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USPS Issues 'Lowrider Forever' Stamps After San Diego Ceremony

The release signals federal recognition of a Chicano-rooted car culture that has shifted from policing to wider acceptance.

Overview

  • A first-day-of-issue event on March 13 at San Diego's Logan Heights Library featured a dedication by Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale.
  • The pane showcases five cars: a 1946 Chevrolet Fleetline, the 1958 Impala “Eight Figures,” the 1963 Impala “El Rey,” the 1964 Impala “The Golden Rose,” and the 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme “Pocket Change.”
  • USPS art director Antonio Alcalá designed the series using photographs by Humberto “Beto” Mendoza and Philip Gordon with custom pinstriping by Danny Alvarado, enlarging the stamps by one-third and adding Gothic-style lettering.
  • Sold as Forever stamps in panes of 15 (three of each car), the sheets are priced at $11.70 and are available nationwide and online.
  • Community voices hailed the issue as long-sought validation, reflecting momentum such as California’s 2024 repeal of cruising bans and the display of “El Rey” at the Smithsonian.