Crankshaft Magazine #7

[Walt G]

Craig

WOW, I thought all would have had issue 7 by now. Amazing how the USPS works at "speed"??  sometimes.

I am working on a story for issue # 8 at this moment, hope to see it done, typed, saved, images scanned, resized, saved etc etc. by early next week and in to Richard .  It takes more then just writing the story - especially if the topic is somewhat "different" and requires thought about where to find the information and images in period material. I don't assume something /anything happened I have to see proof it did from a pre WWII source and some are now a century ago time wise . But it is worth the time to present a good accurate story to all of you. thanks for your patience.

Happy New Year to All.

Walt

[TG57Roadmaster]

On 1/3/2024 at 8:22 AM, 8E45E said:

I was too young to remember a pre-Castro economic system in that country, but I did hear many talk about vacationing there at one time, free to roam Havana and other parts of the island; and not being limited to vacationing within certain designated tourist resorts once Castro took office.

Craig, 

 

You'll enjoy the entire issue, I'm sure! As for travel around Havana and the rest of the country, you're not restricted except for a few areas - government or military buildings, for example. I've only been shooed away once - trying to take a shortcut, I unknowingly entered the grounds of a government building on the Plaza de la Revolución. As with anywhere post-9/11, if you walk into a building where you're not supposed to be, there's usually a security guard to tell you no. Only Americans are prohibited from staying in  the large hotels and beach resorts owned by the government, which suits me fine - I'd much rather stay in a casa particular in a private room (with bath and shower) for $25/night. You meet real people that way. I stay in the green casa particular (on the right) facing the Universidad de La Habana in the section called Vedado.

 

 

TG

[8E45E]

15 hours ago, TG57Roadmaster said:

Craig, 

 

You'll enjoy the entire issue, I'm sure! As for travel around Havana and the rest of the country, you're not restricted except for a few areas - government or military buildings, for example. I've only been shooed away once - trying to take a shortcut, I unknowingly entered the grounds of a government building on the Plaza de la Revolución. As with anywhere post-9/11, if you walk into a building where you're not supposed to be, there's usually a security guard to tell you no. Only Americans are prohibited from staying in  the large hotels and beach resorts owned by the government, which suits me fine - I'd much rather stay in a casa particular in a private room (with bath and shower) for $25/night. You meet real people that way. I stay in the green casa particular (on the right) facing the Universidad de La Habana in the section called Vedado.

It appears the breakdown of the Soviet empire also affected Cuba, but a few years later.  Tourists in the Soviet Union were very restricted in where they could visit, take pictures of, and were not allowed to 'mingle' with the locals.  I believe Cuba also had the same rules for tourists in the 1970's as well.   

 

Are US citizens still officially banned from traveling to Cuba?  Or has that law now been repealed?   As I recall, at one time, unless one was employed as a journalist and received a permit, a visitor had to travel to Canada first before flying to Cuba.

 

Craig

[TG57Roadmaster]

7 hours ago, 8E45E said:

Are US citizens still officially banned from traveling to Cuba?  Or has that law now been repealed?   As I recall, at one time, unless one was employed as a journalist and received a permit, a visitor had to travel to Canada first before flying to Cuba.

Craig,

 

The whole world has been travelling to Cuba (even during the Russian era, but it was ill-advised, restrictive and difficult) - their 1990 departure led to an economic chaos called the Special Period, and the regime began encouraging tourism from Canada, Europe, South America, Asia, etc. Canadians have been going there since the '70's, and the music of the Buena Vista Social Club (and others) really opened it up in the '90's. 

 

Americans can freely travel there under one of 12 OFAC official categories of travel - and have been able to do so since at least 2016. All we have to do is prepare a loose itinerary of daily activities, stay in private homes (casas particulares) and dine in private restaurants (paladares). Most go under Support for the Cuban People but the activities you can do are typical - visit musems, art galleries, historic sites and cigar factories, take cooking, salsa and other dance lessons, do theater, opera or live performances, cruise around in vintage cars, etc., - all these activities support the people. Staying at the large, government-owned beach resorts and hotels is forbidden, and understandably so. It's an odd and bewildering set up, because the activities are touristic, but you can't go as a "tourist" and swill Mojitos at the beach. The previous administration added restrictions, some of which have been lifted, but the American public perceived it as an outright travel ban, which it was not. 

 

I go as a journalist, researching a book project (writing about the subject and giving seminars in the interim) on their auto history, and no one on my return has ever asked to see an itinerary. Given that it's Cuba it would be hard to follow, anyway. We learned nada in school about the country, and on each trip I learn more about its auto history, people, culture, archictecture and more - a fascinating subject that is a pleasure to share. Just after the 2024 AACA Annual Convention I'll make my 17th trip (since 2016) and look forward to making new discoveries - it's an area of study that few here know much about.

 

You buy an airline ticket, choose the category of travel and get your visa (no Embassy contact required) at the departing airport. It's really pretty simple but, bear in mind that no US credit or debit cards work there and you need cash for everything. Many casas are on Air BnB or other booking sites and you can prepay those - plan on $100 per day as a comfortable cushion.

 

Here are the OFAC travel categories...

https://cu.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/local-resources-of-u-s-citizens/traveling-to-cuba/

 

I wanted to get this down for others, so sorry for the mini manifesto - thanks for asking the question.

 

TG

 

 

 

 

[Walt G]

Tom

Thanks so much for the explanation/education about Cuba. It makes all of us appreciate and understand that culture, country etc so much better when we can read it as seen ( so many times) by "one of us".  I know we have had emails about cars in Europe, Cuba etc. but most reading this do not know that there was a very active automobile club in Cuba pre WWII era. Luxury cars had their own showrooms, as did a significant number of other makes and levels of cost. Cuba is so close to the USA the transportation of new cars there was significantly less then transporting them to Europe. Your comments here and the super story you did for Crankshaft magazine opens up another world for all of us. Thank you.

Walt

[TG57Roadmaster]

Walt,

 

Thanks (again) for your encouraging words, they are greatly appreciated. Check out this dealership list in the April 1927 issue of El Automóvil de Cuba, the most popular car magazine there - I know you have some issues of that publication (in fact, your article linked below was the first I found when I began this quest back in 2015). It's not by any means a complete listing but, as you noted, we see European and American marques of all price classes that were mostly clustered in Old and Central Havana, though some had already moved to the growing and wealthy areas outside the city center.

 

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/el-automovil-de-cuba

 

 

Just as here and elsewhere, as the city grew and the population moved to suburbs the dealers moved with them, though one holdout, J. Ulloa & Cía. maintained a showroom on the Paseo de Martí, aka the Prado. After moving the Packard deal out to Rancho Boyeros around 1955, they kept the Prado store and sold Volkswagens and Porsches there. Just left of center we see the Packard sign at #3-5 Prado - Ulloa later bought the 3-storey Hotel Biscuit next door, renamed it the Hotel Packard and used Packard script on its letterhead and a Packard grille shell (with Packard script) on luggage labels!

 

 

After years of neglect and disuse a new, luxurious Hotel Packard was built using the facade of the original (the building to its left was demolished about 1930) that has amazing views of the Castillo del Morro and harbor entrance. We can have drinks in the bar of the new Hotel Packard (Iberostar Grand Hotel Packard), but can't stay there. 

 

 

And so it goes...thanks for the inspiration and your friendship.

 

TG

Edited January 6 by TG57Roadmaster (see edit history)

[Walt G]

Tom

This is fantastic to see and read. FINALLY some great information/history as well as recognition to a location/city so steeped in automotive heritage yet never ever talked about because so many think that the entire locale is OFF LIMITS - DANGEROUS etc etc. The vehicle history in Cuba was "fast and furious" pre war , just so many Americans and American companies doing business, vacations, etc there.  Way to  much ignored and forgotten, but some of us always held forth to seek and know what it was like then ..................

Inspiration and friendship has always been what life is all about to me, I am only passing on what was passed on to me. I don't know how to be anything else, as a popular sailor  once stated " I yam what I yam".

Walt

 

[8E45E]

On 1/5/2024 at 3:55 PM, TG57Roadmaster said:

The whole world has been travelling to Cuba (even during the Russian era, but it was ill-advised, restrictive and difficult) - their 1990 departure led to an economic chaos called the Special Period, and the regime began encouraging tourism from Canada, Europe, South America, Asia, etc. Canadians have been going there since the '70's, and the music of the Buena Vista Social Club (and others) really opened it up in the '90's. 

 

Americans can freely travel there under one of 12 OFAC official categories of travel - and have been able to do so since at least 2016. All we have to do is prepare a loose itinerary of daily activities, stay in private homes (casas particulares) and dine in private restaurants (paladares). Most go under Support for the Cuban People but the activities you can do are typical - visit musems, art galleries, historic sites and cigar factories, take cooking, salsa and other dance lessons, do theater, opera or live performances, cruise around in vintage cars, etc., - all these activities support the people. Staying at the large, government-owned beach resorts and hotels is forbidden, and understandably so. It's an odd and bewildering set up, because the activities are touristic, but you can't go as a "tourist" and swill Mojitos at the beach. The previous administration added restrictions, some of which have been lifted, but the American public perceived it as an outright travel ban, which it was not. 

 

I go as a journalist, researching a book project (writing about the subject and giving seminars in the interim) on their auto history, and no one on my return has ever asked to see an itinerary. Given that it's Cuba it would be hard to follow, anyway. We learned nada in school about the country, and on each trip I learn more about its auto history, people, culture, archictecture and more - a fascinating subject that is a pleasure to share. Just after the 2024 AACA Annual Convention I'll make my 17th trip (since 2016) and look forward to making new discoveries - it's an area of study that few here know much about.

 

I wanted to get this down for others, so sorry for the mini manifesto - thanks for asking the question.

Thanks for the clarification, as for travel in Cuba for residents who are from the United States.

 

Attached is the Canadian government's tourist advisory to Cuba: Travel advice and advisories for Cuba

 

Now I just hope to see a two-street where the locals who live in Cuba can have free access to our swap meets like Hershey, etc., and restore some of these rolling 1950's American cars back to original.  It appears a ton of the original Mid-Century Modern architecture is still intact.

 

Craig

 

 

[TG57Roadmaster]

2 hours ago, 8E45E said:

Attached is the Canadian government's tourist advisory to Cuba

Craig,

 

The tourist advisory sounds like what's used for just about all Caribbean or Asian countries - any travel for that matter. Use caution, be aware and vigilant, don't be stupid and get taken advantage of. I recall similar gloom and doom warnings when travelling to Thailand and the DR on vintage car business. Knock on wood, nothing bad has happened before and I find Cuba the safest place I've ever been, though I am cautious and don't let my guard down. Our casa is like a second home and it would be unthinkable for anything bad to happen there. Thanks for sharing that info though, it's good to be reminded.

 

The young director of El Garaje, Havana's old car museum is a good friend and will be in Miami for four months taking an English-language course, although he's great at it now. I'll get him up to the April 2024 AACA dual National and Grand National shows, held during Charlotte AutoFair, so he can get a taste of a large swap meet and restored American iron. We'll have the AACA Zenith cars there, too, so he'll see the best the AACA has to offer and, happily, he soaks stuff up like a sponge.

 

TG

[TerryB]

Yesterday my son sent me these photos of an envelope he found at a flea market in Cupertino CA that was from 1937 and came from Cuba.  It was being sent to GMAC, the finance arm of General Motors. He didn’t know about Cuba being such a place for people with money and the sugar industry that provided it.  Might be of interest to this discussion.

 

[TG57Roadmaster]

8 hours ago, TerryB said:

Yesterday my son sent me these photos of an envelope he found at a flea market in Cupertino CA that was from 1937 and came from Cuba.  It was being sent to GMAC, the finance arm of General Motors. He didn’t know about Cuba being such a place for people with money and the sugar industry that provided it.  Might be of interest to this discussion.

 

Wow, what a great find, full of information! Likely a payment envelope, the sender lived in the Edificio López Serrano, a 1932 Art Deco landmark in tony Vedado that was Cuba's tallest residential building until 1956. Seen here at left in a 1944 US Army Reconaissance photo, the López Serrano's lobby and exterior retains its original design.

 

 

Lawrence B. Ross was Cuba's GM distributor at the time - a New Yorker and one of the earliest Americans in the Cuban auto business, he made a fortune selling Model T's before switching to GM, selling all brands, and was known (and popular) for giving lavish banquets at the Oriental Park Jockey Club. 

 

 

Thanks for sharing that Terry, and tell your son he scored a great little piece of history. I'd have snapped it up in a New York Minute!

 

TG