Classic Cars of Cuba

Wayne Gerard Trotman




Classic Cars of Cuba...

Due to its unique history, many of Cuba’s aspects remain frozen in time. With an estimated 60,000 antique vehicles still in active use, it has more classic cars per person than any other nation in the world. Before the Cuban Revolution (1953–1959), Cuba was the playground of the rich and famous. As a result, the best cars in the world were imported into the country. However, in 1962, amidst mounting financial claims against the Cuban government, the United States of America extended its 1960 embargo to include virtually all Cuban imports.

New American automobiles and replacement parts became unavailable once Americans stopped conducting business with Cuban interests. Furthermore, under Fidel Castro’s Communist Party, Cubans were no longer allowed to purchase cars. Resourceful owners devised inventive ways of maintaining their 1940s and 50s vehicles.


 

“The cars we drive say a lot about us.”

- Alexandra Paul