Vintage Cars photographed in Havana
January and February 2010
emilito, editorLast saved May 16, 2010 0:55
This is a draft until all (or most) of the cars are identified.
The following
photographs were taken
either by members of my family (January) or members of my rugby team
(February).
They represent a small number of the 1950s (and some earlier) US model cars. The revolution took place in January 1959 and relations stayed the same for a few months so, although there are a small number of 1960 cars around (I saw an Edsel on the streets but couldn't get my camera up quickly enough to take a shot), there aren't a lot.
There are also a bunch of Russian cars from the 1970s or 1980s, and now there are a tiny number of recent European cars.
I don't know some years, makes or models; help is solicited!
Some of these cars may not be American - I believe I see an Opel logo on one (and there were a few VW bugs whose pictures I haven't included). Also, some may not be clearly identifiable - or even "whole" - as sometimes cars are bastardized and entirely "new" models created.
Some help received to date from Nelson Deusebio and Tom Carr.
They represent a small number of the 1950s (and some earlier) US model cars. The revolution took place in January 1959 and relations stayed the same for a few months so, although there are a small number of 1960 cars around (I saw an Edsel on the streets but couldn't get my camera up quickly enough to take a shot), there aren't a lot.
There are also a bunch of Russian cars from the 1970s or 1980s, and now there are a tiny number of recent European cars.
I don't know some years, makes or models; help is solicited!
Some of these cars may not be American - I believe I see an Opel logo on one (and there were a few VW bugs whose pictures I haven't included). Also, some may not be clearly identifiable - or even "whole" - as sometimes cars are bastardized and entirely "new" models created.
Some help received to date from Nelson Deusebio and Tom Carr.
001-1953 Chevy 4 door sedan
001B-same car from the side
002-1954 Dodge coronet
003-a pre-1950s car, otherwise unknown
004 - early 1950s Ford: probably 1952 or 1953
005 - 1941 Ford 4-door sedan
006 - 1951 Chevy 4-door sedan
007 - 1956 Buick 4-door sedan
008 - 1951 Buick 4-door sedan
009 - 1953 Chevy midline 210
Behind this car is a vehicle known in Havana as a "bicitaxi."
010 - 1953 Chevy 4-door midline 210
011-1957 Ford Fairline convertible
011B - second view of 1957 Ford convertible
012-1957 Chevy 4-door hardtop (rare, per Tommy Carr).
Just about any car in Havana serves as a taxicab.
Getting into this "cab" are my brother and his wife for a ride back to the hotel at midnight.
We were assured by a local we trusted that this was a safe ride.
013-looks like an early 1950s Plymouth and I don't know what kind of red car
014-three vintage cars in a row. The car in the foreground is a Dodge Royal V-8.
The green car is a Chevy and not sure what the front car is.
015 - 1958 Oldsmobile 4-door hardtop
016 - 1950 Studebaker 4 door
017 - 1952 Studebaker Commander convertible (rare, per Tommy Carr)
018 - 1957 Oldsmobile 4-door hardtop
019 - 1955 Ford
020-based on the logo on the next picture, this may be an Opel
020B -this is almost certainly an Opel logo
Per Tom Carr, these are 49 Studebaker and 50 Chevy lights
021 - 1953 Chevrolet 4-door sedan
022 - 1953 Chevy
023 - 1953 Chevy
The following 20 cars
were photographed by members of the Atlantis rugby team that
participated in the February 2010 Habana Howlers Sevens.
101-Kenny Scott and, I think, either a 1955 or 1956 Chevy.
102-the same Chevy plus - I think - a 1953 or 1954
Plymouth101-Kenny Scott and, I think, either a 1955 or 1956 Chevy.
102B - same two cars from behind
103 - I believe this is a 1960 Chevy
Nelson points out no 4 door convertibles; must be a great conversion job
Nelson also points out might be a Chevy-Olds hybrid
103A - John Babb and 1960 Chevy convertible
logo on dash says Impala
103B - This was the location of this convertible: in front of the Capitolio
All the guys in bright blue shirts (guayaberas) are teammates.
104-looks like black Pontiac followed by gray Chevy (both early 1950s)
105-this picture taken from rooftop, is it a Plymouth?
106-guess this is a 1955 Chevy
106 - front of the 1955 Chevy, above
107 - unknown blue car
108 - early 1950s Pontiac
109 - mid-1950s Oldsmobile
109 - back view of above car
110 - mid 1950s Ford ... I think this is a 1956 model
110A - back of above Ford
110B - hood ornament of above Ford
111-early 1950s Chevy
112 - maroon car - Chevy?
113 - early 1950s (1954?) Chevy
114 - same car from behind
115 - pre 1949 Chevrolet. Probably 1940 or 1941.
116 - blue car? possibly not American car. Green car - pre 1949 Ford
117-early 1950s Chevy: this is the only car picture repeated between family & rugby visits:
also here as car number 010.
117A - side view of above car
117B - hood ornament of above car
Nelson notes there are really two hood ornaments - original and possibly Packard
118 - pre 1949 Ford. probably 1948, though 1946 and 1947 were similar.
119 - early 1950s Chevy
almost identical to the first car on this page; we have completed a circle.
120 - huge fins like this say "1959" to me ... Looks a lot like a Cadillac,
but the 1959 Cadillac had the taillights as part of the fins, not below. Batmobile?
Almost as soon as I put
this out, I was led to several collections of pictures of Cuban
cars. There are more than 4000 pictures at this site:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/cubancars/pool/tags/cuba/
Also, there is a Facebook group called simply "CARS OF CUBA."
Also, there is a Facebook group called simply "CARS OF CUBA."