1958 Ford Fairlane 500 Town Victoria

"So low . . . so lively . . . and OH, so lovely . . . here's the beauty queen of the hardtops! The luxuriousness of the Fairlane 500 Town Victoria's appointments and riding comfort are in a class once reserved for the highest-priced cars alone. With its wide-open Victoria look, 4-door convenience and spacious interiors, this car is a standing invitation to families and friends to go places and do things. And go it will, with the smooth, spirited action of its ultra-modern Interceptor V-8. You'll ride in the most silent, solid comfort imaginable, thanks to the shock-absorbing design and enormous strength of the new 'Inner Ford' that lies beneath the stunning beauty of every Ford for '58."

This colorful Ford Fairlane 500 hardtop from Sancti Spiritus shows a fascinating styling element: the beltline rises up at the C-post and intersects with the sloping roofline to form a chromed "X". Albeit being generally mainstream in matters styling, Ford more than once managed to stand out with some interesting design details.

The 1958 Fords were based on the 1957 models, but came updated with quad headlights (absolutely de rigueur for new cars on American roads that year), a massive new honeycomb front grille and fresh trim all-around to let you know from a distance that here came the latest and greatest fullsize Ford.

As dashing as the Ford looked, it sailed right into an economic recession that made Detroit's "Big Three" suffer and the "independents" rejoice. Ford's production dropped by 40 percent. But already next year, the company could recover and the 1959 models would bring Ford's sales back on par with its all-time contender Chevrolet.

1951 Renault 4CV Four-door Sedan

"This new Renault '51 is the only foreign car built especially for American roads. Before it was placed in production in Europe's largest automotive works, at Billaincourt, France, it was tested and re-tested by crews of engineers over every kind of American road — and at every temperature from Maine's 20° below to Imperial Valley's 120° above zero. With the engine in the rear (where it should be) this newest Renault travels 40-50 miles to the gallon. Only two quarts of oil fill the crankcase. Roll-down windows and improved wind deflectors provide ample no-draft ventilation. Its carburetor has been improved. Monocoque welded steel body construction provides greater safety and eliminates squeaks and rattles, while independent four wheel springing makes even the longest drive a pleasure. Get behind the wheel of a new Renault '51 sedan and you will soon see why it won the International Grand Prix! An authorized Renault dealer near you — with factory service and ample spare parts . . . is waiting to give you the ride of your life in the Renault '51!"

Here's one of the many rather exotic vintage cars that co-exist with the common American land yachts on Cuban roads. Meet the Renault 4CV, pioneer of the French mass motorization.

French car design traditionally seems to be driven by eccentricity. The engineers at companies like Citroen or Panhard apparently enjoyed "reinventing the wheel" every time they developed a new car. Renault, albeit being generally a fair bit more conservative, wasn't an exception to the rule, and the 4CV is a product of that unorthodox mindset.

Renault engineers developed the 4CV covertly during the times of the German occupation. Thus, already half a year after the liberation from the Nazis, prototypes of the little Renault ran, and the finished car bowed to the public in October 1946. The public soon nicknamed it "motte de beurre", lump of butter, because of its cream-yellow paint: during the wartime occupation, Renault had built trucks for the German desert warfare in North Africa, and a big inventory of unused camouflage color was left over. Painted solely in that color, the first series of 4CV stood out from the average black and grey cars of the era, and effectively drew the public attention to the little Renault.

In true French spirit, the Renault showed some peculiar design details. Ready for some trivia? There was, for instance, one easily accessible filler cap on the car. Be warned, though: it wasn't meant for fuel but for radiator fluid. To refuel the little Renault, you had to open the engine bay because the fuel cap was hidden under the bonnet. Imagine which one you needed more frequently. Another detail: because the four doors were hinged at the B-post, access to the rear bench was a breeze. Access to the front seats, however, wasn't nearly as comfortable. "Suicide" doors and a wide rocker section that was hidden underneath the front fender extension guaranteed that your trousers got dirty quite regularly.

Perhaps most notably, the engine was placed in the rear, just like in the German VW Beetle. Like the German car, the Renault had a modern monocoque body with a flat floor pan, resulting in a pretty spacious interior. When they began developing the 4CV, the French engineers sure knew about the VW Beetle. French authorities even "invited" (read: forced) the Beetle's constructor, Ferdinand Porsche, to look after the Renault development after they arrested him as Nazi collaborator in December of 1945, and kept him imprisoned in France for the following 20 months. It's not quite clear, though, how much influence Porsche's opinion had in the final design of the 4CV. Quite likely, the french engineers wouldn't accept substantial critics from the former enemy, anyway.

Just like the Volkswagen in Germany, the 4CV was instrumental in the mass motorization that brought many a French people in possession of their own car. When the production ended in 1961, more than 1.1 million 4CV had left the factory. Although the company was busy to feed the tremendous demand in France, a number of cars were exported to the United States, and quite a few, like this one from Havana, found their way to Cuba, too.

1958 Dodge Kingsway Custom

„This year Dodge brings you a new fashion show on wheels – fresh-full of styling advances that are a dream away for ordinary cars! New 'safety-made' dual headlamps on every model! New glamour grille! New dashing color sweep! Here’s Dodge Flight-Sweep ’58 beauty . . . fleet-finned, sleek-lined and ready to win a place in your heart!“

Dodge by its badge, but Plymouth by any other name, this Kingsway Custom from Havana is a truly nice looking "Plodge". Easily discernible from the "real" 1958 Dodges by different tailfins and door handles, the Kingsway Custom was essentially a Plymouth Belvedere with a Dodge front clip bolted on. Chrysler built these export vehicles, based on the cheaper Plymouth platform, to give its dealers abroad competitively priced entry-level models.

With the chofer at the wheel you can see how nimble Chryslers "Forward Look" models actually appear, particularly when compared to the bloated GM designs of the same year. No surprise that the first sight of these Chryslers in late 1956 caused quite a dismay among the GM designers and triggered the move towards a leaner and cleaner styling for the whole 1959 GM lineup.

2007 Lada 2107

"Nothing spared. Except the expense."

Ladas are omnipresent in Cuba, but few are in such a good condition as this one from Sancti Spiritus. Most Ladas are in much worse shape, as they are typically "official" vehicles, registered to the government or to state owned enterprises. Their drivers don't own these cars, and usually don't spend the same attention as a private owner would do.

Yet, our pictured Lada 2107 is in private hands and its dueño cherishes his possession. "Mira", he told us with a broad smile, "this is a custom car! It has custom door handles, custom mirrors and custom air condition." The rest, thankfully, looks pretty much like it did when the car left the Togliatti factory in 2007.

The Fiat origins are evident in the Lada 2107. In fact, mechanically the car is virtually identical to its predecessor Lada 2101 which itself was a close copy of the Fiat 124. The Lada 2101 had been built for about a decade, when the Russians decided that it was time for a substantial update, and presented the Lada Nova (also known as Lada Riva in Great Britain) in 1979. By adding rectangular headlights, and sharper sculpted body panels, the Russian stylists miraculously managed to make the boxy car look even more boxy. The "luxurious" top version Lada 2107 followed in 1982 and flaunted an extra-large chrome grille and seats with headrests.

The Lada Nova remained in production virtually forever. About three decades, that was. The last "classic" Lada left the Russian factory in September 2012. If you fancy a newer model year, then head to Egypt. There, the Lada 2107 was still produced by the Al-Amal Group until 2014, before the assembly line was retooled for the production of the modern Lada Granta.