John Reveles and Scott Rivera are cruising Alameda city streets in their “bombs”. Reveles wheels a sand-colored 1949 Chevy Fleetline Deluxe while Rivera pilots a black 1948 Chevy with lowrider suspension. Both cars stand out from the stream of bland modern cars, and their loud exhausts and siren-like horns disrupt the sleepy tranquility of Sunday suburbia. Everyone turns their head and stares as the big Chevy’s cruise down the street.

Cruising in vintage Chevy’s on a Sunday afternoon and getting lots of attention is a Hispanic American tradition that began more than sixty years ago in the rough streets of South Central Los Angeles. Reveles and Rivera are both members of the East Bay chapter of the Duke’s car club, the oldest lowrider club in the U.S. The East Bay chapter currently has eleven members, all Hispanic.

Talking about the Duke’s and the East Bay chapter, Reveles says, “We’re the older crowd with the older cars. Most members are in their 40’s – it’s a different part of the lowrider scene.”

Reveles’ Chevy coupe, like most club members’ cars, is totally stock. Rivera’s car has the custom lowrider suspension - hydraulics that drop the front and rear of the car when parked or while driving.

Al Espinoza of Hayward owns a 1953 Chevy five window truck and a 1954 Chevy 210 sedan. He’s been involved with Duke’s for eight years, mostly with the North Cal chapter in San Jose. Al wanted to enjoy the club community closer to his home, so he and club president, Robert Acosta, formed the East Bay chapter about three years ago. “We’re a family oriented group who own the traditional “bombs” -- Chevy’s from the early 1930’s up to 1954”, said Espinoza. “It’s like a family where we help each other with our cars. Each member has a different specialty with cars – chrome work, hydraulics, upholstery, body or engine work.” When not working on their cars or just cruising, Duke’s members gather on Saturday nights at some of their favorite East Bay places, such as Sam’s Burgers restaurant in San Lorenzo.

Lowriding moved into the mainstream many years ago, yet the history of this amazing urban phenomenon is not known by most people today. In the mid 1950's, the Ruelas family moved from Tijuana, Mexico to the rough streets of South Central Los Angeles. The teenage Ruelas boys were involved with the notorious “38th Street Gang”. Concerned about their future, the boys’ uncle involved them in auto mechanics and within a couple of years the boys were building lowriders. The Duke’s club was officially organized in 1962 by the Ruelas brothers and others in the neighborhood.

The Duke’s still have strong roots in the past, though at the national level, the club is becoming more cosmopolitan, with members of all ages, races and social classes. Cruising city streets today, Duke’s cars awaken our senses and spark our curiosity of the machines and the era from which they came. The cars may be the focus, but it’s the community aspect of Duke’s and other car clubs that people value. You can contact the East Bay chapter of the Duke’s by calling Al Espinoza at 510-589-0028.