Can You Buy Cars From Cuba HOT!

On October 17th, the US Department of the Treasury released their newest regulations on Cuban assets. It lifted the restrictions on the number of cigars and rum you can bring back from Cuba, and allowed for the repatriation of American made exports.

can you buy cars from cuba

While it is estimated Cuba has over 60,000 classics on the street, many are in suboptimal condition. For over 50 years, Cubans were cut off from original parts needed for their cars. Many of the American classics you find now in Cuba were mended with Russian or Chinese engines. There are Chevy Bel Airs driving the streets of Havana with 1.2L Moskvitch engines. Those that wanted more power fitted their American classics with tractor engines.

The dream of finding a barn find in Cuba also appears to be gone. Many of the prestigious classics that have previously raced in Cuba all left during the Revolution. The very few notable cars remaining, such as this Mercedes 300SL, are in such terrible condition that it makes little sense to return them to the states for restoration and resale.

I would also think that since the cars are a large part of Cuban culture and the growing tourism industry, some cars may be temporarily imported to the states for a proper restoration. But who would be able to afford it? Certainly not the average Cuban earning $25/month. It will likely be the individuals profiting of tourism the most, supported by the government itself. But even then, it makes more sense to ship the required parts to Cuba and perform the restoration there.

Until a few weeks ago, there was no way to legally transfer ownership of a vehicle like this. The only cars that could be freely bought and sold were those built before 1959, when Fidel Castro came to power. That's why there are still nearly 60,000 classic cars on Cuba's streets, but few late-model Hondas. Bringing in a new car requires special government permission and a 100 percent import tax, but Claro still says the U.S. embargo is the reason she's asking so much.

The Cuban government has long treated car ownership as a privilege and a reward, not a right. Doctors, military officers and exemplary workers got the chance to buy one from the state, often at subsidized prices.

"Cars stay in the family forever. And you take care of the car, you fix the engine, and we probably have the best mechanics in the world," Ramos says. "This is probably the only country in the world where you don't have a junkyard for cars. We simply get the wreckage and put it on wheels and drive it again."

Cuba is a bubble of anachronisms, one of the most obvious being the thousands American cars from the 1940s and 1950s, which still make up a significant form of transportation for the island nation.

The time-warp feel to the place stems from the imposition of the U.S. embargo in 1962, during which American companies were no longer permitted to do any business in Cuba. Once in place, it was not possible to get new American cars or parts.

Experts who spoke to CNBC expressed deep admiration for the ingenuity that has kept the American cars on the road, but it's that very same ingenuity that will likely cut into the value of the cars. "They're known to be held together by duct tape and bailing twine," said David Magers, CEO of Mecum Auctions.

The "intrinsic value in collector cars is in the originality of its parts," said Steve Linden, an appraiser of collectible automobiles. Most important, he said, are "original body, panels, engines, transmissions."

Hagerty recalled one of his first experiences with the island's cars on a trip their 15 years ago: "When I went, I jumped in a 1956 Cadillac, and it looked really good. The guy turned the key and it had a Peugeot diesel engine."

Additionally, the sweet spot of car collecting has moved from the 1950s to the 1960s. "What's hot right now are the American muscle cars of the late '60s and '70s," Magers said. Models such as Ford Mustangs from 1965 to 1973, Dodge Challengers, Chargers and Daytonas are hot, plus the Plymouth Superbird.

The greatest interest is likely to come from Cuban exiles who are proud to buy a car that is quintessentially Cuban, and representative of the era. Hagerty said that a car from there "will be considered on the merits of it being a 'Cuban' car, not a classic collectible."

At the same time, Hagerty said he expects there to be a great desire by the Cubans themselves to keep them on the island "as an example of the last vestige of the spirit of survival. There's something down there about these cars that means more to them than just a car."

For decades, new car sales were heavily restricted in Cuba due to the U.S. embargo enacted in 1960 following the 1959 Cuban revolution. In response to the embargo, the Cuban government then prohibited the sale of Cuban-manufactured cars to residents without special permission.

Following the embargo and related sanctions and to tighten economic control over the country, the Cuban government made it against the law to buy or sell used cars unless you had special permission from the government.

However, as Scrap Car Comparison mentions, a side effect of making new cars available is those same cars being heavily taxed by the government to consumers. One instance noted a Peugeot 508 having a price tag of $262,000 at the time the regulations were lifted.

Despite the minor improvements for citizens ability to purchase second-hand and new cars, the economic trade embargo is still in place currently. President Obama did make some historic moves to attempt to open communication and relations with Cuba, but those changes were reversed during the Trump administration.

While trade and travel may be restricted, there are opportunities for Cubans to purchase vehicles, be they used or new. Just after the import bans were lifted, Cuba got an influx of Chinese cars called the Geely CK and South Korean Kias, CNBC reported.

The story of classic cars in Cuba is full of political and historicalsignificance. This makes Cuban classic cars a beautiful addition to the urbanlandscape of Cuba and an important cultural artifact.

With no new cars coming into the country and no parts available tomake repairs, car owners had the make a choice: Either let their cars rust inthe garage or use what parts they had available and make repairs themselves.

As car owners needed their cars as a means of transportation or toprovide for their families, they needed to becomemechanicsand create innovative ways to keep their cars running. Unfortunately, as theban on American cars also included American car parts, Cuban locals were forcedto make repairs and restorations using parts gleaned from Russian and Chinese vehicles,primarily from the plethora of Ladas, Volgas, and Geelys that were stillreadily available.

You can see the range of patched-up cars on display throughout thecountry, often painted vivid colors to hide the panel work. However, thisrolling vintage car museum in Cuba today is a reminder of the ingenuity andrevolutionary spirit that lives on in the country.

New car imports are still highly regulated, and the pricing makespurchasing a car unrealistic for most Cuban locals. The state still has amonopoly on Cuban car sales, which means prices are high. A Peugeot 508 whichtypically retails at $29,000, costs a whopping $262,000in Cuba.With the average Cuban citizen earning around $20 a month, it is unlikely thatnew imported cars are going to be part of a buying boom.

As of 2019, you can now also rent a classic car for transport aroundthe island. Previously, car owners were prohibited from renting their cars totourists to drive, and the state had no classic car rental service.

There are a few things to remember when renting a car in Cuba. All carrental companies are government-owned, so you will need to have the appropriatedocumentation to hire a car. Also, restored classic cars are uncommon and are rentedat a higher price than standard cars.

Daniel Stauffer is a blogger and devoutcigar enthusiast who first developed a love for fine tobacco after receiving abox of cigars from a grateful client. He has continued to refine his palate andexplore the art of cigar smoking, gaining valuable experience, which he enjoyssharing with other cigar lovers across the globe.

Cuba built the first railway system in the Spanish empire, before the 1848 start in the Iberian peninsula. While the rail infrastructure dates from colonial and early republican times, passenger service along the principal Havana to Santiago corridor is increasingly reliable and popular with tourists who can purchase tickets in Cuban convertible pesos. As with most public transport in Cuba, many of the vehicles used are second hand.

AstroBus, a bus service in Cuban National Pesos, designed to bring comfortable air-conditioned coaches to Cuban locals at an affordable price. The AstroBus lines operate with modern Chinese Yutong buses, and are accessible to Cuban Residents of Cuba with their ID Card, and is payable in Cuba Pesos. Routes that have benefited most so far are those from Havana to each of the 13 provincial capitals of the country.

In Havana, urban transportation used to be provided by a colorful selection of buses imported from the Soviet Union or Canada. Many of these vehicles were second hand, such as the 1,500 decommissioned Dutch buses that the Netherlands donated to Cuba in the mid-1990s as well as GM fishbowl buses from Montreal. Despite the United States trade embargo, American-style yellow school buses (imported second-hand from Canada) are also increasingly common sights. Since 2008, service on seven key lines in and out of the city is provided by Chinese Zhengzhou Yutong Buses. These replaced the famous camellos ("camels" or "dromedaries", after their "humps") trailer buses that hauled as many as two hundred passengers in a passenger-carrying trailer.

Since 2009, Cuba has imported sedans from Chinese automaker Geely to serve as police cars, taxis and rental vehicles.[9] Previously, the Soviet Union supplied Volgas, Moskvichs, and Ladas, as well as heavy trucks like the ZIL and the KrAZ;[10] and Cuba also bought cars from European and Asian companies. In 2004, it was estimated that there were some 173,000 cars in Cuba.[11] 041b061a72