We've known of one functioning Chevrolet Corvette in Cuba – a 1959 survivor seen regularly on the streets of Havana. Check out photos of it here and here.
Now another Corvette has surfaced. And this one, a '54 from just the second production year for Chevy's fibreglass two-seater, is even rarer. Only 3,640 Corvettes were built for that model year, compared with 9,670 for 1959.
Who first owned the '54 in Cuba, and whether it arrived on the island as a new car or used, is unknown – a sweet mystery for someone to untangle.
We do know who owns it now: the artist Esterio Segura, who has earned regard for his provocative paintings and installation pieces, some of them automotive-themed.
The photos you see here were supplied by Rob Simons, a San Antonio, Texas, businessman who visited Cuba in 2011 on a trip organized by the Entrepreneurs' Organization. Simons met Segura on a tour of Cuban artists' studios and had a close look at the Corvette, which he describes as "in good shape, not great, but really nice for Cuba."
The artist, he reports, was "very nice and accommodating," even treating a member of the tour group to a ride in the sports car.
The Corvette remains original, say Rob, who notes, "I knew it was a '54 because it had the six-cylinder engine." Chevy's sports car wouldn't get a V-8 until 1955.
Segura's black 'Vette would make a fine counterpoint to that red-and-white '59, should the two ever cross paths in Havana.
Of course, long-time CARISTAS readers know that somewhere in Cuba hides one more Corvette. We don't know its whereabouts, but we do know who once owned it.
Photos by Rob Simons, who travelled to Cuba with the Entrepreneurs' Organization. Used by permission.
