A craze that originated in Fifties America among the Mexican-American population is starting to get popular over here.

The lowrider phenomenon involves fitting cars with hydraulic suspension so they can be raised and lowered at the flick of a switch, allowing the drivers to carry out fancy manoeuvres.

Andy Blackburn and Grant Plumb have opened Lowlife Custom Hydraulics in Hove, specialising in customising cars from Fiestas to Cadillacs.

Mr Blackburn said: "The earliest hydraulic suspensions simply allowed the cars to be raised and lowered but this has progressed to dancing and hopping as the technology advanced.

"The style soon spread to the younger generation through bicycle customising.

"Now lowriding has become one of the most recognised sub-cultures of US life.

"It filtered into the UK through an association with gangster rap and the use of the cars in music videos.

"It has been picking up speed ever since and has enjoyed major publicity in the style press as well as through campaigns by Playstation2, Kit Kat, Levis, Wrangler, Ben Sherman and others."

Mr Blackburn started by adapting lowrider bicycles two years ago.

He then put on the first exhibition of lowrider cars and bikes at Brighton Racecourse.

He became a partner in Brighton-based Downright Productions, set up last year to actively promote the UK lowrider cult and run future exhibitions annually.