All American Cars

Habana, Cuba

The influence of Spanish, American and Russian cultures are still strongly noticeable in Cuban culture. Cuba was a colony of Spain, then it was part of the United States and finally it depended economically on the Soviet Union. The Spanish culture is evident in the language, food, music, religion and others. The American and Russian influence are more evident in terms of technology.

Cars are the most popular and known worldwide, but in Cuban homes American and Russian washing machines, refrigerators, telephones, fans, air conditioners and many other pieces of equipment were used.

Around the year 2005 by national decree, all Russian or American refrigerators, fans and air conditioners had to be handed over to the government. For each piece of equipment that a person delivered to the government, the government sold that same person a similar item but with Asian technology. In this way, all that technology full of history and memories disappeared from Cuban homes.

The same is not happening with automobiles, which in a splendid and defiant manner circulating through the streets of all of Cuba.

Without a doubt, it is quite a spectacle, a journey through time, as many say, since they combine with buildings from the same period or even older. The almendrones, as they are popularly called, are American cars from the 40s, 50s and 60s. Of all colors, designs, brands, styles, in good and poor condition.