Havana's Classic Cars

When imports of American cars stopped at the end of the 1950s, Cuba was left with tens of thousands of Chevrolets, Buicks, Fords and Plymouths, and rather than scrap them the island simply kept them running, which it has now done for the best part of seventy years. Almost none are original underneath: engines have been swapped for Soviet diesels, gearboxes rebuilt from whatever came to hand, body panels beaten out of scrap and parts machined by hand, and the mechanics who do this are among the most inventive anywhere. The cars work in two worlds. The gleaming convertibles in candy colours parked by the Capitolio are for tourist tours along the Malecón, while the battered ones are almendrones, shared taxis that run fixed routes and pick up whoever flags them, which is how Havana actually gets around.

What you actually see

• A convertible tour - the classic ride along the Malecón and through Vedado.
• The almendrón - the shared route taxis locals use, flagged from the street.
• The mechanics' workshops - improvised repairs and hand-made parts in back streets.
• The Malecón at dusk - the seafront where the cars are at their most photogenic.

When to go

November to April brings the driest weather for an open-top ride; the light at either end of the day is far better than the harsh midday sun. Ranks are busiest late morning. A shared almendrón can be taken any time and costs a fraction of a tourist tour.

Honest expectations

Tourist convertible rides are priced in a way that has little to do with distance, so agree a figure before getting in and expect to negotiate. The cars are beautiful and, mechanically, often alarming, with brakes and seatbelts that would fail any inspection. Exhaust fumes in the closed ones are genuinely unpleasant. Riding an almendrón is cheaper, more interesting and far less comfortable.

Nearby

Old Havana, the Malecón and Vedado are the usual routes; Fusterlandia is a common tour stop.