After a Trademark Fight, Lowrider and GoLo Head Into the Magazine's 50th Year on Separate Tours

Lowrider magazine's first issue came out in January 1977, which makes 2027 its 50th year. The brand is heading into that anniversary with its name settled in court. In July, a stipulated permanent injunction was filed in federal court in Kansas between Lowrider Ventures LLC, which owns the rights to the Lowrider brand, and GoLo Entertainment, the promoter that co-presented Lowrider Super Shows with the magazine as far back as 2003. Now each side is running its own tour, and clubs planning next season have two calendars to read.

What the court order says

Lowrider Ventures sued in the US District Court for the District of Kansas in May, alleging trademark counterfeiting and infringement, unfair competition, false advertising, cybersquatting and common law violations tied to car shows, events and merchandise, Bloomberg Law reported. The company said in its filing that the brand "has been synonymous with lowrider automotive culture, events, and community throughout the United States."

In July, according to Bloomberg Law, the parties' stipulated order for a permanent injunction was filed before Chief District Judge John W. Broomes. It requires GoLo and the other defendants to stop using confusingly similar marks to promote or sell goods or services, or to organize car shows, and to stop using or registering certain domain names. The marks named include Lowrider, Lowrider Supershow, Lowrider Garage and GOLO MAN. A stipulated order means both sides agreed to its terms.

The order covers names, not the culture. Nothing in Bloomberg Law's account stops anyone from putting on a lowrider show. It stops the defendants from using the Lowrider marks, or anything confusingly close, to sell one.

How the two got here

The magazine started in San Jose, founded by San Jose State students Larry Gonzalez, Sonny Madrid and David Nunez, according to its Wikipedia history. Its Lowrider of the Year awards date to 1978. The title passed through McMullen Argus, PriMedia and Source Interlink, later TEN: The Enthusiast Network, before it closed in December 2019, one of 19 car magazines TEN shut down. Wikipedia now lists Carlos "Los" Fernandez as publisher and editor-in-chief under Lowrider Ventures.

GoLo's history with the brand runs deep. In 2003, GoLo Entertainment and Lowrider Magazine, then part of PRIMEDIA, jointly presented the Lowrider Super Show at Cashman Field in Las Vegas as the final stop of a national tour, with more than $50,000 in prize money. Today GoLo's website says the site and its promotions "are not affiliated to the new Lowrider Magazine owners as of December 30, 2025." It says the company is celebrating its 48th year in 2026, promotes its 2026 Throwback Tour and lists 2027 tour stops as coming soon.

Lowrider's 50th anniversary tour

Lowrider ran its own Super Shows this fall, including a Houston show at Reliant Center on Oct. 3 listed with Lowrider Magazine as organizer. For 2027, lowrider.com is advertising the Puro Oro 50th Anniversary Tour. The schedule on the site:

• March 13: San Antonio
• Date to be announced: Atlanta
• March 27: Long Beach
• June 5: Indianapolis
• June 12: Dallas
• June 19: Sacramento
• June 26: Odessa
• July 17: Milwaukee
• July 31: Los Angeles
• Aug. 7: Portland
• Date to be announced: Miami
• Sept. 18: Ventura
• Date to be announced: Arizona
• Date to be announced: Las Vegas and the Hall of Fame

The site's footer says the LOWRIDER and LOWRIDER SUPER SHOWS names and marks are used under authorization, with copyright held by Lowrider Ventures.

What it means for clubs

For car clubs and solo builders, the practical takeaway is simple: read the flyer. A show's name now tells you who is running it, which matters for entry rules, judging and any points or titles you are chasing. Lowrider's list closes with Las Vegas and its Hall of Fame, date to be announced. GoLo has not posted its 2027 stops yet.

For the culture, two tours can be a good thing. More shows mean more chances to get a car judged, a hopper on the pit and a family in the stands. The fight was over who owns a name. The cars, the clubs and the crowds were never part of the settlement.