{"id":246353,"date":"2021-11-29T13:32:40","date_gmt":"2021-11-29T18:32:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/?p=246353"},"modified":"2021-11-29T13:32:40","modified_gmt":"2021-11-29T18:32:40","slug":"jewels-on-wheels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/cuba\/jewels-on-wheels\/","title":{"rendered":"Jewels on wheels"},"content":{"rendered":"

The age of many cars that still circulate on the streets of Cuba have turned the island into a unique place, where history and the present converge naturally on the asphalt, and make the country a long-awaited tourist attraction for motor enthusiasts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Although cars of different eras and models roll in the Caribbean nation, it is those from the first six decades of the 20th century, which arrived in the country before the triumph of the Cuban Revolution, which arouse the greatest admiration of visitors and are repeated in photos, postcards and magazine covers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Classic car parking in front of the Inglaterra Hotel, in Havana. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Reputed brands such as Ford, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Plymouth or Dodge still have in Cuba a sample of their wonders of yesteryear, not in a garage or a shop window, but in full activity in Havana or other cities on the island. And although some cannot hide the weight of time, others are displayed gleaming, with a beauty and freshness that makes them seem fresh from the factory.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Dodge from 1958, in Havana. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

They are true jewels on wheels, cars that amaze even the most knowledgeable as true prodigies of human will and ingenuity. Only their owners and mechanics know how much inventiveness and resources it takes to make them look like new; in order to maintain their classic exterior, their engines and parts are renewed and modernized. Or, even more unusual, the original ones are fully preserved.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
The owners of these cars try to maintain the elegance and comfort of the original models. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Many tourists succumb to the temptation to ride in one of these old cars \u2014 roofed or convertibles \u2014 or, at least, to be photographed with one of them, as testimony of a journey that seems to go back decades.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Tourists tour the streets of Havana in a classic car. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

They can also have access to them by visiting the Automobile Museum, located in the historic center of Havana. Unique models await them, both for their characteristics and age \u2014 the oldest dates back to 1905 \u2014 and for the figures that used of them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thus they can enjoy, for example, the <\/span>De Soto donated to historian Eusebio Leal<\/span><\/a> by American collector, businessman and philanthropist Richard Herman Driehaus. As well as other cars of recognized brands such as Rolls Royce, Packard, Maserati, Mercedes Benz, Oldsmobile and Fiat.<\/span><\/p>\n