Back in 1960, the USA imposed a trade embargo on its citizens doing business with Cuba. There is a possibility that this may be about to change in the not too distant future and this could create an opportunity for Americans to start buying up and importing classic American cars that have been driven around the streets of Cuba since the 1950s.
All those years ago, Cuba also banned the import of new cars and did not lift the ban until late 2013. That is why so many of these American vehicles remain on the roads to this day. It is estimated that there are still in the region of 60,000 such cars in Cuba. The most popular car is the Chevrolet but there are many others such as the Plymouth Fury and the Studebaker Champion.
If the trade embargo between both countries is lifted it is quite possible that a lot of American collectors of classic cars will show a great deal of interest in these vintage American cars and seek to purchase some and import them into the USA. It is rumoured that some vehicles could fetch as much as $60,000. This sort of money would be a huge sum to a Cuban as the majority of Cubans earn below $300 per annum.
If you have ever visited Cuba, you will be well aware of the prominence these cars have. Some are owned and kept in good mechanical order and freshened up with coats of paint by families and others are owned by taxi drivers that they use to ferry paying customers about. In fact, they charge up to $30 per hour to take people on tours around places like Havana that is the capital city of Cuba.
The presidents from both counties are due to meet in April 2015. It will be interesting to see if the USA lifts the embargo that may result in a number of American classic cars ending up being imported back into the USA from Cuba.