A blue 1951 Plymouth is jacked up on two car rims in the middle of a road in Havana. Half covered by the engine compartment, a Cuban is repairing his vintage car. A scene which can often be seen in this city. In front of ramshackle facades, locals patch their cars. The street becomes a garage in Havana. Whether if it’s lunchtime or twilight: car owners weld, drill and screw.
Preserving these classic cars, however, is rather difficult because spare parts are rare. “You have to use what’s available,” says Carlos. His old Chevrolet sports an improvised stylistic mix of different manufacturers – the engine is from Ford, parts of the body have been borrowed from a Dodge, and the stick is from a Buick. “It’s completely normal for us to install parts from other manufacturers or to build them by ourselves .” But as important as these cars may be for Cubans, most of these vehicle owners are anything but content with the current situation and would much rather buy a brand-new car.
Even though more and more imports find their way onto Cuba’s roads, most citizens cannot afford these expensive cars. In the long run, however, newer automobiles will inevitably change the streetscape of the island nation and gradually replace the classic cars.
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