If you’re a classic car buff, Cuba is the place for you. It’s like one big car show, where autos from the 1940s and 1950s motor along the streets and highways. There are Chevrolets, Fords, Pontiacs, Buicks, Dodges, Plymouths, and
Studebakers. The cars run the gamut from mint condition to downright dilapidated. Well-preserved cars have exteriors that shine with chrome and new paint jobs, while the worse-off autos are held together with odd parts and scrap
metal. It is not uncommon to spot a beautiful 55 Chevy Bel Air with a Hyundai 6- cylinder diesel engine under the hood.
Parts are scarce around the island due to the U.S. Embargo which leaves the mechanics in Cuba coming up with ingenious ways to keep these classics running. Scrap metal is often turned in to whatever part is needed by these
master machinists. In some cases, Cubans have even had to create materials from scratch to keep their cars alive. Russian cars – usually Ladas and Volgas – are dissected for their useful parts.
Many of the taxis in Cuba are also classic cars as well. Traveling in these taxis offers tourists another interesting look into the classic car culture in Cuba. Beautiful scenic tours are offered through the roads of Old Havana. The old
roads and buildings will make you feel like you stepped into a time machine to the past. You will see the wear and tear that the cars have taken over the years and observe some of the impressive ways that they are held together. If you are interested in mechanics, ask your driver to tell you about his car—chances are he’ll be proud of the crafty ways that he has managed to keep his car on the road. These cars have been and will continue to be maintained for decades and generations to come. Cuba is the ultimate classic car lover’s paradise that has been stuck in a time capsule since the 1960’s.
