A souvenir from an unforgettable visit to Cuba in February 1996. I managed to exhaust all the colour slide film I had taken along with me in that pre-digital age, but my travelling companion Di kindly donated a print film for my final day's photography. In parallel with the ever-enthralling classic car scene, Havana at that time offered huge interest to bus enthusiasts. After the demise of its Soviet Union patron, Cuba was hit hard economically. The government sought aid from wherever it could, and European Union countries plus Canada stepped in to provide fresh sources of aid. Havana's public transport was on its beam ends, which prompted the shipment of large numbers of buses made redundant in Montreal and a host of European cities. From the Dutch operator NZH came this classic DAF, still showing its old identity. The bus probably had to work much harder under the Caribbean sun that it ever had done in the Netherlands.

Tags:   nzh havana cuba daf

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Cuba is world-renowned for its large numbers of classic American cars that have been kept on the roads for over 60 years, before the embargo on trade with Fidel Castro's government took effect after 1960. There's a good smattering of British cars too, with 1950s Fords being the most common. This MGA was a huge surprise when I came across in a once affluent Havana district, back in February 1996. Was it once the plaything of a Cuban playboy? My Flickr friend Chris Firth of Wakey may have encountered this same car during his recent Havana visit.

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Faded elegance in the heart of Havana, back in February 1996. The Cuban government was making a strong drive to attract overseas tourists, after the Soviet Union’s demise had deprived Cuba of its leading patron. Recognising the value of its Spanish colonial heritage, a major effort was being made to spruce up the capital city, but many elegant buildings were still in chronic disrepair.

I can readily imagine that this Plymouth of c.1948 is still going strong. I should hope that the building behind has now been restored to its original glory.

February 1996
Rollei 35 camera
Kodacolor 100 film.

Tags:   Spanish colonial classic car 1948 Plymouth havana cuba

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A former Montreal transit bus enjoys a second life on the streets of Havana in this grainy print from February 1996. It is a GM New Look bus,universally nicknamed "Fishbowls". The type was introduced in 1959, coincidentally the same year that Fidel Castro took power, but the US trade embargo ensured that no Fishbowls were delivered new to Cuba. GM Fishbowls, with their raucous two-stroke Detroit Diesel engines, were ubiquitous throughout North America, with over 44,000 produced during the model's long lifespan. US production ceased in 1977, but Canadian output continued until 1986. Among the last in service with their original operators were the trolleybus Fishbowls that operated in Edmonton until 2009.

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My final day before the long flight home from Cuba in February 1996 saw me do a quick photosweep around Havana. I had used up all my colour slide film, but my holiday companion kindly donated a print film. Then, the US Dollar could be freely used in local transactions, so when this Ford Consul Series 2 of 1956-59 hove into view, I flagged down its driver, and he kindly took me on a short spin for $5. I explained in my broken Spanish that his car had special personal value, as we had hired an identical one for our annual holiday in 1959. I still recall that car's registration of WVW424. The sight of that dashboard brought the memories back, as its front bench seat enabled me to sit alongside my parents.

Through the many years of the US trade embargo, generations of Cubans kept their cars on the road through ingenious improvisation. For example, we rode in a 1951 Mercury Coupe whose V8 engine had been replaced by a Russian diesel from a tractor. But my host was proud that his car was 100% authentic. "Motor original!" he exclaimed. He is about to flip open the bonnet to reveal an immaculate Dagenham Ford 4-cylinder engine.

Tags:   classic car ford consul cuba havana

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