In 2012, for the first time since the Revolution in 1959, the Cuban government legalized the purchasing of personal automobiles and established automobile dealerships. Suddenly, American news sources are becoming more and more interested in Cuban automobile ownership and use.
The first car arrived to Cuba in 1899, coinciding with the end of Spanish rule. The first car dealership
in Cuba Opened in 1903. By the late 1910s there were 150 different makes of cars traveling around Havana. US occupation on the island introduced a new business opportunity for United States automobile manufacturers, and Middle Class Cubans were thrilled about it.
Pretty soon, thanks to the generous credit terms of automobile manufacturers such Ford Motor Company, a lot of cars were on the island. And most were from the United States. Of the 5,117 automobiles imported to Cuba between 1921 and 1922, 4,722 were North American. Excluding the years of World War II, when United States manufacturing was focused on war efforts, American makes continued to arrive to the island until the Revolution in 1959. And now the Cuban streets are filled with vintage American cars in a variety of conditions. I’m talking filled with American cars. Because of the United States trade embargo with Cuba, owners of American models cannot purchase replacement parts from the United States. So how are these cars still running? Well, many car owners combined the working pieces from two (or more) non-operating cars. Others looked to countries abroad, like China, for replacement parts.
The collapse of the Soviet Union forced Cuba to pay market prices for gas. Many (if not most) car owners responded by this rise in gas prices by replacing their petroleum engines with diesel engines.
The vintage cars in better condition seem to be used as expensive tourist taxis or privately owned by Cubans who have inherited their cars from family. But the streets of Havana are filled with Vintage American cars operating as communal taxis on established routes. You can read more about Taxis here.