Chariots of Chrome: Classic American Cars of Cuba

Cuba is a vintage car lover's paradise. Until the 1960s Cuba was the world's leading importer of American automobiles. These chariots of chrome were brought from Florida by the boatload, to the great delight of those members of pre-Revolution society who could afford their luxury. Havana in the 1940s and '50s embraced all things American, incorporating them into Cuba's exotic blend of Spanish and African cultures. Glamorous nightclubs thrived, and Hollywood celebrities were drawn to this intoxicating mix of local style and American affluence. All makes and models of American cars, with their luscious curves and futuristic grills and fins, cruised the streets of the old city. But the Revolution brought a swift end to upper-class lavishness, and resulting political tensions led to a total embargo on exports from the United States to Cuba. The island nation soon found itself in a kind of vacuum of worldly goods, with each American-made car becoming an irreplaceable object. ...