Getting Low Reaches New Heights.
In 1978, San Jose made lowrider history — and it went straight up.
At a Show in Los Angeles, a ride from the South Bay stunned the crowd and hopped higher than any lowrider had before. Word spread fast: a San Jose car had cleared over six feet off the ground, powered by custom hydraulics.
This wasn’t just about showing off. It was engineering. It was art. It was a statement that San Jose’s lowrider culture wasn’t just active; it was leading.
Built under wraps in garages, the team assembled by legendary lowrider Andy Douglas created something that had never been done. Sab Jose’s story lifted off the pavement and flew. Andy and his crew would later build a “hopper” that flipped over at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, through the power of hydraulics, another first for San Jose.
Today, you can still feel the echoes of that hop in every bounce along King Road, Story, or Santa Clara Street — a legacy of motion, memory, and culture that can’t be held down.