The streets of Cuba resemble an open-air museum: here you can see American cars from the 1950s, Soviet \"Zhiguli,\" and only occasionally modern foreign cars. The situation with new cars on the island has remained extremely complex for over sixty years. The reasons for this lie in a complex of historical, political, and economic factors that have made the car a luxury for most Cubans. The American embargo - a historical barrier Before the 1959 revolution, Cuba was one of the leaders in Latin America in terms of the number of cars. In the 1950s, there were about 150,000 cars on the island, mainly American brands. However, after Fidel Castro came to power and the United States imposed a trade embargo in the early 1960s, the import of cars and parts practically came to a halt. The island found itself isolated, and the existing vehicle fleet had to be preserved by all available means. Cubans learned to repair old cars with makeshift tools, combining Soviet engines with American bodies. It was then that classic cars became a symbol of ingenuity and survival. Economic crisis and low income Cuba's economy was hit hard after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, which was the island's main economic partner. Cuba lost about 80-85% of oil and oil product supplies, as well as significant subsidies. The country entered the so-called \"Special Period\" - one of the most severe economic crises in its history. Today, the average salary in Cuba remains extremely low - approximately 10-30 dollars per month in real terms. At the same time, even after the recent relaxation of import rules, the cost of a new car starts at about 16,000 dollars, including all taxes and markups. This gap makes car ownership unaffordable for the vast majority of Cubans. Economists call the new import rules disconnected from reality, as only those who have hard currency will have access to them. Fuel shortage and dependence on imports In addition to the lack of new cars, the country faces a ... Read more