THE CARS OF CUBA [AUTOMOTIVE DOCUMENTARY]

When you think of modified

cars

around the world, you may think of a drift car on the mountainous roads of Japan. Or you might think of a powerful V8 barreling down the quarter mile in the US. A jacked-up SUV or ute in the Australian outback. But when it comes to the ratio of modified

cars

to stock and the sheer ingenuity and ingenuity of car owners and their mechanics, the number one place in the world for modified cars is Cuba. MIGHTY CAR MODS CUBA Cuba is located in the north of the Caribbean. It is located 200 kilometers east of Mexico and 150 kilometers south of the United States, and is home to around 11 million people.

We are in Havana, the capital, which has a unique and thriving car culture, which was used as an iconic location in 'Fast and Furious 8'. So we've decided to come here to delve deeper into the unique

automotive

scene. We'll drive some crazy cars and meet the people who own them and keep them on the roads. From home workshops to jungle mechanics, Cuba makes cars like nowhere else on the planet. Cuba's car culture is a fascinating mix of crazy American excess of the 50s and Soviet utilitarianism of the 70s. Colored by the positive attitude of the locals, to keep their old cars on the road.

Thanks to Cuba's proximity to Florida, it became a vacation destination for wealthy Americans in the 1940s and 1950s, with fleets of American land barges plying the streets. It wasn't long before a young man, named Fidel Castro, rose up and overthrew the government with a revolution. Taking over starting January 1, 1959. This meant that the supply of American cars and parts dried up overnight, due to Castro's communist government and its ties to the U.S.S.R. With the US export ban in place, Cuba turned to its Soviet friends for vehicles. Polish Ladas, Fiats and even the occasional GAZ or Zil luxury car.

Trade restrictions meant that Cubans couldn't bring in spare parts if something on their car broke, so they became experts at keeping their old cars running by any means necessary. This has led them to become probably the most ingenious car modifiers on the planet. Due to the trade embargo, Cubans did not have access to the huge American classic car parts industry. Many American classics have been retrofitted with cheap diesel engines from Kia and Hyundai. It is also not uncommon to find cars powered by tractor engines or even stationary pump engines that have been converted to power a car.

Cubans are especially proud of their cars, because they are a symbol of hard work and the vehicles become family heirlooms. It's not uncommon for families to pass down cars for decades and decades, with different engine configurations and modifications that keep the car on the road. So let's hit the road, drive some cars, and find out how, against all odds, these ingenious car enthusiasts keep rolling in Cuba. But first. How are we going to move? Well, we have this in our hands. This is a 1955 Chevrolet 150 Sedan. This is the upgraded Bel-Air, and in the '50s, it could cost up to $2,750 depending on which of the nine body styles you chose and how you customized it.

There were hundreds and hundreds of options on offer. While you could get a straight-six, the big news in '55 was a new 4.3-liter turbo V8, known as a small block. Some people say that still in production today, over one hundred million small block V8s have been made since 1955. A unique feature of the '55 model year engine was that oil filters were an optional accessory. But none of this applies to our particular car, because the engine that propels us on this trip is none other than the engine of a Toyota Diesel truck from Japan. It can be complicated to navigate Cuba's unique

automotive

culture.