
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![Low Rider May 1981](Low%20Rider/1981-05.jpg)
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![Low Rider June 1981](Low%20Rider/1981-06.jpg)
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![Low Rider Dec December 1981](Low%20Rider/1981-12-1982-01.jpg)
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![Low Rider Feb February 1982](Low%20Rider/1982-02.jpg)
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![Low Rider Apr April May 1982](Low%20Rider/1982-04-05.jpg)
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![Low Rider Sept September 1982](Low%20Rider/1982-09.jpg)
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![Low Rider Oct October 1982](Low%20Rider/1982-10.jpg)
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![Low Rider Nov November 1982](Low%20Rider/1982-11.jpg)
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![Low Rider Dec December 1982](Low%20Rider/1982-12.jpg)
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![Low Rider January 1983](Low%20Rider/1983-01.jpg)
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![Low Rider February 1983](Low%20Rider/1983-02.jpg)
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![Low Rider April 1983](Low%20Rider/1983-04.jpg)
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![Low Rider June July 1983](Low%20Rider/1983-06-07.jpg)
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![Low Rider August 1983](Low%20Rider/1983-08.jpg)
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![Low Rider November 1983](Low%20Rider/1983-11.jpg)
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![Low Rider December 1983](Low%20Rider/1983-12.jpg)
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![Low Rider January 1984](Low%20Rider/1984-01.jpg)
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![Low Rider February 1984](Low%20Rider/1984-02.jpg)
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![Low Rider March April 1984](Low%20Rider/1984-03-04.jpg)
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![Low Rider May 1984](Low%20Rider/1984-05.jpg)
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![Low Rider June 1984](Low%20Rider/1984-06.jpg)
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![Low Rider July 1984](Low%20Rider/1984-07.jpg)
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![Low Rider August 1984](Low%20Rider/1984-08.jpg)
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![Low Rider September 1984](Low%20Rider/1984-09.jpg)
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![Low Rider October 1984](Low%20Rider/1984-10.jpg)
![Low Rider November 1984](Low%20Rider/1984-11.jpg)
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![Low Rider December 1984](Low%20Rider/1984-12.jpg)
![Low Rider January 1985](Low%20Rider/1985-01.jpg)
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![Low Rider February 1985](Low%20Rider/1985-02.jpg)
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![Low Rider March 1985](Low%20Rider/1985-03.jpg)
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![Low Rider April 1985](Low%20Rider/1985-04.jpg)
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![Low Rider May 1985](Low%20Rider/1985-05.jpg)
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![Low Rider June 1985](Low%20Rider/1985-06.jpg)
![Low Rider July 1985](Low%20Rider/1985-07.jpg)
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![Low Rider August 1985](Low%20Rider/1985-08.jpg)
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![Low Rider September 1985](Low%20Rider/1985-09.jpg)
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![Low Rider October 1985](Low%20Rider/1985-10.jpg)
![Low Rider November 1985](Low%20Rider/1985-11.jpg)
![Low Rider December 1985](Low%20Rider/1985-12.jpg)
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LAST ISSUE
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