Vintage Cars in Havana, Cuba
Photo Feature by Ernesto Gonzalez Diaz
HAVANA TIMES — They are very common on the streets of Havana and of Cuba in general, and they constitute a testament to the ingenuity, creativity, and natural intelligence of Cubans, since it is no easy task to keep these cars running in these times.
To a large extent, the reason there are so many vintage cars in Cuba—mainly USA ones—is that before 1959, large quantities of them entered the country thanks to the broad commercial relations that existed at the time with the United States. It is even said that many manufacturers first tested some models here in Cuba and only later sold them in the United States. It is also noted that, in the 1960s, Cuba had the highest number of cars per capita among Latin American countries.
All of these vehicles are privately owned and are used for different purposes, such as shared taxis, tourist rentals, rentals for weddings and quinceañera parties; they are even very useful relics for film and television when producing audiovisual works set in the first six decades of the twentieth century.
