1954 Mercury Monterey Special Custom Coupe

"Unmistakably, the striking modernity of this 'hard top' model makes it a car for those who strive to enjoy the finest things in contemporary life. Fleet, crisply designed lines from bumper to bumper hint of the power and smoothness that await the driver's command. There's a dash of high-spirited sportiness, too — the 'convertible' touch. Yet all the comfort of any Mercury closed car is there for passengers to enjoy. Every look, every line holds a promise of new driving pleasure, and — best of all — revolutionary new engine and chassis components make all of it come true."

The racy stickers make this Mercury look like a veritable competition machine. They are remainders of the "Copa Castrol", a rally that is organized by Havana's Escuderia de Autos Clásicos — A lo Cubano. The aforementioned oil company thankfully sponsors these events and helps keeping the classic cars rolling. Well, the Mercury's owner certainly wouldn't need such support: it is driven by Kevin Jones, an English musician and car enthusiast. Hence the Union Jack at the windshield and the tasteful restoration, that was awarded "Auto más original" at another occasion. A peek under the bonnet reveals the original Y-Block overhead-valve "V-161" V-8 engine, crowned with a massive Edelbrock air cleaner.

This modern engine was the big news at Mercury in 1954. It replaced the Flathead V-8 of previous years. Power jumped up 28 percent, from 125 to 161 horses. That engine and a new ball-joint front suspension made the Mercury become one of the sweetest driver's cars that year.

However, the Mercury had one flaw: it looked a bit tame. While the classic proportions and the tastefully restrained styling certainly appeal to today's tastes, they were a drawback back then when ostentatious trim and an ever "longer, lower, wider" look were en vogue. For 1954, a massive chrome-laden bumper should add eye-candy to the aging Mercury lineup. Yet, the company had an ace already waiting up its sleeves: the new generation of Mercurys for 1955 should feature a much more aggressive and flashy styling that could finally rival Detroit's boldest creations.

1948-1949 Hudson Commodore modificado

"Here's where your heart skips a beat!", declared Hudson's copywriters in 1949. The same could be said about this modern conversion. When pure necessity doesn't permit to scrap any valuable asset, then a "Step-Down" Hudson, cut in half, still makes a veritable pickup truck.

The chrome bars connecting the inner bumper guards indicate that this was once a Commodore, Hudson's top-of-the-line series. The shine and most trim have vanished since a long time, but as the car now serves a purely practical purpose, this certainly doesn't bother its owner. And because only few Hudsons remain on Cuban roads today, we clearly prefer to see half a Hudson in such a condition than no Hudson at all.

1955 Buick Roadmaster 4-door Sedan

"WONDERFUL things seem to happen to people when they take over a 1955 Buick ROADMASTER like the one show here. There's a special lift just to see it waiting at he curb — swift-lined, stunningly styled, fairly breathing success. There's a heart-warming glow that seems to come just from slipping behind the wheel and taking the tasteful luxury of the fabrics, the colors, the finish. Even the little things seem to be a source of happy pride — like the ingenious new Wide-Speed Wiper that sweeps around the corners of the great panoramic windshield, or doubletimes in rapid stroke when faster cleaning is needed. But when you turn the key, start the engine and let the wheels start to roll — that's when ROADMASTER really quickens your pulse, really raises your pride."

"Looking cool" certainly is an well-practiced routine for these young habaneros, even if they'd presumably prefer a flashier place than sharing the front bench of this big almendrón.

Not even the deep-treaded truck tires can mar the imposing presence of Buick's flagship for 1955. At first glance, all Buicks of that year looked virtually similar, but in direct comparison you can clearly notice their proportional differences: besides being longer, the Roadmaster was a whopping four inches (10 centimeters) wider than an "entry-level" Buick Special, resulting in a much better stance.

The Roadmaster used GM's corporate C-body, as did Cadillac. Both share the same roof with its massive windshield frame, while the smaller B-body Buicks sported a more fragile chrome frame around the windshield, just like the 1955 Oldsmobile 88. Details like these illustrate that GM products, despite being very divergently styled and marketed to appeal to very different customer groups, were actually not that different at all.