Photo Credit: by Gary Raynaldo /  HAVANA -One of the many vintage American cars in Cuba kept in pristine condition despite decades-Old US Embargo On Cuba that cut off replacement mechanical parts for old American cars there.

Gary Raynaldo   DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

HAVANA- Vintage American cars, Fords, Pontiacs, Chevrolets, Buicks, and Chryslers prowl the streets of Cuba in pristine condition. With their gleaming pastel colors, the old cars are a sight to feast the eyes on. They look like they have just rolled off the Detroit auto assembly line. In fact, most were imported from Detroit: more than half a century ago!  I am amazed at the caravan of classic American convertibles, crammed full of blissful tourists, constantly cruising up and down the 7-km long  Malecón sea drive, their solid steel bodies shinning like new money. In the 1950’s, American cars flooded the streets of Cuba’s capital city Havana as the country enjoyed new-found prosperity. Under the dictator Fulgencio Batista in the Fifties, Cuba was a popular holiday destination for Americans with its lovely beaches, nightclubs and casinos. A large number of American cars were imported from the US, which is only 90 miles away. But after Fidel Castro’s Cuban Revolution in 1959, the U.S. embargo was setup and Castro banned the importation of American cars and mechanical parts.

Photo Credit: Getty Images / Havana 1958. American cars in front of Batista’s Presidential Palace.

Many of the old American autos have been kept running in mint condition by Cuban ingenuity using odd parts and pieces including Russian diesel truck engines. There are an estimated 60,000 classic American cars in Cuba. About half of the cars originate from the 1950s, while 25 percent are from the 1940s and another 25 percent are from the 1930s. A lot of them have been passed down from generation to generation, along with the mechanical genius. Other non-American new cars are available in Cuba, but because they retail about $40,000, are beyond the reach of most Cubans.

Photo Credit: by Gary Raynaldo / A ’58 Ford Edsel used as a Taxi like many of the classic American cars in Havana

Mechanical Ingenuity Keep Classic American Cars Running Nimble in Cuba

Photo Credit: by Gary Raynaldo / One of many auto ‘chop shops’ in Havana that service and renovate old American cars. This 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air was being revived when I visited the auto shop in Old Havana.

Photo Credit: by Gary Raynaldo / Aging Chevy propped up getting a new life.

As any vintage car owner will attest, it is not an easy feat to maintain an American car in excellent running condition for 60 years!

 “Many of the cars have survived more than six decades, and through clever adaptation and ingenuity, have been kept running by their owners,”

Motortrend.com.

The U.S. Trade Embargo Cut Off Replacement Parts for American Cars

Replacement parts are very hard to come by, due to the ongoing trade embargo between the U.S. and Cuba, with many parts either being imported by black market means, or trans-shipping through an intermediate nation that has trade relations with Cuba, according to motortrend.com. A common substitution on the old 1950s era cars on the island are diesel engines for the old straight-six or V-8 engines originally in the cars, due to diesel’s lower cost on the island, and the better fuel efficiency of the engines, writes motortrend.com. It is not unusual for some of the original V-8 engines to be replaced by diesel engines from Russian trucks or boats.

It is estimated about 90 percent of the vintage American cars in Cuba have had their original engines torn out and replaced. 

In addition, many of the original parts and pieces are simply not available anywhere in the world today. But no worries, Cuban mechanics can make the parts virtually from scratch! Toyota or Mitsubishi engines and parts are also found under the hoods. There are stories of resourceful car owners fashioning together old pieces of cast-iron plumbing pipe to substitute for piston rings in engines. Some even use shampoo in the brake lines when they can’t afford expensive brake fluid! Shampoo reportedly contains silicone and the brakes work as long as the car travels at slow speeds.

Photo Credit: by Gary Raynaldo / I encountered the owner of this old 1950s Chrysler on the side of a road in Havana making quick repairs. It is not in the best of condition, but the owner is proud of it and continues to patch it up when needed.

by Gary Raynaldo / Most of the old American cars have had diesel engines put in replacing original 

Cuba’s Taxi Drivers Earn More Money Than Doctors Or Lawyers in The Country

Photo Credit: by Gary Raynaldo / Taxi cruises along the road near the Malecón sea in Havana.

A doctor in Cuba earns roughly $70 per month. A lawyer in Cuba pulls in about $80 a month. The average Cuban’s monthly income is only about $35 per month. On a good day, a taxi driver can earn $100 or more. Do the math! A typical taxi ride from the airport to central Havana costs $25. Taxi rides in one of the popular vintage American cars tourists love can cost about $35 for excursions around Havana. So, you see, with this kind of money to be made, there is great incentive to keep those old American cars shinning like new money and humming along the streets.

Credit: by Gary Raynaldo / Taxi classic Cadillac Coupe de Ville  waiting for customers at Habana Libre Hotel In Downtown Havana.

Photo Credit / by Gary Raynaldo / Classic Ford Edsel in Havana neighborhood

Photo Credit / Gary Raynaldo / Vintage Ford Edsel

Photo Credit / by Gary Raynaldo / This classic Ford Edsel is a real beauty with its sleek lines and solid, good ole ‘Made in America’ steel body.

Photo by Gary Raynaldo / Rear View

US Votes Against UN Resolution Calling For Lifting Of American Embargo on Cuba

With the previous Obama Administration’s aggressive moves to restore diplomatic relations with Cuba in 2015, many American vintage car enthusiasts were hopeful of buying some of the classic cars in Cuba. Vintage American cars in mint condition have been estimated in values between $30,000 to $100,000 depending on the make and model. And many Cubans were excited about the prospect of having access to American parts and pieces to keep their classic cars running for many, many more years. Obama’s changes included easing of restrictions on the island in an attempt to create more economic opportunities between the two countries, and on allowing Americans to visit Cuba. However, the Trump Administration moved quickly to reverse Obama’s policy toward Cuba.  The UN General Assembly last November adopted a Resolution calling for an end to the decades-old US blockade on Cuba, while the US voted against it.  However, the annual UN vote to end the embargo is mostly symbolic, as it is not enforceable. The General Assembly does not have the power to end the embargo, only the U.S. Congress does. And with the constant pressure from the politically powerful Cuban-American lobby in Florida, unlikely to  happen anytime soon. 

Photo Credit / by Gary Raynaldo / One of the many classic American cars used as Taxis

For now, it looks like Cubans will continue their mechanical inventiveness to keep classic American cars on the roads.

Support Diplomatic Times