1959 Cadillac Fleetwood Convertible Sedan

"In every part of the world where highways exist and quality is recognized, Cadillac has become the accepted symbol of automotive goodness. And certainly, this international affection for Cadillac has never been more soundly based — or more richly deserved — than it is at the present time. For the Cadillac car has never before been so bountiful in all those things which command respect and admiration in a motor car. In styling, in performance, in craftsmanship, and in practicality — it is the Standard of the World. We believe that an inspection and demonstration will prove this fact beyond question. Visit your dealer soon and learn for yourself why Cadillac is first in the world's esteem."

This mighty Cadillac from Varadero usually takes tourists on a sightseeing tour around the peninsula. The tourists enjoy the ride in the "authentic" drop-top, and not many take notice that Cadillac never offered a four-door convertible in 1959.

"Grancar", the state-owned company which operates this car, is quite infamous for quick cut-off jobs like this one for the sake of tourist entertainment. Seems like the Peso is earned easier with a convertible. Before the conversion, this car was a luxurious Fleetwood Sixty Special Sedan, as the embossed letters on its rear deck lid indicate. At least, they left the original V-8 engine installed.

Albán, the driver of this Cadillac, likes to pretend that he actually owns the car. But blue "chapas", numberplates of a state-owned vehicle, set him straight. However, for Cuban conditions, he's in a comfortable position: the Estado gives him this car and a monthly ration of fuel, and in return, he must do the maintenance and bring in cash at the end of the month. Private tours or extra work for the own pocket? No problem! The established Cuban system of rationing, rather than billing, fosters this kind of corruption. In common sense, it would be abnormal not to do it.

The only drawback of having a 1959 Cadillac is that no extra ride gets unnoticed. Wherever this thing shows up, it's turning heads. Anyway, the extra tours can't be long, as the V-8 engine quickly consumes the monthly fuel ration. So, Albán found another way to better his income: he's selling some of the Cadillac's fuel and cruises just a little slower...

1955 Buick Special 4-door Tourback Sedan

"Sky-high style and Snap to match! Up front you note first a stunning new Wide-Screen Grille that's distinctive as the name above it. Curbside, you take in the rake of the silvery sweep-spear, the sports-car cut of the wheel wells, the arching sweep of the broad panoramic windshield that has set a complete new trend for the industry to follow. To the rear, you find still more modernity — in the smart slash-back styling of the tail-light grouping that adds a new fashion profile to the whole gleaming grace of the car. This, you see, is Buick for 1955 — and there's a tilt to the lines of it that we believe you will find nowhere else on the new automotive horizon."

The 1955 Buick perfectly embodies the massive grace that made cars of GM's "chrome-and-glamour" division so desirable for many customers. In 1955, Buick's sales soared by more than 60 percent, and with 738,814 cars produced, the company scored third in the annual production statistics, ousting Plymouth from its long-standing position. Buick was by far the most successful American luxury car make, and a large part of this success is owed to the classy styling, which, by the way, is said to have been one of Harley Earl's personal favorite designs.

Buicks of this generation are an interesting showcase of strategic product development: in the lineup's lifecycle between 1954 and 1956, the appearance of Buicks evolved gradually, but decidedly, from pretty curvaceous volumes to a leaner and more modern look. All Buick Special of this period were based on the same corporate "B-body", as you can notice in their similar rooflines. The outer sheetmetal, though, was slightly altered each year. The 1954 Buick, for instance, still sported the sculptural hood of earlier Buicks, with the middle part raised atop the front fenders. In 1955, a much flatter hood appeared and the dip between hood and fenders became very shallow, which made for a lower and boxier overall look. The front fenders became straightened out even more for 1956, further emphasizing on the horizontal lines of the car.

The car's front grille, too, became wider and more angular each year, while the cone-shaped "dagmars" were pushed out to the sides, anticipating the full-width grille of the 1957 Buicks. Along with these changes went yearly revisions of the rear end and chrome trim.

Of course, all these changes didn't happen randomly, but were carefully orchestrated by Harley Earl and his GM design team to ensure a constant evolution of the "Buick look" while, at the same time, being able to please the customer's thirst for novelties by introducing an "all-new“ design, each year.

1951 Ford DeLuxe Fordor Sedan

"Feature For Feature, Ford is Finer by Far."

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. This might have been the credo at Ford since the company recovered from prospective bankruptcy and, induced by the Fords for 1949, went back on to the road to success. We covered the genesis of these models here.

At a glance, the Fords for 1949 and 1950 virtually looked identical. There was no need for change anyway, as these cars sold incredibly well: with the 1949 models, Ford's production nearly tripled, boasting the company to the first place in the annual industry ranking, and the sales figures remained strong through 1950. In 1951, the last year of the lineup's life cycle, the Fords finally received a minor facelift, and proud Ford owners now polished two characteristic chrome spinners in the front grille, instead of one.

More substantial improvements happened underneath the hood: this year, Ford introduced the "Fordomatic" automatic transmission. Now, Ford customers could finally opt for the same comfort that Chevrolet drivers enjoyed already since 1950.

Yet, rather than technical marvels, style and glamour became increasingly important factors for car buyers in the early 50s, and Ford's arch-rival Chevrolet sure had an edge on Dearborn when it came to fancy looks. A Ford was clearly the more sensible choice, but in hindsight, we think, the Ford certainly sported a leaner and thus ultimately more modern design than the flashy GM cars.

1958 Chrysler New Yorker 4-door Sedan

"Watch your spirits rise as you slip behind the wheel of this mightiest-of-all Chryslers and head for the open road. Its long, low (barely over 4 1/2 feet), Flight-Sweep styling and FirePower V8 10 to 1 compression ratio performance and economy put you in full command of everything on the road."

Chrysler had surprised the automotive world with Virgil Exner's gorgeous "Forward Look" styling in 1955. Just two years later, an even bolder design direction, now called "Flight-Sweep styling", bore some more surprises, although not all of them were favorable to the company.

The new Chryslers sure looked stunning, because their compact torsion bar suspension allowed for a much lower silhouette than most of their competitors. Over at GM, where "longer and lower" was Harley Earl's eternal mantra for the look of new cars, the arrival of the new Chryslers caused quite a dismay when GM designers, who certainly had been spoiled by their own long-time success, suddenly realized that they weren't the trend setters anymore. In response to the new low-slung Chryslers, GM designers decided on a posthaste rework of the whole lineup for 1959.

With such stunning design, the Chrysler lineup only needed minor updates to stay "fresh" in 1958: quad headlights and different chrome trim were the most notable changes.

Yet, as gorgeous as the Chryslers looked, as badly they were built: a severe lack of quality control meant very lousily assembled cars. Some Chryslers literally fell apart before even reaching the dealers. On top of that, most cars were plagued by early corrosion, due to the use of poor quality steel. Although Chrysler addressed many issues within the 1957 production run, the damage was already done. The 1958 models were better, but the customers were alarmed and backed off from these elegant cars. The economic recession of 1958 added insult to injury, as most bigger cars anyway sat like ducks at the dealer's. Thus, in 1958, Chrysler could sell just about half as many cars as in the year before.

1955 Oldsmobile 88 4-door Sedan

"Out in front  . . .  with the new 'Go-Ahead' look! See it in the panoramic windshield, the new hooded headlights — in the sweep-cut fender lines, the pure-luxury interiors. In fact, Oldsmobile's Super '88' is new everywhere  . . .  wherever you look!"

This one left us a little puzzled upon first sight: up front it's a 1956 Oldsmobile, but the trim comes from 1955. So, what is it? The rectangular cutout around the rear wheels suggests that this car was built in 1955. 1956 Oldsmobiles  had a curved wheel arch, instead. This, the car's owner confirmed later, was the right guess: the whole front clip had been replaced after an accident years ago.

The American car companies presented their "all-new" models each year with much fanfare, but in fact, the cars were actually evolving pretty slowly. Case in point: Oldsmobile's bodies underwent merely cosmetic changes between 1954 and 1957, which makes it fairly easy to mount a newer front end onto our pictured car.

Mechanically it was all the same anyway, since the introduction of the groundbreaking "Rocket" V-8 engine in 1949 had not only rendered the Oldsmobiles the most powerful cars in the GM portfolio, but also initiated a race for ever more horsepower that spread like a virus across the industry throughout the decade. This "Rocket" V-8 powerplant and Oldsmobile's underpinnings were top-notch tech at the time. Strangely enough, the styling persevered surprisingly conservative throughout the 50s, before it switched completely and became garish in 1958.

1953 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible

"Here is convertible smartness beyond compare in the low-price field. Interior appointments include a striking new upholstery treatment with trim to harmonize with the exterior of the car. A touch of a button sends top up or down. Available in a wide choice of colors."

Did the Chevy bottom out? (Spoiler: it didn't.) The load of seven people transformed this Chevrolet Convertible into a veritable low-rider, but its cautious driver could avoid a loud smack onto the tarmac.

The 1953 Chevrolets carried essentially the same chassis and mechanicals as all their predecessors since 1949, but their attractive restyling made them look more angular and quite a bit lower, too. Which they actually weren't, as you can see here: bar of all chrome trim and painted in a matte white paint that takes away the play of highlights and shadows, the Chevrolet's "new" outline still looks fairly stout. True package advancements should come only in the latter 50s.

That said, looks can be deceiving: the buying public nonetheless perceived the 1953-1954 Chevrolets as being "all-new" models. Vibrant color schemes and bright chrome trim clearly helped to distract from their stodgy proportions. No less than thirteen exterior colors were available, and eleven two-tone color combinations could be ordered on top of that. Harley Earl and his GM design team had skillfully managed to add that little extra "bling" that made these Chevrolets look so outstanding in the eyes of their customers. In their class, doubtlessly, they were setting the standards in automotive fashion, and the rest of the industry only could follow.

1959-1960 Austin Cambridge / Cambrian

"One look at the Austin Cambridge and you know why people are calling it the most beautifully-styled car in its price class. And there's much more to the Cambridge than its fresh, flowing lines! It seats five people in deep-cushioned comfort  . . .  cruises all day at top highway speeds  . . .  gives you up to 40 miles per gallon! But to discover the full beauty of the Cambridge, you have to visit your Austin showroom to see it in person — and price it in person. You'll find it hard to believe a car so lovely could be priced so low."

At a quick glance, our pictured Austin from Matanzas could easily be mistaken for one of the few Peugeot 404 that populate Cuba's automotive landscape. And in fact, this resemblance ain't accidental, because the French and the British car were both styled south of the Alps by Pininfarina of Torino. More than a few times, Italian car styling companies sold pretty similar looking proposals to different clients. At the end of the day, their work had to be profitable and they sure wouldn't completely "reinvent the wheel" on each new contract.

That said, it was a fairly big assignment that Pininfarina had received from Austin's mother company BMC. For 1959, all BMC brands should use just one standardized body for their cars. Thus, the Austin shared its body with the Wolseley 15/60, the Riley 4/68, the MG Magnette Series III and the Morris Oxford. Front- and rear ends were individual, so that at least the dealers could pretend that all these cars were different.

The Austin, fortunately, was the most modern looking of the pack. Being bigger than its tiny predecessor, the Austin Cambridge Mark II became quite successful on both continents. It arrived in America just amidst the massive "compact" car boom, and Austin could snatch its share of the market, before the "Big Three" would launch their own "compact" cars in the early 60s.

Through 1959, Austin sold its A55 Cambridge in the US exclusively as Cambrian, because earlier Plymouth models had been named Cranbrook, Cambridge and Concord between 1951 and 1953. In apprehension of a possible lawsuit, Austin choose to use another name, but as soon as the lawyers gave their clearance, the name was changed back into Cambridge here as well.

But now we need a bit of concentration, as we are diving deep into the "logic" of contemporary British car fabrication: even if it was supposedly just a name change, the Cambrian wasn't all identical with the Cambridge. It had a 1,622cc engine installed, rather than the 1,498cc engine that was fitted into the English Cambridge. You wouldn't notice it, but the Cambrian also sported ever so slightly altered rear body panels, because it shared its rear lights with the Morris Oxford Series V. That car, by the way, looked identical to the English Cambridge, except for its slightly higher tailfins, and a different grille insert pattern... Are you still following?

1958 Ford Thunderbird Convertible

"The new Thunderbird convertible decisively proves that you can have your cake and eat it, too. For now you can have true Thunderbird performance and Thunderbird fun — and, at the same time, luxurious room and comfort for four lucky people. Your T-bird comes equipped for superior performance with the brilliant new 300-hp Thunderbird Special V-8. Imagine what this beautiful new power plant means in a car so low, so lithe, so compact! When the hide-away top is down, the rear deck is perfectly flush with the rear seats, forming one smooth, uninterrupted line of Thunderbird beauty. See America's most individual car at your Ford Dealer's soon. You've nothing to lose but your heart!"

What a nice place to spend the evening! Cruising along in a Ford Thunderbird, while enjoying a soft tropical breeze, and listening to the characteristic growl of a big V-8 engine under the hood most certainly appeals to all senses.

In 1953, to everyone's surprise, Chevrolet had launched the Corvette, which soon should become a synonym for THE american sports car. Thunderbird was Ford's answer to the Corvette. The first generation, built from 1955 through 1957, was a two-seater, quintessentially embodying the stereotype of a classic sports car. This, of course, in true american fashion: the car looked dashing and was powerful, but it had to give way to purer sports cars as soon as the road became a little twisty.

The market for such a two-seater sports car was limited, and Ford, being much more dominated by bean counters and market research people than most other car companies, made "adjustments" to the original concept with the second generation which bowed in 1958. Now the car literally grew up, gaining 20 inches (51cm) overall length and 400 pounds (175kg) of weight. Perhaps most disturbing to the "purists", the car was now a full four-seater with all the amenities that other contemporary luxury cars would offer. While the first Thunderbird generation somehow fitted into the sports car scheme, the new generation wouldn't. But it didn't matter, as Ford had incidentally carved out a profitable new niche market: the "Personal Luxury Car" at an attainable price. This new market segment should gain momentum and become a necessity in the lineup of any American car maker throughout the 60s.

The Ford Thunderbird was pretty popular since it became a four-seater, and compared to the introductory year 1955, the production doubled in 1958. Considering that this was a recession year, and any bigger car was not moving from the dealer's, this was a respectable success. In 1959, the Thunderbird should again surpass its own success, with more than 67,000 cars finding new homes in American garages. Strangely enough, customers didn't show much interest in the 1958 Thunderbird Convertible. Out of 37,892 Thunderbird built in 1958, just 2,134 were ragtops, accounting for less than six percent of the total production. Granted that the convertible arrived late in the model year, the two-door hardtop was the much more popular choice.

1955 DeSoto Diplomat 4-door Sedan

"No other car in the class of the Diplomat four-door Sedan has ever offered so much room and style both inside and out. Its clean, flowing, low appearance accentuates the beauty of the Diplomat's lines. Its built-in value is reflected in even the smallest detail."

Here's a car from Detroit that you could never buy in the U.S.: the 1955 DeSoto Diplomat is essentially a Plymouth Savoy, wearing a bespoke DeSoto front clip. Chrysler used to sell these cheaper Plymouths, masqueraded as pricier DeSotos or Dodges in its export markets. These "Plodges" were usually built in Canada, but in 1955, Chrysler of Canada didn't export any cars, and so all DeSoto Diplomat came from Detroit.

Cuba is perhaps the only country in the world where you can find very different looking DeSotos of the same model year in peaceful coexistence. Parallel to the "official" channels, many cars, new or used, were imported to the island via ferry from Florida. The high markup at Cuban dealerships made this import a worthwhile effort. Even more so in 1955, because the U.S.-bound "Forward Look" DeSotos were based on the larger Chrysler platform, and looked so much more stunning than the Plymouth-based export models that were sold by Cuban Chrysler dealers.

1954 Chrysler Custom Imperial Sedan

"In the Imperial for 1954, Chrysler stylists and designers have combined smart styling and conservative beauty to create a car that has a distinguished appearance, quite in keeping with the distinguished performance for which the Imperial is already so well and widely known and respected. With the distinctive new grille and bumper design; the long, graceful, perfectly blended lines, from front to rear; the wide, one-piece curved windshield; the Clearbac wrap-around window; and the exclusive Diving Eagle and the Chrysler winged-V on the hood, there is little likelihood anyone would mistake the Imperial, by Chrysler, for any other car."

In the picture it doesn't look like much. Yet, in reality, it was the sheer size of this car that instantly grabbed our attention: the Imperial, Chrysler's top model for 1954, measures a whopping 223.8 inches (5685mm) from bumper to bumper. When new, it should compete with America's best: Cadillac, Lincoln and Packard. The Imperial was more expensive than any of them, but trailed them in sales numbers. Out of 5,758 Chrysler Imperial in total, just 4,324 Custom Imperial Sedan left the factory in 1954: not many compared to 96,680 Cadillac, 36,993 Lincoln and 31,291 Packard in the same year.

The reason for the customer's rejection: the Imperial looked too much like a lesser Chrysler. Yet, technically, it was a showcase of Chrysler engineering: the biggest "FirePower" Hemi V-8 engine, "PowerFlite" transmission, "Full-Time Power Steering" and "Chrysler Safe-Guard Hydraulic Brakes" all came standard. The majestic Crown Imperial 8-passenger limousine even had Lambert-Ausco disc brakes — an absolute novelty in the early 50s. On other Imperials, these brakes were available as an option, but the steep $400 price tag meant very few takers.

Juan Manuel, the owner of our pictured Imperial, is a retired pilot and a chatty man: "My career began as a military pilot, but when I became too old for the job, I became a pilot for Cubana airlines. I flew everything on Cuban skies, from Russian MiG-21, Antonovs and Iljuschins to American Cessnas. This Chrysler Imperial is mine since more than 40 years. When I got it, it had still its original Hemi-engine installed. Chico, this car was quick! But, you know, we all get older and, just like me, it drank too much. We all had to shift into a lower gear. Now, the Imperial runs with a Mercedes-Benz Diesel and I just have my occasional traguito".

1958 Chevrolet Yeoman 4-door 6-Passenger Station Wagon

"Smart good looks and rugged utility here! The economical Yeoman, with its sturdy vinyl interior and linoleum platform, welcomes hard wear. For fun, there is plenty of color and comfort! And there's traditional Chevrolet quality, too, in the craftsmanship of Body by Fisher, polished lacquer finish and fine materials."

Station wagons enjoy a steady popularity among Cuba's choferes today. Especially taxistas appreciate them because they can cram more people into the car on each trip. It wasn't always the case: in the 40s and 50s, the classic sedan was the car of choice for Cuba's prospering middle-class society. Station wagons generally were surrounded by an aura of being cheap utility vehicles. Their raising popularity among U.S. citizens, moving out into the newly built suburbs in the latter 50s, was a trend that didn't arrive in Cuba before Fidel Castro's Revolution in 1959. And then it was too late, since the new government effectively stopped the arrival of American cars and trends at Cuban shores for the next decades.

When talking of period station wagons from Chevrolet, many remember the "big" names like Nomad or Bel Air, but hardly anybody seems to know the Yeoman. With good reason, as the Yeoman was an one-time wonder and only available in 1958. New styling and new names was the name of the game at Chevrolet in this year. The short-lived lineup should become replaced by completely new models already in 1959. And so did the Yeoman nameplate.

The Yeoman was Chevrolet's entry into the station wagon world. More affluent customers could also buy a Brookwood, or a Nomad at the upper end of the lineup. Regardless of its entry-level status, the Yeoman sported abundant chrome trim and looked quite flashy — for a station wagon. Inside, it was all plastic fantastic: vinyl upholstery, rubber floor mats and a linoleum-padded trunk might sound terrible today, but, except for the linoleum, these were common interior trim materials in many cars at the time.

To make this spartan interior sound any more interesting, Chevrolet's copywriters had to be imaginative: "You can swab this deck! The Yeoman's not afraid of soapy water. Tough vinyl upholstery, rubber floor mats and linoleum platform make this station wagon interior completely washable — with water and a sponge! Ideal for sportsmen, gardeners, or folks with a fleet of small fry."

1957 Nash Ambassador Super 4-door Sedan

"If you like to get off the beaten path — away from crawling, horn-honking traffic — there's just one car for you — the 1957 Nash Ambassador. You're king of the wide open spaces when you slide into the widest 'driver's seat' in any car . . . look through the broadest windshield . . . enjoy the greatest shoulder room  and head room. At throttle touch, the all-new, all-Nash 255 Horsepower Ambassador V-8 engine can flatten out the steepest mountains. A new kind of springing floats you over the roughest roads for the finest shock-proof ride in the industry. All-new 14-inch wheels and oversize tubeless tires offer greater traction power and riding comfort. Travel-Test the new '57 Nash today. See why Nash families go more places together, have more fun and spend lots less."

The Ambassador was quite an extraordinary car when presented in late 1956. Styled by Edmund E. Anderson and his design team, this Nash had more to offer than just a fancy look: Quad headlights, vertically stacked, were a previously unseen "first" on American roads. An all-new "Ambassador" V-8 engine, and "Airliner reclining seats" which could fold down to become "Nash Twin Travel Beds" all came standard on the Ambassador. And instead of a typical body-on-frame chassis, the Ambassador was based on the "A.M.C. Double Safe Single Unit Construction", a monocoque body, that Nash had pioneered since the 40s. Other american car brands should adopt this modern construction principle much later.

Too bad that the Ambassador was Nash's swan-song: after just 3,098 Ambassadors produced in the 1957 model year, the Nash nameplate should disappear. Only the tiny Nash Metropolitan "survived" until 1962, when the last cars, built in spring 1961, finally were sold.

Anyway, the fate of Nash and Hudson was already at stake when the two companies merged in 1954 to become the American Motors Corporation (AMC). Even this bigger joint venture couldn't cope with the economies of scale that made the "Big Three" so successful. Yet, one AMC product fared well in the market because it didn't have any direct competition: the "compact" Rambler, initially offered as Nash Rambler and Hudson Rambler alike, sold well even before compact cars became en vogue in the latter 50s. Soon, Rambler became an own make. The bigger cars from Nash and Hudson, though, were shunned by the public, and after discouraging sales Nash and Hudson ceased operations in mid-1957, leaving Rambler behind as AMC's only brand.

1948 Oldsmobile Series '70' Dynamic Cruiser 4-Door Sedan

" 'Dynamic' is more than just another name as applied to these new Oldsmobiles for 1948. It's a action word that's particularly suited to the 'personality' of these action-styled, action-engineered cars. The very smoothness of their flowing lines suggests motion  . . .  driving  . . .  travel  . . .  excitement. Sparkling new colors, inside and out, heighten this effect and give an added impression of dynamic smartness — smartness that stays in style as other fashions change."

Attentive readers will notice the different tone of corporate advertisement in the same year: while Chrysler brands and Chevrolet, old-fashioned, highlight value and values, Oldsmobile's copywriters heavily promote styling as the prime reason for buying an Olds. It was a pretty new approach in advertisement, but just a few years later, all car companies would follow suit. In 1948, however, only the top-notch "Futuramic-98" series was completely redesigned and based on GMs all-new C-body, while the Oldsmobile Series "70", pictured here, was still based on a prewar design. It should still take one more year, before the whole Oldsmobile lineup really lived up to the advertisement promise.

This Oldsmobile Series "70" Sedan has lost two bars of its front grille and some trim parts, but with its full volumes and the rounded "Aero"-silhouette, there is still a lot of "classic" GM style to it.

1955 Chevrolet Two-Ten Townsman

"You can have your cake and eat it, too — with Chevrolet's spanking-new line of Station Wagons. For here is sophisticated big-city style (and the longest look of any Chevrolet)  . . .  plus pack-horse performance and astonishing new utility features. Now, both the rear seat cushion and the backrest fold flush with the floor to give almost 11 inches more cargo space. Curved rear quarter windows combine with the deep Sweep-Sight Windshield to give visibility unlimited. With this two-in-one versatility you get all of Chevrolet's great engineering advances."

The most utilitarian version in Chevrolet's passenger car lineup for 1955 is surprisingly classy and long looking, indeed. And if that car wasn't stylish enough for you, you still could choose between a similarly sized two-door version and the lavishly equipped sporty Chevrolet Nomad two-door "hardtop" wagon. Considering that Chevrolet never really fostered station wagons, this impressive array of different body versions demonstrates the economic power of GM as the biggest car company in the world.

Between 1955 and 1957, Chevrolets iconic "Tri-five" generation featured power and a glamorous styling that was previously unseen in the "economic" car segment, and the look of the station wagons benefitted from this paradigm change, too. Despite being merely "practical" cars in the public perception, Chevrolet's designers under Harley Earl took great effort to push the boundaries of contemporary design. Case in point: the curved rear quarter windows that create the nimble look were a challenging technical solution that was expensive and difficult to produce. No other company would invest in such detail on their budget car line, even if station wagons became increasingly popular throughout the 50s.

1946-1947 Packard Custom Super Clipper '8' Limousine

"'We wish we had a thousand of them!' a Packard dealer wired us. And we wish we could supply all the new 1946 Packard Clippers our dealers, and their customers, are clamoring for! Right now, all we can say to the thousands of loyal Packard friends, is this: We are doing our level best to accelerate production, and we shall continue to apportion available cars fairly among our dealers. Naturally, we, too, are eager for you to become the proud owner of this magnificent new car - for it's The Greatest Packard Ever Built!

In the brilliant flash of its performance ... and in every sweeping contour of its speed-stream styling ... it's far-and-away America's No.1 Glamour Car! And the new skills developed by Packard master craftsmen in building high-precision combat engines for planes and PT boats, now bring you, in this great car, a mechanical excellence that is little short of perfection itself! So, if you have to wait a little while for your new 1946 Packard Clipper, we hope you'll be patient. Here is a car worth waiting for, if there ever was one!"

We can't tell if the passengers of this Packard Custom Super Clipper are aware of the fact that they travel in one of the most aristocratic american automobiles of it's time. What once was reserved for a elite selection of wealthy citizens, now runs as a fixed-route taxi through Havana, cramming in as much passengers as possible on every trip.

The Packard Clipper, aside from its stately appearance, was a milestone of american car design and engineering in its time, but in hindsight it was also the begin of Packard's downfall. Well into the 30s, Packard was the pinnacle of american status and luxury, building very expensive cars for very wealthy people. But declining sales after the Great Depression and the increasing competition by cheaper mass-production brands made the Packard directors conclude that elite luxury cars alone wouldn't keep the company afloat forever. Traditionally, Packards were built almost in a coachbuilder's fashion, involving a great deal of traditional craftsmanship. Things should change in 1938, when the upcoming rival Cadillac presented the inspired Sixty Special, a car which demonstrated that luxury buyers were much less consevative and instead much more fashion conscious than it was believed at the time. The Sixty Special, initiated by Harley Earl, and designed in Bill Mitchell's Cadillac studio, was another landmark GM design, and it was very radical for its time. Cadillac was still far from being the "Standard of the World" by then, but this stylish design stunned the experts and customers alike. In a reaction to the commercial success of the new Cadillac, the Packard board ordered to develop a completely new, "low-priced" model: the Clipper, to compete with the Cadillac. This conclusion seems logical, but it inherited a substantial problem: the loss of brand value.

In 1941, the new Clipper line was launched and soon accounted for most of Packard's production volume. Quite unfortunately, the profit on this car was much smaller than on the older, pricier Packards, and on top of that, by moving out of the elitist niche, Packard suddenly became comparable with other brands and faced direct competition. The cheaper Packards began to erode the company's patriarchic luxurious brand image. The Clipper itself was anything but a bad car, though, as it was designed with aid of illustrious names, such as George Walker (who should later be credited for the 1949 Ford and become Ford's styling chief), Packard's own Ed Mackauley and Werner Gubitz, and especially Howard "Dutch" Darrin, who provided the winning quarter scale clay model, and later styled the significant Kaiser-Frazer. The new car simply looked stunning. The well-proportioned Clipper was wider than tall, which was a novelty at the time. Its "fade-away" fenders beautifully extended way into the front doors, and the running boards almost disappeared, being cleverly concealed by the overlapping door panels. Despite being Packard's "budget" car (and being only half as expensive as the Cadillac Sixty Special) the Clipper had an really imposing appearance, especially the pictured long-wheelbase Limousine. The Clipper was an instant hit for Packard, and outsold the 1941 Cadillac by a margin of four to one. Too bad that the Second World War abruptly stopped the Clipper's success by stopping civil car production at all.

After the war, Packard resumed selling the prewar cars with some optical touch-ups, as it was common practice for all american car companies. Certainly, these postwar Packards look much better than the extensive facelift which debuted way too early in June 1947. Yet, the so-called "bathtub" styling which integrated the fenders completely into the body to form one consistent overall volume, was all the rage in postwar times, as it was a really novel contribution to american car design, and something that the "Big Three" wouldn't adopt before 1949. So we can understand the urge of "independents" like Nash, Hudson and Packard to show-off a new and advanced design direction. It's upon speculation if saving the retooling costs for this facelift and continue selling the Clipper until the presentation of its successor would have brought Packard in a better financial situation. In fact, the company was more and more struggling with declining market share and low budget, which ultimately led to the merger with Studebaker in 1955, and in result an even faster demise.

1958 Opel Kapitän P1 L

"Weltklasse!"

"World class!", entitled the sales brochure Opel's flagship in 1958. Cars from Germany are admired around the world since a long time, and nowadays usually the three "premium brands", Audi, BMW and Mercedes get mentioned first. But after the Second World War, another make ruled the german Autobahn: Opel. From the 40s through the 70s, the fast and smooth Opel cars could easily take on any Mercedes. A six-cylinder Opel was the car of choice for many entrepreneurs and directors.

The reason for this was a rather simple one: Opel was a subsidiary of General Motors since the 30s, and many Opel models, although developed in Germany, looked like scaled versions of their american counterparts. And while most german car companies produced tiny vehicles with meager engines to tackle the essential transportation needs of destroyed postwar Germany, Opel's top models offered the "American Way of Drive" with their powerful engines and a refined, smooth ride.

The 1958 Opel Kapitän was not different, as it was even styled in Detroit by Harley Earl's "Art & Color Section". Clay models that echoed GMs 1957 styling, were sent to Germany, and Opel designers refined front- and rear ends, adding some "Opel-ness" to the proposals.

Upon its introduction in June 1958, the new Opel flagship earned rave reviews by the german motor press for it's handling and elegance. But all too soon, the buying public discovered that a design that looked good on large Buicks or Cadillacs didn't work so well on a much smaller car. Complaints about narrow rear doors, insufficient headroom and bad rearview visibility through the low rear screen spread around, and sales plummeted seriously. After just one year and 34.282 cars, Opel presented the modernized Kapitän P2, with an updated design that addressed the shortcomings of the Kapitän P1.

In Cuba, you can find quite a few Opel cars from the 50s, most of them being the smaller Opel Record: when "compact" cars became more and more popular in the late 50s, GM began to import german Opel and british Vauxhall cars, to get a share of this growing market without spending money on the development of an own "compact" car. All Opel models were sold though Buick dealers, and GMs cuban dealer network supplied the island with a fair amount of cars. The Opel Kapitän found its way across the Atlantic in two versions: the standard version was topped by the better equipped Kapitän "L" (read: "Luxury"), which is pictured here.

1961-1964 Škoda Felicia Super Cabriolet

"The successful man knows what he wants — his sports car must be a thoroughbred of first class performance coupled with comfort and elegance. Choose the best for your money. Make trial runs and select the car that will not only serve you dependably, but will also represent you well and be a source of permanent pleasure to you. ŠKODA Felicia is a fast, elegant car of high performance, and a happy union of the sporting motorist's demands with the requirements of a comfortable passenger car. It is equipped with every important feature of modern technical development. An elegant body, equipped with all modern comfort, including a safety steering wheel, adjustable seats, perfect air-conditioning with a very effective heater, and an extra large  luggage boot."

Here's proof that socialist car companies occasionally could do beautiful, too. The czech Škoda Felicia sure is one of the most dashing cars that were ever produced behind the Iron Curtain. No surprise, we think, as Škoda, founded in 1895 as Laurin & Klement and building automobiles since 1905, is one of the world's oldest car manufacturers. And who could produce elegant limousines and license-built Hispano-Suiza in prewar times, certainly still knew how to make a good looking car in Cold War times, even if the company increasingly lost track with the technical advances of the western automotive world.

The design of the Škoda Felicia convertible stems from the postwar Škoda 440 sedan, built between 1950 and 1959. In 1957, the convertible was launched as the Škoda 450, and two years later renamed Felicia. However, by political order, this model should be only an interim solution before a "true" people's car from Škoda would hit the road.

In 1961, the Felicia became the Felicia Super. This facelift, pictured here, received trendy tailfins, a larger 1,200cc engine and a floor mounted shifter that was quite oddly implemented: the shifter pattern was a familiar "H" pattern, but with first gear at the upper right and fourth gear at the lower left. Another odd detail is the indicator stalk that protrudes directly from the dashboard instead of the steering column. Pushing it up activates the left turn signal, switching down the right one.

Despite these oddities, the Škoda Felicia was a handsome car that enjoyed a loyal fan base even in the western world. But after seven years and 16,000 Felicia convertibles produced, the Škoda factory in Mlada Boleslav had to make room for a true socialist "people's car". The beauty finally got replaced by the beast, as the new Škoda 1000 MB was a typical creation of the Eastern Block: practical and cheap to produce, but severely lacking any gracefulness.

1938 De Luxe Ford V-8 Fordor Sedan

"The 1938 De Luxe car is entirely new in appearance. It looks big and is big – with more room in the closed sedans, more comfort for passengers and much larger luggage space. The front end is refreshingly new and modern with longer hood. Rich interior appointments match its outward beauty. Fine Mohair or Broadcloth upholstery. Big arm rests in rear, each with ash tray. Handsome new instrument panel, finished in walnut, with ivory plastic fittings. Styled for good taste, good service and comfort. By its advanced streamlined design and brilliant 85-horsepower V-8 engine, this new De Luxe Ford lifts low-price motoring to new levels of luxury."

About a decade after the "Black Friday", the shockwaves of the Great Depression were already fading away, when another economic downturn hit the U.S. hard in late 1937 and for most of 1938. Unemployment rose to the level of 1934, and customers wouldn't spend a dime on a new automobile. These were the circumstances when Ford launched the "new-for-1938" lineup in November 1937. Not surprisingly, Ford should end up producing just half as many cars as in the year before. Today, one of them is still going strong in Havana. Finding a 1938 Ford in such a nice original condition more than 75 years later is a truly rare encounter. Even more so in Cuba, where a lack of original spare parts is usually the death of "original".

Ford's marketing followed a rather strange strategy between 1938 and 1941: in an urge to "expand" the product range, Ford offered "Standard" and "De Luxe" models, both based on the same 112-inch chassis, but dissimilar in body dimensions and styling. Better appointed De Luxe Fords sported a distinctive front grille and fenders. Ford's Standard models, instead, looked like De Luxe models of the year before but weren't technically identical with them. The biggest difference between both versions was under the hood: a flathead V-8 engine with 85hp propelled the De Luxe Ford, while the owners of Standard Fords had to live with just 60hp, unless they payed a premium for the optional bigger 85hp engine. Because the better appointed De Luxe Ford did cost just $60 more, it easily outsold the Standard models by a margin of three to one.

When it came to car styling, Ford traditionally never had been an industry leader. Henry Ford himself was contemptuous of car styling. Instead, his company excelled in another field: delivering very good quality at very low prices. That said, the 30s were a surprisingly creative period at Ford. Read more about it here.

1953 Dodge Coronet V-Eight Club Coupe

"Your first glimpse of this Dodge tells you: Here is a car that is planned for action! You see it in the sleek, trim lines of this low and lively beauty  . . .  in the flowing sweep of the fenders from front to rear. No unnecessary 'bulges' mar the clean-lined perfection of this great performer. It's neat, compact, for easy maneuvering and handling. Yet, there's more room than ever inside, with spacious Travel-Lounge interiors that make every mile more pleasant."

Now, here's a car that you don't see quite often on Cuban roads. You can find Mopar's 4-door sedans of that era aplenty, but a Dodge Coronet V-Eight Club Coupe, bearing the "Jet Air-Flow Hood" that indicates V-8 Hemi power inside, is a rarity, even if its not the top-of-the-line Coronet Diplomat hardtop.

At the dawn of the style-hungry 50s, Dodge didn't have much more to offer than the "Keller boxes": roomy, sensible cars with a solid build quality, but without much verve. Contrary to GM and Ford at the time, the design department at Chrysler still was part of Engineering. Designers under lead of Henry King would deliver their sketches to engineers, who would translate these ideas into technical drawings that the clay modelers would execute into 3D models. The Designers had not much influence in the eventual output, and you could sense that in the final results. Although the 1953 Dodges looked softer and leaner than their stodgy predecessors, they were no match for the glitzy new Chevrolets and Fords, that dominated the low price car field.

Change was overdue, and in summer 1953, Chrysler chairman K.T. Keller appointed Virgil Exner (who had joined Chrysler as chief of Chrysler's Advanced Styling in 1949) as boss of the newly established Chrysler Styling Department. Exner's vision should come to full effect with the inspiring new "Forward Look" design direction in 1955, but for the current models there was not much he could do.

However, more convincing than the styling, was what happened under the hood: in 1953, Dodge introduced the "Red Ram V-Eight" engine. It was essentially a downsized version of Chrysler's mighty "FirePower" Hemi V-8 engine with hemispherical combustion chambers. The "Red Ram" engine produced 140 horsepower, which was pretty much at the time.

Consequently, Dodge's advertisers waxed ecstatic: "Power-Packed Beauty, action engineered for active Americans!" And indeed, the V-8 powered Dodges were fast cars. Yet, not many customers fell for the bold advertisement claims. 32,438 Coronet V-Eight Club Coupes were just a small margin of Dodge's total output of 304,000 cars in 1953. While the Dodges looked more handsome than before, they actually had become smaller than their predecessors, which was a strange move in a time when bigger generally was considered better. More than that, they looked short and slim beside the even-longer, even-lower and even-wider looking cars from GM or Ford. And compared to well over one million cars from Ford and Chevrolet respectively, Dodge remained being a pretty small fish.

1958 Sunbeam Rapier Series II Coupe de Sport

"The exciting new Sunbeam was born on the roaring straight-aways and tortuous turns of continental rallies and the world-famous Mille Miglia Road Race. British craftsmen took this success story of European racing and added the superb British touch. The result: family-car comfort coupled with brilliant sports-car performance – the new Sunbeam! Internationally-renowned drivers select the Sunbeam as their personal car. Americans choose it as a symbol of an exciting new era in motoring. Step into the bright, exciting world of sports car fun. Test-drive the incomparable Sunbeam at your Hillman/Sunbeam dealer's today!"

Just by reading the catalog poetry, one would certainly imagine that it describes something much bigger and more powerful than this tiny English sportscar. But while in America it was all power and style in the late 50s, postwar motoring in Europe still was a fair bit more frugal. And among other tiny boxes, the Sunbeam Rapier sure was quite a looker.

The Sunbeam Rapier has its roots in the Rootes Group, one of the British postwar car conglomerates that united different brand names under one roof. It was essentially a coupe version of the Hillman Minx. What made the Sunbeam interesting among other offers was the sporting setup, developed and proven through Sunbeam's successful involvement in motorsport.

As it was common practice in England at the time, the little Sunbeam was built in a lot of versions, from the Series I in 1956 through the Series V in 1965. The Series II, built from February 1958 through summer 1959 and pictured here, was the first full facelift. Incidentally, the roofline, the outward pointing tailfins and the three-piece front grille made the car look like a midget version of Studebaker's Loewy Coupes. Technically, the Rapier Series II shined with a bigger "Rallyemaster" engine, now sporting 73 bhp, almost ten more than in the Series I. A floor mounted shifter, improved steering and bigger front brakes completed the sporting overhaul, and more than 15,000 customers fell in love with the tiny sportscar.

Every new Sunbeam Rapier had been travelling quite a few miles before even arriving at the dealer's: the bodies were stamped at Pressed Steel Company Ltd. in Cowley near Oxford, then shipped to Thrupp & Marberly Coachbuilders in Cricklewood near London to be painted and trimmed, and then shipped again to Ryton-on-Dunsmore near Coventry, where the final assembly took place in the Rootes main assembly plant. What sounds like complete madness, was a not very uncommon way of building cars in postwar UK to keep smaller factories busy. It's rather surprising that the Sunbeam was renown for its sound build quality, despite this complicated assembly process.

1951 Packard Patrician 400 Sedan

"The way people are crowding into our showrooms to see the new 1951 Packard, you'd think they had never seen a new car before! And they haven't! Never a car like this one! Your first glance tells you why Hollywood's famed Society of Motion Picture Art Directors selected the 1951 Packard as the most beautiful car of the year. And so practical, too — from the new low bonnet and Guide-line fenders (for safer parking and passing) to the new giant luggage compartment! You'll get another lasting thrill from the stunning new Fashion Forum interior. So amazingly roomy, so luxurious. Plus new visibility that changes your entire outlook! And what a joy it is to handle! Effortless steering — and effortless performance! New Packard Thunderbolt engines — teamed with Packard's exclusive Ultramatic Drive (now even finer for '51) — give you America's most advanced automatic motoring! Come drive this wonderful car!"

One of 9,001 built, this battered Packard Patrician from Havana has already lost all the chrome trim around its rear fenders. We think that this clean look makes the car actually look better than when it was new.

Packard entered the 50s with an all-new lineup, styled by chief stylist John Reinhart under supervision of Packard's styling director Ed Macauley. The cars looked reasonably modern and lean, compared to their more traditional predecessors. Although they certainly didn't stand out from the crowd, their styling was well in tune with Packard's conservative brand image. All in all, the 1951 Packards were good cars. Yet, their success should badly suffer from decisions that had been made much earlier.

Traditionally, Packard had been America's most prestigious car maker, essentially a "Rolls Royce of the Americas". In the 30s, Packard management decided to enter the medium priced car market, which by then was a reasonable choice because it helped Packard riding out the shockwaves of the Great Depression. A new entry-level "Packard Clipper" line, introduced in the late 30s, initially enjoyed a massive demand, but it ultimately eroded Packard's luxury image because more people could own a Packard now, rendering Packard ownership a less exclusive affair. Making things worse, the postwar Packards were based on the outwardly successful "Clipper-styling", and by 1951, all Packards literally looked the same: just a shorter wheelbase and different trim pieces discerned an entry-level Clipper now from the top-level Patrician. For Packard's wealthy regular clientele, this patently was a "no-go".

Over at GM, Cadillac happily filled the void that was left by Packard's erratic brand strategy: because there was no need to create production volume by offering lower-priced cars, Cadillac could concentrate just on their high-priced lineup, flaunting an ostentatious styling that was perfectly matching the general mindset of the decade. Thus, Cadillac soon became the number one luxury car maker in the US, leaving Packard far behind. With 100,000 cars in 1951, Packard still closely trailed Cadillac, and was outsold by just about 10,000 cars. Five years later, the picture was a different one: 154,577 Cadillacs versus 10,353 Packards – guess, who was winning!

1959 Pontiac Catalina Vista

"Clean  . . .  classic . . . completely right wherever you go! You can be fully as proud of your car as you are of your thrift when your driveway features a Catalina. Its distinctive, Bonneville-inspired styling is a masterpiece of good taste. Its new, low silhouette . . . Vista-Panoramic windshield . . . sweeping glass expense . . . and slim-line roof definitely mark you as the owner of America's Most Modern Car!"

Sporting no less than four tailfins, a "Flying Wing" roof with a huge wraparound rear window and abundant chrome trim, this "Wide-Track" Pontiac from Havana looks anything but frugal. Mind you, the Catalina was Pontiac's base model in 1959.

At the end of the decade, after some years of really sluggish sales, Pontiac rose like a phoenix from the ashes. General manager Semon "Bunkie" Knudsen, who was in charge of the division since 1956, presented the first lineup that was completely developed under his management. Now, his plan, to change Pontiac's brand image from a stuffy old man's brand towards America's performance car maker, began to pay off. Sales rose by more than 75%, boosting the division from sixth to fourth place in the annual industry ranking. The numbers were still not comparable to Pontiac's sales in the better years of 1955 or 1956, but it was an encouraging signal, nonetheless.

Ironically, Pontiac's success was quite simply built on raw power, rather than a refined strategy. When Bunkie Knudsen arrived at Pontiac in summer 1956, he instantly hired two well respected engineers: Pete Estes from Oldsmobile and John DeLorean (yes, that DeLorean) from Packard. These young petrolheads didn't loose time and went to work on raising Pontiac's performance figures, which Knudsen saw as a crucial step to attract younger buyers. By 1959, Pontiac offered "Tri-Power" carburetion and V-8 engines, sporting up to 345 horsepower. Adding the Pontiac-exclusive "Wide-Track" chassis with "Gyro-Level Ride" made these cars really hot performers. Consequently, Motor Trend Magazine awarded the Pontiac "Car of the Year".

Fortunately, all the power under the hood was backed up by a matching new design direction. The flamboyant Harley Earl styling of the 50s, still evident in Pontiac's 1957 and 1958 models, now gave way to a much leaner and crisper design which already shows a strong influence of Earl's eventual successor Bill Mitchell, who should lead GM into the 60s with his new "Linear Look" design philosophy.

1982 Land Rover Santana

"Outwardly, the Land-Rover has undergone no fundamental change over the years because its functional design and rugged construction have proved to be best-suited to the enormous diversity of jobs it is called upon to do. But mechanically, and in various other respects, it has been progressively developed to improve the breed and keep pace with the special and ever-growing needs of operators throughout the world."

Imagine any tough offroad setting in a remote place of the world, and you'll find essentially three vehicles with go-anywhere capabilities in the picture: the ubiquitous Jeep in all of its evolutionary stages, the Land Rover, or the Toyota Land Cruiser from Japan. In Cuba, too, there is no shortage of any of these vehicles.

Meet the Land Rover Santana, offspring of a dynasty of offroad cars from Great Britain. English by design, but with a Spanish heart, this Land Rover was fruit of a collaboration, license-built in Andalusia by "Metalúrgica de Santa Ana", hence the name Santana. It is, technically speaking, a Series III LWB, featuring a wheelbase of 109-inch (2769mm), as opposed to the 88-inch wheelbase of the SWB version.

Incidentally, the first prototype for the Landrover (written in one word or hyphenated through 1980, later as two words) was literally built on the chassis of a Willys Jeep in the spring of 1947. The production model, now based on a bespoke chassis, was presented in 1948 and became an immediate success. Customers appreciated its ruggedness and easy maintenance, which is one reason why the dependable Land Rover still is so widespread throughout the world. The other reason has to do with material shortages right after World War II: the Land Rover body panels are made from "Duralumin", which was much more expensive than steel, but easily accessible, because the British aircraft industry didn't build bombers by the thousands anymore. Because these aluminum panels don't rust, the Land Rover became famous for being a durable and almost indestructible mud-plugger.

Land Rover will stop producing the "Defender", the youngest embodiment of the original Landrover, in 2015. By then, the Land Rover has been built in essentially similar shape for more than 67 years, which is by far the longest production run of any automobile model worldwide.

1953 Willys Aero Lark

"First Car to Combine Such Luxury With Record Mileage! A blend of aero and auto engineering has created in the Aero Willys a new kind of car! Its ride is so cloud-soft and luxurious, you feel airborne. When you press the accelerator, it almost seems to sprout wings. Yes, this amazing car gives mileage up to 35 miles per gallon in overdrive*! Before you buy any car in any class, drive an Aero Willys."

Built in Toledo, Ohio, this Willys Aero Lark technically ain't exactly Detroit Iron. It looks a bit different, too: unusually wide for a "compact" car, and of elegant line, Willys' entry into the postwar car market was an attractive alternative to other, more spartan, budget car offerings. During World War II, Willys Overland had been extremely successful with the Jeep, but it was already clear that in peace time, the production numbers would diminish. And civil Jeep derivates alone certainly wouldn't create enough revenue to keep the company afloat.

Thus, Willys' boss Ward M. Canaday fostered the development of a passenger car to be introduced in 1952. Designers under Phil Wright and engineers under the lead of Clyde Paton set out to create an affordable, albeit pretty luxurious "small" car, because Willys people were well aware that their first passenger car since 1942 would have a hard stand against the established competition in the full-size car field. The result was a compact, yet handsome and modern looking car, with clean lines and positively constrained use of ornamentation. Because it was based on an all-welded "Aeroframe" unit body design, the car was pretty light, had a good handling, and despite being moderately propelled by its 75hp "Lightning '6' Engine", it had one of the better power-to-weight ratios among American cars of that era. Alongside came a very good fuel economy.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the new Willys, though, were its proportions: running on a pretty short 108-inch (2,74m) wheelbase, it was a compact car from stem to stern. But with an overall width of 72-inches (1,83m), it was almost as wide as a fullsize 1952 Plymouth (73.4 inches, 1,86m) or Chevrolet (74 inches, 1,88m). Six passengers, three in each row, could sit comfortably in the Willys. Other compact cars couldn't offer such generous interior space. As the Willys (loaded) stood just 60-inch (1520mm) tall, its wide silhouette looked even more dramatic beside the mentioned competitors that were at least four inches (102mm) taller.

But the ambitious engineering came at a price. The Aero Willys was a budget car by dimensions, but an expensive one to produce. Few customers preferred an Aero Willys over a flashy Chevrolet, Ford or Plymouth which cost just a handful of dollars more, and after Willys merged with Kaiser-Frazer, production ceased after just four years in 1955. The handsome Aero Willys should get a second chance, though: the toolings were shipped to Brazil, where the Aero Willys was produced again between 1960 and 1962.

1959 Ford Country Sedan

"Hardtop styling in wagons by America's wagon specialists! Here's the fresh new direction in station wagons: Hardtop styling  . . .  made possible by Ford's unique thin-pillar design!"

Pulling out of a gas station at Havana's Playa del Este, this Ford looks truly loooooong! For 1959, all fullsize Fords shared the same 118-inch (2997mm) wheelbase. But side by side, compared to their sedan counterparts, the station wagons appear much larger than they actually are: technical data reveals that both share an identical overall length of 208 inches (5283mm). These were big cars, albeit this wasn't the limit yet: next year's Fords should continue to grow.

For years, Ford had been the biggest producer of station wagons in the US. Initially, these wagons were rather solid, fanciless cars, perfectly fitting to the customer's demand for carrying loads of stuff in their passenger car. Yet, during the 50s, and due to demographic change, wagons swiftly became a much more stylish asset: more and more Americans were moving out into the suburbs, and the purpose of station wagons changed from being a load carrier to become a family hauler. Chevrolet, as always exploiting the newest trends, presented the stylish Nomad, a two-door "hardtop" wagon, in 1955, and consequently, Chevrolet's station wagons echoed this fancy design. Ford, for a long time, did hesitate to invest into costly design details in their cars, but in 1959 finally they gave in: now, Ford stations wagons also sported curved, wrap-around tailgate windows. Our pictured "9-Passenger Country Sedan" could carry nine passengers if you unfolded the passenger bench that was integrated into the cargo bay.

1958-1960 Opel Olympia Rekord P

"German made  . . .  American style  . . .  this is OPEL."

Perhaps looking a bit too flashy for the contemporary European taste, the Opel Rekord fits well into Cuba's automotive landscape. In fact, as a GM subsidiary, Opel was well known for offering "dwarfed" versions of GM designs. The 1953-1957 Opel Olympia, predecessor of our pictured Rekord looked a bit like a Chevrolet with altered proportions. Opel chief Edward W. Zdunek proudly announced that the Olympia Rekord should be a "German Chevrolet", which in that time was a compliment rather than a threat. Its replacement, presented in 1957, took inspiration from Buick, instead.

Unlike its bigger brother Kapitän, the Opel Rekord P (as in "Panorama windows") was entirely styled in Germany. Opel's designers, of course, were well aware what happened in Detroit, and there was a constant flow of GM designers that were sent for some time to Germany, usually meant as an accelerator for their career within the GM organisation. These guys didn't care too much for local taste or needs, but applied their desired styling themes on these little European cars. Thus, Opel models from that era sported the latest trends in (American) automotive fashion, such as wraparound windshields or two-tone color schemes inside and out, and were perhaps the best embodiment of the "American Way of Drive" in Europe. The Opel Rekord, unsurprisingly, soon was nicknamed "Bauern-Buick" (Peasant's Buick) in common parlance.

In 1958, the Opel Rekord received some minor improvements, among them the replacement of the rear view mirror from dash to roof. Our pictured car shows this roof mounted mirror. Thus, we think, it was produced after the summer of 1958.

The Opel Rekord fared well on American shores: as a result of the economic recession in 1957-1958, the demand for economic compact cars suddenly went through the roof. The "Big Three" had completely missed this trend, and now had nothing to compete against the compact cars from Studebaker or Rambler. In 1958, GM hastily began importing Opel and Vauxhall cars from overseas to fill the void of compact cars at their dealerships. Opel cars were sold and serviced through Buick dealers. Hence, the synonym "Bauern-Buick" wasn't all wrong.

1951 Lincoln Sport Sedan

"Easily recognizable in these views of the Lincoln for 1951 are the sweep of its new full fender styling . . . the richness and spaciousness of its interior luxury . . . and above all, the authoritative impression that here, indeed, is a motor car built to master the highways. And so it is . . . with its deep cushioned ride, the poise of its springing, and the abundant spirit and power of the Lincoln 'InVincible Eight' engine, so silent in operation, so magnificent in performance."

Our pictured Lincoln Sport Sedan from 1951 was jockeyed around by a young and eager driver and thus really lived up to its name. The deep note of its V-8 engine explained the spinning wheels on each slightest bit of gravel. Not that this is a sports car: after all, a Lincoln was intended and built to carry aristocrats or the President of the United States. But if you call out the reserves, as the youngster demonstrated, you can have a lot of fun with it...

Incidentally, this generation of Lincoln cars, introduced in 1949, originally was meant to become a Ford. Developed under styling chief E. T. "Bob" Gregorie, its design was already finished when Henry Ford II replaced his father at the helm of the company. He deemed the prospective Ford being too big to compete with the upcoming Chevrolets, and commissioned a complete restyling. This decision led to a fierce "styling war" between external design consultant George W. Walker and Ford's own design team, who quickly had to come up with new proposals for the 1949 Ford. Walker's proposal finally was chosen for production, while Gregorie's original design now would be shared between Mercury and the entry level Lincoln, because the engineering of this car had already progressed too much to stop the development. Good so, we think, because the Mercury and the Lincoln should become two of the most elegant looking cars of the late 40s, and their styling a big departure from the stuffy previous generation.

Ahead of the windshield, the Lincoln was seven inches longer than the Mercury, to make room for the bigger Lincoln "InVincible Eight" V-8 engine. Still, passenger space was the same in both cars. On that account, the cheaper Mercury actually was the smarter buy if brand image wasn't an issue.

1947 Pontiac Torpedo Sport Coupe

"Refinements in appearance and mechanical design highlight the 1947 Pontiac. Pontiac's reputation as a fine car has long been accepted. Now this reputation is further enhanced ... for here is truly a 'Fine Car Made Finer.' A glance at its striking new styling or a few minutes behind the wheel will tell you what more than a million owners believe ... that Pontiac offers the industry's finest combination of beauty, performance, dependability, economy and value."

The softly sculpted front fender of this Pontiac sure is a comfortable place to take a rest. Yet, rest assured: this won't do any damage to the thick sheet metal. These cars were built in an era when things were made to last, which is one reason why they are still up and running after all the years.

Pontiac followed suit with the general industry trend right after World War II, by selling warmed-over prewar cars. The 1947 Pontiac was essentially a 1942 model with new makeup, sporting a revamped front grille design, fresh chrome trim and wider bumpers. Being merely a better appointed Chevrolet, mechanically it was quite a basic car. You could only opt for a three-speed manual transmission until Pontiac offered the new "Hydra-Matic Drive" automatic transmission for the first time in 1948. The biggest distinction compared to a Chevrolet was the optional inline Eight-cylinder engine, but although running smooth and quiet with good low-rev torque, this iron-cast powerplant was heavy, and so didn't contribute much to make the car livelier.

In Cuba, by the way, "Torpedo" is widely used as a common designation for all sorts of fastback bodystyles, and particularly for Chevrolet's 1949-1951 Aerosedans and their corporate siblings. Yet, this name is clearly inherited from Pontiac, where it ironically was just being used as a model name, no matter if classic sedan, fastback or coupe. Introduced in 1940 for Pontiac's top models, by 1947 it already had been moving down the ladder and was used for the base models. Pontiac's fastbacks now were called Streamliner. We imagine, the name Torpedo did sound pleasant to Cuban ears, and thus over time it became the common-sense designation for these fastbacks. A truly befitting name, don't you think?

1967-1975 Citroën DS

"All the joys of restful motoring are yours in the new Citroën DS 19"

It seems like French carmakers enjoy "reinventing the wheel" when designing new cars. This attitude often led to quirky and eccentric, but sometimes to really advanced constructions, that, in hindsight, bettered the rest, but didn't have much commercial success, because they were ... well, too special. Some of these designs, though, found their well deserved place in automotive history. Citroën cars, such as the prewar Traction Avant, the "french Beetle" 2CV or the "Godess" DS are top-ranked among these classics.

Citroën inherited the eccentric style from the avantgardist mindset of its founder, Andre Citroën. But rather than being a "car guy", Monsieur Citroën was a fanatic promoter of mass production finesse, who constantly strived for unconventional technical solutions on his cars in order to reduce costs and raise quality at the same time. Ironically, when he set out to make the 1934 Traction Avant the most innovative french car of its era, Citroën's interest was not to improve the automobile as such, but merely to save money because he reckoned that an advanced car could be built unchanged over a longer period of time, before the competition would catch up technically. The upshot of this attitude were a really nice car and a bankrupt company, because the massive development costs didn't pay off in form of better sales.

Andre Citroen ultimately had to sell its company to its biggest creditor Michelin in 1934. Luckily, the new Citroen owners continued fostering the avantgardist spirit within the company, and one breathtaking product of this mindset was the DS, launched at the Paris Motor Show in October 1955.

When the DS appeared on the American market as a 1956 model, it literally looked like as if a spaceship on wheels had landed. Mind you, in 1955, the latest fashion in (American) car styling looked like this, this, or this. And although European cars generally sported pretty clean designs, the DS looked super-modern in Europe, too.

The aerodynamic looking body, styled by Citroën's chief designer Flaminio Bertoni, was just the right skin for even more advanced technology underneath, engineered under the lead of André Lefèbvre, who already had been developing the Traction Avant. An unibody construction with easily detachable outer panels, a fiberglass roof and a huge aluminum bonnet to lower the center of gravity, a much narrower track on the rear wheels to allow tighter turning circles and power disc brakes at the front axle were already advanced stuff for these times. But the undisputed highlight of the new DS was the self-adjusting hydropneumatic suspension system which replaced conventional springs and dampers with oil-filled cylinders that were connected to nitrogen-filled compensation spheres. The oil and the gas were separated through a rubber membrane, and the compressible nitrogen would act as a soft "spring", smoothly levelling out most road imperfections. The system worked so well, that the DS ride felt soft-cushioned like in a big Cadillac, yet firm and stable when cornering or braking.

In 1967, after more than a decade of unchanged production, the DS received the first and only facelift which is pictured here (the bumper, taken from an Hyundai, is a Cuban "aftermarket" modification, though). Even then, Citroen's engineers managed to implement eccentric features, like the swiveling high-beam headlights that were connected to the front wheels and illuminated the road even in tight turns. The plastic cover on the headlights indicates that our pictured car wasn't made for the US market: here Citroen DS were sold without these covers, as covered headlights were legally prohibited.

1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Town Sedan

"Color strikes a glorious keynote in the '57 Ford. There are lively, daring, vital hues that reflect the flashing spirit of the car itself. There is color harmony inside and out matched to the spectrum of your own personal taste. Raven Black, Starmist Blue, Woodsmoke Gray, Flame Red, Inca Gold . . . the very tones themselves conjure up a magic mood."

The combination of an exotic color scheme and tropical sunlight make for a truly intriguing look of this Ford Fairlane from 1957. Although the silver/purple hue wasn't a factory option, Ford had some wild color schemes on offer in that year. A two-tone paint job was de rigeur for all but the most frugally optioned cars, and adding the golden, anodized aluminum trim of the Fairlane 500 as a third accent color, Ford could offer a multitude of possible color combinations. Ford's advertisers made the equation: "There are 13 new body colors available for '57 in Single Color or stunning, new Style Tone combinations."

This color choice orgy was quite symptomatic for the most daring new Ford since the turnaround 1949 models. In 1957, Ford "invaded" the market with no less than 20 models, running on two different wheelbases and with the choice between an inline Six-cylinder powerplant and five V-8 engines.

Read more about the 1957 Fords here and here.

1959 Buick LeSabre 4-door Hardtop

"You can own a lot of future when you buy a Buick now! This Buick makes your money look ahead in a way other cars can't do. In a Buick, for instance, you own the clearest and cleanest example of a new styling trend that will be here for years  . . .  style that caused editors to name a Buick 'best looking overall' of all 1959 cars. Let your Buick Dealer help you discover how much future is here, and how easy it is to own today."

What a flash car! This Buick LeSabre from Havana really epitomizes the tremendous progress that American car design had made within just a decade.

Incidentally, the look of the 1959 Buick was the result of an internal uproar at the GM Design Center: chief designers of different GM divisions, among them Buick studio chief Ned Nickles and Harley Earl's eventual successor, Bill Mitchell, managed to look at pre-production 1957 Plymouths, months before their presentation to the public. The designers were stunned, if not shocked, by the nimble look of these "Forward Look" cars, that was so contrary to the clay models for the 1959 Buick which were already in the works, but looked at this stage like an evolution of the 1958 lineup. The conviction that something had to be done spread rapidly within the GM Design Center. When Harley Earl, who preferred much fuller volumes and loads of shiny decoration, was away in Europe, the clay models were heavily modified to appear much more linear and slender, too. Upon his return, Harley Earl avoided an open confrontation and nodded his consent to the proposals. Anyway, he was already nearing GM's mandatory retirement age of 65.

Thus, the radically revised Buicks for 1959 stirred quite a sensation upon their presentation in September 1958. Indeed, they looked amazing: tilted double headlights sat below chromed "eyebrows" and were connected with the taillights by a single chrome strip that emphasized on the car's length, while the new "floating" hardtop with its extremely thin C-posts and wraparound rear glass made the car look low and light. The rearview was dominated by large, slanted tailfins that resembled rather wings than fins.

Customers, perhaps, weren't just shocked by the unexpected look of the cars. In an unprecedented move, Buick had ousted all of its signature elements, too: portholes, sweep-spear chrome trim, "bomb-sight" hood ornaments and even the long established model names were thrown overboard. Instead of Special, Super, Century or Roadmaster, new Buicks now were christened LeSabre, Invicta and Electra.

Fortunately, the fabulous Buick look was backed up by a matching Buick ride. A lighter chassis meant much more agility, and propelled by a "Wildcat" engine on the LeSabre, and the even more powerful "Wildcat 445" engine on the Invicta and Electra these Buicks were truly made to roam America's highways. Road testers were impressed by the strong brakes, too: fading and underpowered brakes had been an eternal problem on the heavy American cars, but this time, Buick seemed to get it right.

For Buick dealers, though, the year 1959 wasn't any better than the horrid previous year. Keep in mind that these were "compact car times". The economic recession of 1958 was just about to fade away, and customers still sat taut on their wallets, ignoring Detroit's full-size chrome monsters and embracing thriftier and inexpensive cars. If not, we would certainly see much more 1959 Buicks in Cuba, today.

1962-1968 GAZ M21 Volga Series III

"The 'Volga' is a durable car and needs but a few spare parts. All the units of the car are strong, durable and need adjustment only as specified in the Operation Manual. Thoroughly cared, the car will always serve its owner."

At a glance, it might pass for Detroit Iron, but our featured car comes from the other side of the Iron Curtain. Meet the first model of a proud dynasty of "luxury" automobiles for the Russian people, oh wait, actually not. These cars were principally driven by the brass of state-owned businesses and government officials, became police cars, taxis or, usually in black, the transport of KGB agents, but not many private buyers could ever get in possession of such a fine car. Limited supply and an astronomic price tag, for the average communist salary, made sure that owning a Volga remained a dream for most. Fast-forward five decades in Cuba, our pictured Volga certainly is written off the government inventory since a long time, and thus has found its way to the private car market.

The Volga was conceived as a representative car that should equal the American "competition" in style and technology. Lead engineer Alexander Mihajlovich Nevzorov and lead designer Lew Eremeew began working on the first drawings in 1953. The designers certainly took a close look at American automobiles of that era, namely the Ford models. The result was a pretty decent looking car, which appeared quite modern for its time. The ambitious engineers even contemplated to implement a russian version of Chrysler's new "Hemi" engine with hemispherical combustion chambers, but this option soon was ditched.

When presented to the russian press in 1955, however, the car was still far from being production-ready, and it should take two more years before the first Volga finally was delivered. By that time, car styling in America already had progressed big time. The Russian prestige project now looked pretty dated and certainly was no good match for Detroit Iron anymore. Yet, more than 650,000 select customers could take possession of a Volga between 1957 and 1968, before the larger GAZ-24 Volga replaced the aging M21. The shape of its chrome grille characterizes our pictured car as a later model, called Series III, which was produced between 1962 and 1968.

Interlude

Frequent readers of this blog will have noticed that we didn't update Cubanclassics for quite a while now. The reason: we've been on another trip to Cuba. A month of absence from the "informed" world, without Internet connection, and with but scant bits of international news, most of them coloured in red, the preferred ductus of a state owned, socialist press. In Cuba, major headlines read like this one: "The distance between Cuba and India is just geographical." It wasn't all bad, though, as it teaches you upon return into our connected world, that the planet actually isn't turning as fast as one is tempted to believe. And that many of the "news" that we are exposed to every day are, well, merely a distracting noise.

But we've also spent four weeks full of impressions from an island that seems to exist in a strange parallel universe between past and present. And, of course, we've had a lot of interesting conversations with vintage car owners of very different background, be it the detail-obsessed pistonhead, or the Taxista who just sees his car as a tool to make a living.

Now we are back, having the SD-cards filled with new material for Cubanclassics. So, fellow readers, stay tuned for news on a rare Continental, some nice classic cars from Germany and England, and, of course, Detroit Iron aplenty.

1949 Chrysler Windsor 4-door Sedan

"Beautiful — smart — distinctive — so utterly different from other cars in so many ways. A car that was designed from the inside out — with your comfort, convenience and safety always in mind. More room for your legs, more room above your head, more shoulder-room. And wider seats that are scientifically designed for chair-height comfort so that you can ride completely relaxed. There's better visibility, too, in all directions. You can see more out of the new, larger windshield, the wider rear window and the extra-large side windows. The hood is shorter and the steering wheel is lower, so that you have better 'see-ability' over the front."

As you can see in the picture, Chrysler's all-new postwar models were still large cars by all means, even if they followed suit with the general industry trend towards a lower silhouette. In the 40s and early 50s, Chrysler was extremely cautious and conservative when it came to progressive design. This was largely owed to the disastrous experience with the very advanced 1934 - 1937 Chrysler Airflow, but also to Chrysler's chairman K.T. Keller, who demanded practical cars with a vast interior space above everything else. What theoretically would have been a noble and customer friendly affair, fired back to Chrysler when the postwar car market became saturated and profoundly changed at the dawn of the 50s. Swiftly, a good look moved up to the top of the customers' "check-lists" when shopping for their new cars. And the stodgy "Keller boxes" of the Chrysler Corporation offered anything but that.

Another matter that Chrysler's stylists, directed by Henry King, failed to address was to define a distinctive look for each Chrysler brand. Above all, Harley Earl at GM had quite early initiated the development of characteristic design themes that should make cars of each GM brand instantly recognizable, regardless of the similar proportions that were dictated by sharing the basic bodies. Chrysler cars, however, did look very similar in 1949. Sure, the more expensive Chrysler sported more formal chrome trim than the "lesser" brands and rode on a longer wheelbase. Yet, proportionally all "Keller boxes" looked alike, and, at a quick glance, a Chrysler could quite easily be mistaken for a much cheaper Dodge or Plymouth. In a time when the private car was still a big investment and an ultimate status symbol, this certainly was a "no-go" issue for Chrysler's more affluent customers.

Still, these Chryslers offered a sound build quality, which is one reason why so many "Keller boxes" survived in Cuba until today. And after a transitory generation, Chrysler should strike back in terms of styling, when Virgil Exner's new "Forward Look" design was unleashed in 1955.

1957-1958 MG Magnette

"Those who fully appreciate the real pleasures of driving will find much to delight them in the MG Magnette. For while this sleek sports sedan admittedly makes lavish concessions to luxurious comfort, it adheres rigidly to basic sports car principles. Its magnificent one ad a half litre, overhead valve, short stroke engine, teamed with incomparably smooth, synchromesh transmission, delivers power to spare in every gear. Firm, wishbone-type suspension assures the utmost in agile cornering and oversize brakes provide amazingly precise, straightline braking on demand."

If you think that this handsome and nicely proportioned car looks like having Italian provenience, then British designer Gerald Palmer did everything right. In later interviews, he credited contemporary Italian car styling as the main inspiration for his proposal for the MG Magnette and its sister model, the Wolseley 4/44. The fairly chaotic development story of these two cars is quite typical for the British postwar car industry: the new sedans of MG and Wolseley, both brands owned at this time by the Nuffield Organisation, were supposed to share one body and just differ in smaller details like front grille and trim. But Palmer thought to lower the stance of the MG by two inches (51mm), as it was supposed to become the sportier of the two sister models. The upshot of this operation were two completely different cars that only shared their hood and front doors, while all other body panels were disparate, despite looking similar to the untrained eye.

On top of that, the Nuffield Organisation merged with long-time rival Austin Motors to become the British Motor Corporation in March 1952, just before the planned introduction of the MG. The new boss Leonard Lord decided that the MG should get a completely new developed engine, and delayed the presentation for one year. The Wolseley, with the "old" MG engine implanted, was launched first, and the MG Magnette ZA became the unfortunate "lookalike" model when presented in October 1953.

Initially, MG hardliners weren't keen on the new car, as they feared that MG's sporty core values could be damaged by such a modern, elegant and comfortable automobile. Car magazines soon proofed them wrong: the unibody construction, new to a MG, and the modern suspension made the car very agile, while the 60 horsepower engine provided just enough punch, too. With a wheelbase of 102 inches (2,591 mm), the MG Magnette ZA was tiny for American standards. Still, the Magnette sold well on these shores, capitalizing on the good image of MG's sports cars.

The slim chrome trim spear on the front fender characterizes our pictured car as a MG Magnette ZB, which replaced the Magnette ZA in 1957. Aside from this little trim piece and a slightly larger rear window, both versions look similar outside. A more powerful engine (four horsepower to be exact) made the "sports saloon" a bit more agile: quick acceleration and the top speed of 86 mph of the final models were quite a clincher on contemporary English roads.

1954 Mercury Monterey Special Custom 4-door Sedan

"Mercury for 1954 offers new styling that matches perfectly the advanced design of the revolutionary new engine and chassis. Surging power and fleet agility are reflected in longer, lower and more graceful lines. New, carefully conceived style elements — such as new grille, new hood scoop, and new ornamentation — complement one another to produce an appearance that's truly trim and beautiful. Yet Mercury's basic Unified Design remains intact. There is a perfect blending of body, engine, and chassis . . . to give unexcelled comfort and convenience, performance, and on-the-road control. Here is styling that's inherently right for a car designed to serve you better today."

Being a pretty common sight in Cuba, a 1954 Mercury is actually three cars in one: the silhouette clearly tells that this car is an offspring of the "Ford family of fine cars". The front design bears more than a trace of the 1952-1954 Lincoln, and the bumper already hints at the styling of the next generation of Mercurys, due for 1955.

This restyled front end made the 1954 Mercurys look decidedly more angular than their predecessors, and less confusable with a Lincoln, a unpleasant problem that the two sister brands had been facing over the previous two years. Despite being in the final year of its three-year lifecycle, Mercury's lineup for 1954 received a massive engineering update: new "V-161" overhead valve V-8 engines with, surprise, 161 horsepower replaced the aging flathead power plants, while the new "Mercury Ball-joint Front Suspension" with "Precision-designed Stedi-Line steering" made sure that all the power arrived at road level and the Mercury remained on a steady course.

1947 Chrysler Royal Luxury Brougham

"Chrysler Owners — owners of other makes who are looking forward to owning a Chrysler — automobile editors and automobile dealers — the Public in general — all have been generous and unreserved in their praise of the Beautiful New Chrysler. It is a Beautiful Car. And, combined with this beauty, is a mechanical excellence, a high quality of materials, and a superb performance that make it the finest as well as the most Beautiful car to ever bear the Chrysler name.

The smart, stylish, beautiful lines are distinctively different — different from pre-war Chrysler models — and different from post-war Models of other makes. From the windshield forward, the front end is new — and different — and generally acclaimed the 'most beautifully designed front end' of any automobile today. The hood flows into the fenders in graceful lines that give it a broader and lower appearance. The new Grille is a piece of beautiful designing, finished in gleaming Chrome, and entirely different from any other car. The new Bumper Guards are new, smartly designed, rugged, and spaced for greatest protection to the grille. And the top of the hood carries a beautiful new ornament — a modern interpretation of the famous Chrysler wings — the original radiator ornament introduced on the first Chrysler back in 1924. From the front, from the side, from the rear — from any angle, the Beautiful Chrysler is a Beautiful Car — a fine possession that looks the part."

Chrysler Royal Luxury Brougham – what a name! It implies utmost luxury and exclusiveness, but in fact the Royal was Chrysler's entry-level model. At least on cuban roads it bears an exclusive name, as we came across a two-door Chrysler Royal only once in all the years.

Like all big Detroit players, Chrysler kept on selling warmed-up prewar models until the new developed lineup was ready in 1949. These postwar Chryslers literally had a wall of chrome up front, wearing arguably the squarest grille in whole America. The rest was solid prewar construction, nicely wrapped into a renewed skin, and the fact that still quite a few beautiful postwar cars of the Chrysler Corporation are driving around in Cuba, speaks for their impeccable construction and quality. So minor were the changes between 1946 and 1947, that Chrysler even used the same sales brochures over two years.

Our encounter with the pictured Chrysler Royal from Cienfuegos, however, won't have a happy end. We found the massive car at a private taller, where all kinds of cars, no matter if American or Russian, are being repaired and restored. Inside the shop, we've seen handmade body parts of impeccable quality, made on simple machines that seemed to be older than the industrial revolution. The friendly owner, Miguel, explains: "The Chrysler is already worn out, and with just two doors, it isn't really practical, neither. Soon, I will modify it into a camioncito, a light truck. Hay que resolver..."

"Hay que resolver", you have to find a solution, is a phrase that perpetually circles through conversations on the island. After more than half a century of communism, life in Cuba is a constant "freestyling", looking for possibilities to get over the lack of everything that one way or another dominates all aspects of living here. We think it's a pity to destroy a historic car, but in Cuba's real life conditions, called socialismo, beauty alone doesn't seem to have much value...