It's a little something called an embargo, it's been in place about 50 years, that just coincidentily happens to be the age of the newest US made cars there. connection? uhm yeah!!!
Guns Kill people, like spoons made Rosie O'donnel fat. Joe
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10:44 PM
Wichita Member
Posts: 20658 From: Wichita, Kansas Registered: Jun 2002
Ahh thanks.... you learn somthing new everyday Why no honda's toyota's or bmw's ? Couldn't they at least get old 80's or 90's toyotas or hondas from japan? Also how do they keep those cars running? What happends when one breaks or needs a new motor? Can they still get parts from the US? Also why not make there own car?
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10:53 PM
Wichita Member
Posts: 20658 From: Wichita, Kansas Registered: Jun 2002
Ahh thanks.... you learn somthing new everyday Why no honda's toyota's or bmw's ? Couldn't they at least get old 80's or 90's toyotas or hondas from japan? Also how do they keep those cars running? What happends when one breaks or needs a new motor? Can they still get parts from the US? Also why not make there own car?
The people are way too poor to afford it. It's what happens when you have leftist socialism.
politics aside, building cars and parts very often requires heavy industry, steel and fuel. other, larger countries like china and india are just now starting to do these things. since american investment and tourism capital are cut off by the embargo, they cant afford the infrastructure. even before castro, Cuba's economy was largely based on sugar, which is subject to world sugar price fluctuations, crop failure and interference by US sugar interests.
Ahh thanks.... you learn somthing new everyday Why no honda's toyota's or bmw's ? Couldn't they at least get old 80's or 90's toyotas or hondas from japan? Also how do they keep those cars running? What happends when one breaks or needs a new motor? Can they still get parts from the US? Also why not make there own car?
From what I understand the lack of new cars as well as new parts has spawned some of the most inventive and skilled mechanics/ machinists in the world. There may be a transmission made out of 10 different kinds of cars, but it runs beautifully.
I believe the embargo up to a certain point worked all the way around, through several countries, shipping would probably be the killer to most vehicles making it there.
They dont have the internal resources to build an entire line of cars. This would take steel, or some other types of material that would make it cost restrictive.
As far as I know they do build motorcycles, and bicycles there, but dont quote me on that.
I had a Preacher, or Minister or somebody that was close to Mom and Dad went over there, came back with alot of neat pictures, and some awsome stories. I was pretty young, but I remember him going on about the cars cause hey, I love cars.
Ahh thanks.... you learn somthing new everyday Why no honda's toyota's or bmw's ? Couldn't they at least get old 80's or 90's toyotas or hondas from japan? Also how do they keep those cars running? What happends when one breaks or needs a new motor? Can they still get parts from the US? Also why not make there own car?
They use whatever they have on hand. The combinations of parts to keep them on the road is astonishing ( There was a show on pbs a while back that went into some detail on the canibilization of parts to rebuild these cars )
Joe
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11:36 PM
Aug 1st, 2006
lurker Member
Posts: 12351 From: salisbury nc usa Registered: Feb 2002
They use whatever they have on hand. The combinations of parts to keep them on the road is astonishing ( There was a show on pbs a while back that went into some detail on the canibilization of parts to rebuild these cars )
Joe
this is very intresting, you don't happend to remember the name of the show do you? i definetily wanna learn alot more about how they keep these things tho.
The USA has an embargo against trade and travel with Cuba which began in 1959. The rest of the world does not honor the US embargo. You can buy Cuban cigars in the Bahamas, for example, but not in Florida. There are hotels and resorts in Cuba that cater to tourists. Cruise ships go there. They cannot, however, sail from US ports. New cars are available there, but the Cubans prefer the simple to repair, large American cars to the smaller modern Korean, Japanese and European cars. Plus they cannot afford new cars. Any money the average Cuban earns on the "free/black market" goes to purchase luxuries like food, or parts for the old cars and motorcycles. While the average Cuban is very poor, they do have good schools and boast the highest literacy rate in the region, as well as free medical/dental care for every citizen. A quick google search brought up this:
Transtur, the leading company of the tourist transportation in Cuba, counts with more than 20 years of experience in these services, with bus, rent a car and taxi services all through out the biggest of the Antilles islands, willing to satisfy our clients according to their needs. Hyundai Atos - A/C, T/M
Hyundai Atos Prime - A/C, T/M
Hyundai Atos 2000 - A/C, T/M
Daihatsu Coure - A/C, T/M
Peugeot 206 - A/C, T/M You could also google articles on the old cars and the ingenious mechanics who keep them alive. I have seen such articles in Car and Driver, HotRod, Smithsonian, Popular mechanics, and even the newspaper.
[This message has been edited by NEPTUNE (edited 08-01-2006).]
I watched a documentary on a Cuban Car Club. It was pretty good! There are car nuts there that take great pride in keeping their cars running. The creativity is amazing. Remember, these people do not have a Pep Boys to run to to get a new alternator for a 1957 Pontiac. They have to make everything themselves. A cottage industry in parts replication and customizing has emerged that will give Cuba a great income when they are free. Those skills will be VERY useful for auto enthusiasts.
The show was on PBS about 6 months ago, can't recall the title but if you ever get a chance to see it, DO!
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12:53 PM
PFF
System Bot
Cheever3000 Member
Posts: 12398 From: The Man from Tallahassee Registered: Aug 2001
this is very intresting, you don't happend to remember the name of the show do you? i definetily wanna learn alot more about how they keep these things tho.
IIRC it was called, the cars of cuba, I think?
Joe
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07:49 PM
rogergarrison Member
Posts: 49601 From: A Western Caribbean Island/ Columbus, Ohio Registered: Apr 99
I remember seeing that, they did stuff like make the carb from an old boat work on their car, or clamp missmatched motors and trans together with C clamps when no bolt holes lined up. Funny stuff.
lol, they actually FIX their cars & FIX their parts, when possible (like mechanics used to do in the old days), not just replace em...it's alot easier with older cars to keep em going...
!!
)
Too funny.
