Los Autos de Cuba

La vez pasada hablábamos de los televisores cubanos. Esta vez son los autos. En lo personal, me encantan los autos clásicos de los 50, pero creo que esto es muy triste:

Cars are probably the most valuable luxury items in Cuba, not to mention a necessity for some, and the skills and resources necessary to maintain a car not only provides the best job, but having such skills considered a well-kept secret, passed down from father to son through the generations. The Cubans consider the family car, and its clean-running engine, like a Frenchman or Californian thinks of his vineyard. Up until The Revolution in 1960, Cuba was the largest importer of American Cars, mostly the huge, gas-guzzling, multi-ton pile of metal that so many of us look back on today as a romantic relic of the past. After the embargo, Cuba has had cars from other countries—most notably, Russia—but few of them have ever been able to last but a few years. The American cars, however, have lasted through the years, and still run perfectly today. For most Cubans, this is their main source of revenue, since they can operate a taxicab, taking tourists around, and taking in up to $50/day in an economy where the average Cuban makes $15-25 a month. Of course, the cost of owning a car is high, especially with gasoline costing $4/gallon. But, with prices this high, it's not surprising to see a beautify gas station with a mini-mart and fresh, clean paint on the walls, popping out conspicuously from a scene of intense poverty along rural roads.