Cuba's museum of famous old cars

By: Drivers.com staff

Date: Tuesday, 29. April 2008

Cubans may keep most of their vintage cars trundling along the nation's highways, but those of real historical significance can now be found lovingly preserved at the National Transport Museum just outside the island's second largest city, Santiago de Cuba.

It's interesting to speculate, for instance, what sights and sounds may have influenced the architects of the Cuban revolution, Fidel and Raoul Castro, as they presumably rode in their mother's 1929 Ford Model A during their formative years.

Chevy used in barracks attack Yet another Castro family car was the '51 Chevrolet (at left) used by Raoul during the abortive attack on the Moncada barracks in Santiago de Cuba in 1953. On July 26, with the city celebrating a carnival, 125 men and women launched an attack on the barracks at 5.15 a.m. The attack went badly wrong for the young revolutionaries. Half the forces, the better armed half, lost their way in the unfamiliar city streets and never made it to the battle. Many of them were later captured and killed.

red Skoda presented to Raoul Castro In addition, the museum boasts a red Skoda sports car presented to Raoul, now Cuba's Minister of Defence, in 1960 by the president of Czechoslovakia.

Benny More's Cadillac Also on show are a '68 Cadillac owned by Cuban singer Benny More (photo at left) and a red sports car driven by actress Rosita Fornes.

All the cars are in running condition. Indeed, some of them are taken on the road and rented out as taxis for enthusiastic tourists.

dangerous gravel Perhaps the most unusual vehicle on display, though, is the only car manufactured in Cuba-the Maja Cuba. This is a tiny two-person vehicle with the tail fins styling of a 1969 Chevy. It has a pull string starter and was actually built to take part in a parade.