Riding in the vintage cars was the most fun and whimsical part of being in Havana. They have become the most symbolic visual of Havana. Today, most are brightly re-painted in tourist-magnet colors, and some of the old sedans have even had their tops sheared off to create more convertibles.

Pictured above: Orange ’50 Buick Super 8; Light Blue ’54 Chevy; Bright Blue ’50 Chevrolet Deluxe; Burgundy ’41 Buick 8; Blue & White Fins ’59 Buick Electra.

The cars provide an income for the lucky families able to hold on to cars they had in the 50s. Each has been carefully restored and maintained. Parts come from cars ready for the junk lot, creatively crafted knock-offs, or bought from secret out-of-country sources (sometimes smuggled in by visiting Americans). Entrepreneurs own several cars and hire drivers to work for them. But most of the drivers we experienced were proudly operating their own cars.

A lo Cubano is a vintage car club, and we visited the garage of a member who was happy to showcase his two award-winning cars. The green car above is a ’56 Plymouth, and the black is a ’58 Didge Kingsway. These cars were carefully restored in their original form and colors. Internet sources say there are about 60,000 Classic American cars in Cuba; half from the 50s, and a quarter each from the 40s and 30s.

Many owners have gotten quite creative to keep their cars running.  One car we rode in was retrofitted with a Hyundai diesel engine. The new engine provides big gas savings – he had been getting 7 miles a gallon before the switch. In a country where gas is a very scarce and expensive commodity, you can imagine his savings.

If you enjoyed this post, check out my other content about Cuba: 

Reflections of Cuba: Intro

Reflections of Cuba: Music & Dance

Reflections of Cuba: Viñales

Reflections of Cuba: Historic Havana Architecture