LATIN AMERICA IN BLACK AND WHITE no.6 - Big Papa Dodge

Anyone visiting Cuba is, like me , struck by the vintage American cars seen everywhere. It's like being in a time warp.....this is all about to change. For many reasons, the owners of these cars lavish attention on them, in a way that we haven't really seen in North America since the Big American Dream days of the '50's. It's ironic, to me, that in the land of the Revolucion and given the in your face animosity towards America, that we see this kind of care given to the icons of America. Yet so much of it is practicality with a dollop of affection for these old beauties from the golden age of the automobile. They are works of art and they are made of metal so can be repaired with expert welding and spare parts. The engines are also built to last and dead simple to repair compared to what we have today; add to this the fact that people can't afford new cars and the U.S. blockade and you have a country full of vintage cars in flawless condition.
Every morning I'd watch as my neighbour in Havana washed his '57 Dodge while smoking cigars, sharing the daily news with his buddies and taking in the morning sun. It's a special part of the culture and a source of pride and joy for the owners of these Big Papas.