Has anybody got any pic's of the semi's that they use as bus transport. It actually reminds me of a camel with 2 humps. The humps are the raised parts over the rear axles and over the turntable area. They also used dump trucks as buses in rural towns. I never did think about taking pic's of them...
I did see a semi like that. It was a '70s IH cabover, which I didn't understand how it got to Cuba. The trailer looked like a train passenger car put on a semi-trailer frame. Didn't get a picture, but did get this stretched looking GMC.
The U. S. embargo didn't go into full swing until (IIRC) about April 1960, so a fair number of '60 models made it over. My aunt and uncle visited there several months ago and took a lot of car photos, but I haven't gotten them yet. It might be interesting to visit, but Castro had a friend of mine's father executed after the takeover (his crime was having done architectural work for Batista), so...
Castro was a creep and executed a good number of his closest supporters once he was in control. He did provide reasonable health and education plans for his people but generally ripped them off in many other ways and obviously still made sure that a minority enjoyed all the trappings of life while the majority struggled. Not bad for a peoples communist/socialist leader. Typical propaganda and manipulation of the people, fed them BS and was way behind the times and tried to create much hate towards Americans as possible. However it was my experience that in private most Cubans much preferred Americans to what they had ended up with. It was weird walking around a capital city like Havana and seeing all the statues of the leaders we saw as rouges and enemies of western society...
A friend of mine from school used to go to Cuba every summer with her family.Her Dad had an interest in citrus groves(BC).Lost it all like every one else when Castro took over. Good luck.Have fun.Be safe. Leo
I was just there this July...have more pictures on cell phone, but it is a '50s car lovers paradise, lots more, and they are everywhere!
You just can not beat the atmosphere of old classic cars, brewed coffee and the aroma of cigar smoke, it all looks good in pic's but being there is just something else. I just wish I could have spoken better Spanish which would have been absolute gold for conversing with the local car guys.
I wonder if the Cuban government would ever permit old car Cuban car owners to directly buy parts from folks in the USA who have parts to sell.