Cuba is an island synonymous with fine rum, cigars, salsa, left
wing icons: Che Guevara and Fidel Castro, and most ironically:
antique American cars. The irony lies not only in the fact that
these symbols of American freedom figure so prominently in a
land that Americans cannot travel to freely, but also in the
realization that these cars are just as damaging a legacy to
Cuba's economy as the four-decade-old trade embargo imposed by
D.C.
There are approximately 60,000 U.S. made vehicles from the 1940s
and '50s (including long forgotten models such as the De Soto
limo or the Studebaker) that are still a backbone of the island's
transport system. A large percentage of them have been put into
service as private jalopies that charge five or six times more
than public buses and guzzle up diesel subsidies in a land facing
a severe energy shortage since the fall of its main supplier,
the former USSR. Due to their antiquated state, most American
cars only retain the body and chassis as originals--often the
engine, steering, pistons and other parts are a mélange
of Russian, Chinese, Romanian and other nation’s products,
that are also handed out to the public through government subsidies.
Since the average sale price for a classic car is roughly $4000
(keep in mind that the average Cuban makes $120 annually), and
these vehicles were one of the few things not seized by the government
after the 1959 revolution, most are passed down from generation
to generation as an heirloom.
These cars also act as a metaphor for the degree of personal
freedom that most of their respective owners enjoy, since they
are also banned from leaving the island.
About the Author
Arya Kazemi is a serious travel photographer who in his early
thirties has already covered more that 1/3 of the countries on
the globe! His Reportage style of Social Photography has been
published on a number of websites, and evidences his knack for
being in dangerous places and presenting arcane themes. Google
his name and see what you find!
Arya can be contacted via e-mail at:
aryaarya@yahoo.com.
