Now that the walls are coming down… Let’s go! I figure we can all stay at Dick’s house, and charter a short flight to Havana! What do you say, Dick?
Sounds like a plan to me!! If we run out of beds you’all can sleep in cars or my Costco Garage Spray Booth.
Dick.
On a similar note, This political cartoon was in our local paper today-Pretty good cartoon likeness of a '59!
I love it, John! And for those who can’t get enough of Cuban cars - there’s plenty of MoPars to be seen here:
Dan
We had the same cartoon in our Denver paper. The artist must like 59’s Plymouths as he drew all the correct details (other then the cinder blocks the car is on)
I think we need a barge to bring back all those 50’s cars from Cuba!
John Q.
Well guys, i think you’d all be pretty disappointed! I was in Cuba in March and found that pretty much every one of the so called classic cars there and have all been rebuilt with a lot of homemade parts, and are retrofitted with Japanese, Korean, and it some cases Soviet era diesel engines and transmissions!
Pretty much every one of them has tuck and roll upholstery as well. We stayed in Varadero and took a day trip to Havana, and while there i was talking to a guy with a 56 Chev Bel Air sedan (Pretty much all the old cars are used as taxis for the tourists) and he told me, “Senor, the only thing about this car that is from the 50’s is the body and the dashboard, everything else has been rebuilt or remanufactured to keep them going!” This one had a Nissan diesel engine and manual transmission, but was rigged up so the column shift could be used, Those of who have me on Facebook, check my photo album entutled ‘Cuba Trip, March 20 to 27’
Bob
I don’t know that disappointed is the right word - perhaps the purist would be disappointed. But what a trip, to see so much old stock rolling around. I, for one, am putting it on my bucket list!
Dan
Well, i would say go for the culture, the people, the sights,the beautiful beaches and of course the weather, but don’t go just because of the cars!!
And in case you don’t know, there’s nothing stopping any of you who are U.S. citizens from going there now! All you have to do is make arrangements through a Canadian travel agency, then come to Toronto and go there from here!
Bob
I’ll bet I could develop a taste for a Cuban cigar as well. Its certainly time we kissed and made up.
Dick Koch passed on this note. What wonderful pix - thanks Dick!
I sent this message to a car club in Cuba:
And received this reply:
Matthew, you’ve got eagle eyes! This picture has been copied many times - do you know where it originated on the web, so I can try to track down where in Cuba the photo was taken?
Thanks
Dan
Hi Dan, here’s googles image search results of that pic
Thanks, Bob! Jill Richardson purports to have taken the picture. Now, to find an email address for her…
http://www.jillovertheground.com/2010/05/cuba-diary-cars.html
The California Auto Club has organized a trip to Cuba, and plans to meet with members of Los Amigos del Fangio Auto Club at Parque La Piragua on October 10th. I’m arranging my own trip as a “journalist” for 59plymouth.net (you may have heard of them) that same weekend. As such, I can fly directly to Havana from Miami. My flight is booked, and I’ve made arrangements to stay in an apartment overlooking the Malecon, where I’m told there is a constant parade of old cars late into the night:
It was very expensive to rent ($39 an night), but I figure it’s worth it. (!)
Mary Kay won’t be joining me, she gets a trip to Iceland in March out of this. I’ll be a shutterbug all weekend!
Dan
That should be an awesome trip, indeed!!
—John
Now, here’s a Cuban car with amazing gas mileage! I wonder what the brake horsepower is (in feet-pounds/minute)? 
(Love those fender skirts, Matthew!)
Four weeks from today, I will be in Cuba! Looking for this Fury, sans stainless. Hmmm… Not recognizing this factory color!
