New Style, Lowrider Council And Klique Anniversaries - On The Scene
MotorTrend StaffWriter
New Style, Lowrider Council And Klique Anniversaries - On The Scene
MotorTrend StaffWriter
New Style
35th Year Anniversary
In the early 70's, during the golden age of Lowriding, many Lowrider car clubs were formed. It was a common sight to witness most of these clubs cruising the boulevard Friday through Sunday, or to simply catch them just hanging out on the strip. One such club that would always make their presence felt within the streets of San Jose was New Style Car Club. Carrying custom paint jobs and Zenith wire wheels, the rides of New Style Car Club were easily identifiable as the cream of the crop on Story and King. The club's plaque became instantly recognizable from blocks away, as even though the actual plaque was small in size, the name it carried was big. Most of the clubs from that day have since ceased to exist, but New Style has been one of the few clubs that has been able to withstand the test of time.
Reaching thirty-five years of existence is something very few clubs have accomplished, and achieving that while still being recognized as one of the premier clubs in the scene, is an even more improbable feat. Taking this into consideration, it was obvious that the club's 35th year anniversary called for a big celebration.
On September 12th, 2009, New Style Car Club celebrated their 35th Year Anniversary at Club Max in Modesto, CA. The establishment was decorated with photos of club members' cars, past and present, as well as magazine features, club jerseys, event shirts and much more. Among the guests that were invited to celebrate this special occasion were members of Impalas, Mi Familia, Latin Style, Untouchables and Nite Life. The attendees laughed and rehashed classic stories over dinner, while rubbing shoulders with some of the culture's OG riders.
After dinner, Doug Vigil, who is president of New Style, presented gold New Style pins to each member of his car club. After the pin presentation, an awards ceremony followed, which honored the efforts of many New Style club members. Awards were presented to Alberto Herrera, Henry Pastor, Richard Navarro, Ramon Montes, Matt Valdes, Aurelio Garcia, Mickey, Chuy, Horacio Ramirez, Vince Delgado, Kiki Rodriguez, and Rick and Yolanda Sanches for their hard work and dedication in helping the club progress, and they were commended for using their automotive skills to build the impeccable rides that fly the New Style plaque.
Local artist and up and coming R&B singer, Felicia Zapata, preformed several songs before the DJ took over for the rest of the night. I would personally like to thank Doug Vigil and the rest of the New Style members for inviting me to their anniversary, and I wish them the best of luck in continuing the tradition of excellence that now spans over three and a half decades.
San Diego
Lowrider Council's
30th Anniversary Banquet
An Association Joined for Decades
San Diego, California, has always maintained an impressive Lowrider legacy, boasting a history filled with some of the most legendary rides from some of the most well-known car clubs in the culture. Even some of the solo riders from the city of San Diego have made their mark, creating some of the most innovative and classic rides ever seen within the Lowriding genre. With such high quality rides being built among so many peers, one would think that nothing but harmony and unity would exist in San Diego. Unfortunately, this was not the case at one time. In fact, in the 1970s, there were actually some pretty violent confrontations between the local car clubs. Despite the violence, the majority of local Lowriders shared a positive vision of Lowriding, as well as a common goal of sharing the area boulevards with one another peacefully. These same individuals agreed that there was a need to form a unified organization that could represent all of the other clubs in the San Diego area.
In March 1979, the first meeting of the San Diego Lowrider Council took place at the city's Federation Building, in an effort to create a pipeline of communication that would bring all of the car clubs together. For this inaugural meeting, some of the clubs in attendance included Amigos, Brown Image, Classics, Korner, New Wave, Shades of the 50s, Life, Ladies Pride, Latin Low Riders, Cit, Custom, Specials, Midnite Cruisers, and Oldies.
As the monthly meetings successfully continued, the council became more and more organized, forming a mission statement as the council bylaws began to take shape. One of the main bylaws declared that every SD car club had to be represented at all monthly meetings, suggesting that two delegates from each club be responsible for attending and communicating council information back to the rest of the members of their respective car clubs. The council's official mission statement read: "To promote unity and a positive image of Lowrider car clubs and barrios in San Diego."
The original chairmen of the council definitely formed their goals and ideals in the right frame of mind, and this is evident in the obvious longevity of the council over the course of the past 30 years. Just last September, the council celebrated their 30th anniversary by holding a huge dinner banquet and dance. The black tie affair brought in hundreds of people, some of whom had been with the council since the beginning.
Some of the clubs representing the council today include Amigos, Bombas, Individuals, Oldies, New Wave, Klique, Vagos, Latin Style, South Cali, Domestic Rides, Majestics, and Twisted Minds Bike Club. The San Diego Lowrider Council primarily holds their meetings at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church located near the infamous Chicano Park of San Diego. No one club is in charge, and they have no specific presidential figure for the council. Each club takes turns in conducting every meeting.
Staying true to the mission, council members regularly attend San Diego city council meetings and the mayor's breakfast meetings, often connecting with city politicians and the chief of police to help educate them on the virtues of the Lowrider culture and the value of breaking the stereotypes associated with the Lowriding lifestyle. The SDLC has become a well-respected group, and one that partners up with those who want to assist and serve the less fortunate and under-represented people within the San Diego communities. The council serves the city by holding events like blood and food drives, rebuilding efforts, health fairs, bone marrow research events, and the annual Teddy Bear Drive (hosted by Twisted Minds Bike Club). For more information on the council, please visit them online at
www.sandiegolowridercouncil.com.
45 Years with the Big K, Little Q
Klique Car Club Anniversary Celebration
Lowriding is constantly evolving, and despite the amount of time it has been around, it is still considered a fairly new lifestyle. Only three - maybe in some rare circumstances four - generations of Lowriding men and women exist nowadays, and although technology and styles have changed the way we ride low, the heart and determination is still the same.
The most evident of these examples can be found throughout the old car clubs that have been around since the '60's and '70's. Take, for instance, the story of Klique Car Club. Originating all the way back to 1964, Klique has always been on the front line of Lowriding, from cruising on the boulevard to building trendsetting, show-worthy low-lows.
Started by a couple of high school friends, Klique was a social club throughout the '60's, but it made the transition into a car club within the middle part of the decade. That is when Klique ELA (East Los Angeles) was born. One of the oldest members is a veteran named "Bernard," and not too far behind him is Jose Martinez. Martinez was the President of the Klique C.C. back in 1974, and he is still a prominent member today.
In the early 1980's, Klique was well known on the streets of Los Angeles for cruising their Lowriders, and exhibiting a large presence every weekend. A second chapter eventually emerged in San Diego, and soon after, the "Kliquers" had something else to celebrate; they obtained the first Lowrider of the Year with the legendary "Brandy Madness," owned by Mando Estrada. Mario Martinez also went on to win the Lowrider of the Year honor with his "Lethal Weapon." Other memorable Klique rides include Leo Perez' "Gold Dust," George Ortiz' "Hypnotic," and Peter Tapia's '66 Impala convertible.
Today, Klique has evolved into a six-chapter club, with a line-up that includes ELA, San Diego, Orange County, Phoenix, the Inland Empire, and El Paso. Just last September, Klique celebrated their mind-boggling 45th anniversary with a large dinner and dance banquet, held at the Radisson Hotel in the city of Covina, California. Members from the '60's, '70's, '80's and '90's made it out to help commemorate the milestone. This was actually the first anniversary ever celebrated by Klique. Long-time Lowriding associate and musician Rocky Padilla was there with his band, providing the tunes until one in the morning. Many awards and plaques were given out, but the one that stands out the most was for Jose Martinez, the OG member who has been a part of the club since its inception in 1964! Big thanks also went to Leonard Martinez for all his hard work and dedication. Leonard had put a lot of time and attention into making the anniversary celebration happen, and his efforts were greatly appreciated by all who attended.
The party went off without a hitch and there is already talk about the next big anniversary on the horizon, the big 5-0. Undoubtedly, the half-century celebration will be even bigger and better for the "Big K, little q."
