Old Car at the Airport – Havana, Cuba
Cuba is known for its large stable of classic cars, American models from the 1950s, pre-revolution, that are still in use. I wanted to know whether all the cars are old and classic, or if there are newer models. As soon as I got to the airport, I started documenting some of the vehicles in the parking lot.
As you can see from the first two examples, there were indeed old American cars around. While not shiny and fully restored, this Chevy and Chrysler look good for vehicles over 65 years old.
However, not all cars are classics, nor are they all American. In fact, I saw many new cars as well, which diminished some of the romantic notion of a country with just 1950s vehicles.
Below is an example of an old non-American vehicle. I can’t identify the model, but it looks like an East German or Russian car. I saw a bunch of these boxy models, too, which are definitely not from the U.S.
Look in the background and you’ll notice two yellow taxis that look distinctly modern. I couldn’t identify these brands either, but some of them appeared to be Chinese. Thus, a variety of vehicles is in use, though a significant number are American cars from the 1950s.
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6 thoughts on “Old but not necessarily classic”
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atmtx photo blog 
the taxi is a Renault Talisman and the other is a 1980s Lada.
Hi treehill, thank you for helping to identify the vehicles.
A few years ago, we visited Cuba and had the opportunity to take a city tour in one of the old American cars in Havana. In many cases, the owners have removed the original, very thirsty and gas-guzzling engines and replaced them with smaller, more economical ones, often Japanese. That doesn’t sound easy. The white car in the photo (Havana Cuba Car Old Car Parking Lot 2024) is a “Polki Fiat” or a Russian “Lada,” while the other white car with red rims could be a “Wartburg” from the GDR with a two-stroke engine, all dating from around the 1970s. Due to the US trade embargo against Cuba (since 1960), the countries of the former Eastern Bloc remained important trading partners for the island. Thank you for the beautiful pictures, I enjoy visiting your website again and again. Greetings from Austria, Franz.
Hi Franz, thank you for all the details of the cars in frame. I’m pretty familiar with American cars, but less so for cars outside the U.S.
Thank you also for your continued visit. A lot more Cuba coverage to come.
Fiat stands for „Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torini“ (Italy), and they had been cooperating with a Polish factory for quite some time (Polski Fiat). But then they sold the blueprints for their “125” model to the Russians (Lada) in exchange for quickly rusting sheet metal. I saw and experienced it myself. The doors were almost completely rusted away after five years. Fortunately, things are better today. Enjoy your photography as I do mine. Best regards, Franz.