Cuba's Car Culture: Celebrating the Island's Automotive Love Affair

by Tom Cotter, Bill Warner (Photographs)

Cuba's Car Culture drives through Cuba's love of American cars of the '40s and '50s, and the ingenuity that keeps them running despite the U.S. embargo.

2017 Silver Medal Winner of the International Automotive Media Competition! 

The story of how Cuba came to be trapped in automotive time is a fascinating one. For decades, the island country had enjoyed healthy tourism trade and American outpost status, and by the 1950s it had the highest per capita automotive purchasing of any Latin American country. But when Cuba fell to communist rebels in 1959, so ended the inflow of new cars. Since then, trade embargo forced Cuba's car enthusiasts to develop a unique and insular culture, one marked by great creativity, such as:

-Keeping a car alive with no opportunity to acquire replacement parts
-Customizing a car with no access to aftermarket parts
-Drag racing with no drag strip

In many ways, Cuba is an automotive time warp, where the newest car is a 1959 Chevy or perhaps one of the Soviet Ladas. Cuba's Car Culture offers an inside look at a unique car culture, populated with cars that have been cut off from the world so long that they've morphed into something else in the spirit of automotive survival.

Authors Tom Cotter and Bill Warner (founder of the Amelia Island Concours) take readers on a whirlwind tour of all things automotive, beginning with Cuba's pre-Castro car and racing history, up to today's lost collector cars, street racing, and the challenges of keeping decades-old cars on the road.

Cuba's Car Culture is illustrated throughout with rare historical photos as well as contemporary photos of Cuba's current car scene. For anyone who enjoys classic cars, whether they're old Chevy Bel-Airs, Studebakers, or Ford Fairlanes, a cruise around Cuba will make you feel like a kid in a candy store.

Genres: Nonfiction

192 pages, Hardcover

Published October 1, 2016

Reviews

[Adrianne]

Is a new love affair brewing—between Cuba and America—routed in a mutual love of cars? From this book’s title, Cuba’s Car Culture, Celebrating the Island’s Automotive Love Affair, I thought this must be the case. But, actually, it’s more the story of a long and often difficult marriage that has endured due to necessity and the sheer will to survive. After 50 years, the union is celebrated and on-lookers, in this case, the newly allowed tourists to Cuba, likely have no idea how difficult the journey has been, or if any love still exists. Especially if you plan to visit Cuba, just 90 miles away from the US, take time to read this book before you go—learn about the classic cars you will see and experience while in a country where time has nearly stood still since 1960.

“The importation of new cars slowed dramatically after the January 1, 1959 Revolution. Castro imposed a nearly 200 percent tax on luxury items, which included cars. Meaning a $2,000 vehicle now cost almost $6,000 to buy. … US President Dwight D. Eisenhower imposed a ban on all exports to Cuba on October 19,1960, a policy that has been in place ever since.” [p.147]

This table book is a perfect gift for those who love international auto racing and vintage cars made before 1960. The often poignant, yet beautiful photography is enough reason to own this book, but it also offers a nostalgic view of past-generation automobiles and an important glimpse under, and into Cuba’s hood. Full of Cuban automotive and car racing history, you will find it to be a heartfelt and enlightening look into the recent history of the people of this colorful Caribbean Island.

[LeAnne]

I received this book free through goodreads in exchange for the following honest, unbiased review. My husband and I have thoroughly enjoyed this book. First, it has a beautiful cover and is a great size to keep on the living room coffee table. We enjoy old cars, and this book has amazing colorful photographs of many. Neither one of us had any idea Cuba had such a fascination with fixing them up! The photographs in the book are all so colorful and artistic! This is a book my family will enjoy for years to come. Definitely recommend it to car lovers, as well as those who appreciate photography!

[Cason]

As a personal friend of one of the author's, I may be a bit biased. However, this book is a very easy read that highlights not just the Cuban people's love affair with the automobile, but how it has played such a major role in the country's history. Bill Warner's photography is not overly artistic in this book but it really gives the reader a real-world perspective on Cuba's current state. All-in-all, it is a book that does not concentrate heavily on Cuba's politics but celebrates the Cuban people and a universal love for cars.

[Ietrio]

Cuba is backwards. This is repeated over and over again. Why? Chapter one. Because they do not have ATMs that take US credit cards. What a good observer! Well, a provincial observer with a limited intellect. As apart from Visa and Mastercard, the EU also has a problem with ATMs not taking US credit cards. Cellphones? Well, let's go back to the ATM and credit card part. The EU has moved to smart cards that do have a chip and to contactless banking for small sums. Maybe today things have caught up in the States, but a couple of years ago the US cards were still using the magnetic strip. So who's lost in time?

This is not an argument against the States or pro European. I only want to prove the disgusting provincialism bordering xenophobia exposed in this book.

And the author is not only ignorant in general politics, he is ignorant in cars too. The Lada that appear in a few photos are just copies after the Italian Fiat 124 launched in 1966. The Soviets started production in 1970, so that goes the argument with Cuba being stuck in the 1950s.

So enjoy the photos, because they are the only thing that is worth your time.

[Heather]

This book shines a spotlight on the Cuban people's ingenuity in keeping these cars on the road for 60+ years.

[Jose]

For the Non-Cuban who has no idea of the system or is sympathetic to the images of Che Guevara who for Cubans was a Terror who murdered 10,000+ Cubans some as young as 16 years old without due process andvwho wrecked the economy along with the Castros and was not even Cuban yet Managed to get his mug on the top side of this book above an otherwise nice but beaten classic.If You can look pass the front cover and the one page spread that features Che The Mass Murderer Guevara in the background on a wall masquerading as art.Now The Authors do indeed criticize the system and hope for Cubans to be free and that is very admirable but I am disappointed because first off Fulgencio Batista was a Dictator when he did a Coup on March 10,1952 to Carlos Prio(The Last Democratically Elected President of a Free and Prosperous Cuba.) he won a election fair and square before in the 40s and later did stay out of the limelight for awhile but he was far from a "Right-wing" Dictator,His PAU had made a pact with the communists he had Communists in cahoots with him and he only got tough with them later on,so to say he was a Right-wing Dictator is laughable. So aside from this perpetual myths that are rampant in academia regarding Cuba from So-called Cuba Scholars(Sympathetic to Castro's version of events)and the book's dependence on the ratchet book Che's Chevy,Fidel's Oldmobile. The book is very interesting,there is a very lovely Corvette that sadly has been redone with some steel,there is some information On Ambar Motors(No relation to the current Ambar Motors in Miami)and some Cuban Grand Prix photos, The book is missing Cuban Rally Races that were run in the 1950s as described in Jorge Cunill's Grand Prix From Havana To Miami and As In Joel Finn's Caribbean Capers.The book at least is a affordable alternative to these otherwise Stellar books,but sadly the book's dependence on how great the embargo and that relations will improve and on and on does not help it's cause and at the same time is critical of the system is irritating and confusing. Overall,some great chapters and pictures,but Sadly Tom Cotter and Bill Warner disappointed me and Cotter has done some great book such as in The Barn books my favorite being Corvette In The Barn. Overall if they would have left out Che it would have been something to be proud of to have in my collection,this is my honest opinion and review.

[Chris]

Nice pictures accompanied by some thin text. Only two chapters (6 & 7) had any real substance to them. That being said, if you have a spare $35 and an extra two hours, this may be a good book if you've never heard of the cars in Cuba. 2 1/2 stars.