9th Annual Imperials Car Show - Lowrider Car Show

The 9th annual installment of the legendary Imperials Car Show saw a few necessary changes this year. For 2009, the Imperials enlisted the help of J.R. Entertainment to assist in securing a new location for the show, since the usual venue in Hawaiian Gardens was not available, due to some renovations. After considering a few locations, J.R. Entertainment decided on the grounds of Cerritos College in Norwalk, California.

The show participants were lined up early on show day, eager to find themselves a good spot to set up their rides. Since the weather forecasters predicted some extremely hot conditions on the day of the show, the participants were also looking to find some shade for their all-day display. The areas around Cerritos' College stadium that were chosen for the show filled up quickly with participants who came from far and wide, hoping to be a part of the show. Techniques had members of their Japan chapter at the show in support of their more local chapters on hand. Bakersfield's Latin World made their annual trek to the show, and the Socios from Sacramento, California also came down to show off their best rides. Lowriding legends Klique Car Club had a large presence at the show, which included the newest chapter of the Klique family, the Inland Empire chapter. Illustrious, Westside, Traffic, GoodTimes, Fantasy Life, Classics, Santana and quite a few other clubs from the Southern California area were also on hand, showing off their best and trying to beat the July heat.

Musical acts kept the show crowd entertained throughout the day, and there were plenty of vendors at the show offering everything from clothing to cool drinks, which were in high demand due to the sweltering heat. Show organizers estimated the participant count to be around 900 entries, and looking out over the show grounds it appeared that they were not too far off with that estimate. Once again, the Imperials were able to host a memorable show, and this came as no surprise to the attendees. Make plans to attend next year's 10th show if you did not get the chance to enjoy this year's event, just be sure to bring plenty of sunscreen and cold drinks!