"Have a hauling job . . . like a car full of kids to the beach or a ketch to slip? Or how about a date at the club in full formal attire? Call on the LeSabre Estate Wagon . . . it belongs everywhere and takes you there in grand new style."
Although this catalog quote belongs to a slicker looking Buick station wagon, we think it fits perfectly to our pictured car, too. It almost looks like a hearse, but instead of hauling corpses, this Buick is a Taxi, built to transport as many passengers as possible on every trip. The Cuban craftsmen took a 1959 Buick as the donor car for their conversion and replaced everything atop its beltline. Even the panoramic windshield had to go. It sure ain't the most beautiful work of art, but it does the job: the roomy cabin means increased passenger capacity and thus more income for the Buick's owner.
Conversions of old Detroit Iron are common in Cuba. „Caristas“ have collected quite a few nice examples. Yet, recently we've seen "fresh" rebuilds pretty frequently. It's too early, though, to call it a revolving trend. And while it's sad to see proud automobiles so botched up, the real life conditions in Cuba don't permit any regret: here the car is an essential tool to make a living, no matter how bad it looks.