The island nation of Cuba is unique, including its affinity for classic American cars that some of the last mechanics of Cuba continually fix and restore.
Cuba is a small island country located south of Florida. For many decades this nation has been under Communist rule and the military arm of Fidel Castro, at least until he died. The country is still under Communist rule and has an authoritative government, but that has nothing to do with the cars that are driven, restored, and repaired in unique ways.
What cars will you see in Cuba?
The streets of Cuba are filled with classic American cars that date back to the 1940s and 1950s. You might find a few newer cars here and there, but most of the cars are classic models that would turn heads in the United States because very few of these models still exist. Because of the small size of the country and lack of land for waste, mechanics in Cuba must do everything they can to keep cars running, even if that means rebuilding an American car with parts from other vehicles.
Creativity is the name of the game
When older cars break and experience mechanical issues in Cuba, parts aren’t readily available to rebuild, fix, or restore them. This means special mechanics are required to get these cars running again. Oscar Rodriguez is one of these mechanics. He operates a converted shop, which was a courtyard, with three of his friends. They get to work everyday to come up with creative solutions to ensure the vehicles can continue to run and drive. These solutions are sometimes extreme, but often work.
What are some of the creations?
Rodriguez is proud of his shop, talents, and creativity. He has created just about everything you can think of, including a new steering mechanism for a 1947 Nash that was made from Toyota and Mitsubishi parts. He added a new Toyota engine to a 1956 Ford Fairlane to get it running again and cut a 1954 Jeep in half to extend it 18 inches and add a Soviet-era Volga steering system. He even added a 1994 VW Jetta engine to the Jeep, and the engine is already attached to a Hyundai transmission. Do you see the theme here?
Is this common in Cuba?
The approach of self-taught mechanics in Cuba seems to be pretty common. Despite the communist government, more Cubans than ever have begun to embrace capitalism and earn their own small part of the economy. Rodriguez began as a self-taught mechanic, and the fact that he can put cars together using various parts from different brands speaks highly of his ingenuity and creativity.
The shop where Rodriguez works has a leaky roof and his tools are extremely old, some of which are rusty, but that doesn’t slow him down. It can take months for a car part to arrive at his shop, which can be disheartening, but it also spurns him to create the part he needs in his garage.
Are cars inspected in Cuba?
You might think that cars in Cuba don’t have to pass an inspection, considering their age and how many of them probably don’t have many original parts. That’s not the case thought, and Rodriguez and his team work to help ensure the cars they put on the road can pass the government’s vehicle inspection process.
Low salaries make buying new cars impossible
Despite some new modern cars heading to Cuba, most new cars are too expensive for the average Cuban to afford them. Most cost more than $40,000 and that means most people can’t afford them. Some can’t afford the older models either. The average salary for a Cuban working for a state-company is about $20 per month. This creates a serious challenge for the people of this island nation to be able to move forward and grow.
Trial and error for these last mechanics of Cuba
There’s no telling how the next generation will approach the automotive industry or being mechanics, if they do at all. Rodriguez learned by trial and error, beginning with a 1951 Plymouth that his mother bought him in 1991. The car was in bad shape, but he invested the time and money to get it running and eventually sold it. Will the future generation of Cuba produce similarly creative and driven mechanics or will Rodriguez and others like him truly be the last mechanics of Cuba?