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Auténtica Harley-Davidsons
Based on its tank badge, panhead Duo-Glide is a 1960 model. "Auténtica Cuba" is the theme of a brilliant advertising campaign by Cuba's Tourism Ministry. You may have seen the billboards (unless,...
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Riding three up
I suspect it is as illegal in Cuba as it is elsewhere to have three people on a motorcycle (unless you have a sidecar), but you see it regularly. Fortunately, this Harley-Davidson Duo-Glide is a...
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Article 0
Raked flathead was the only full chopper at the rally.Want some road presence? Add a goat skull. Components represent several decades.
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A proud and happy crew
The venerable Latino Americanos MotociclistasAssociation is well represented in Cuba. The Harlistas are as convivial a group of bikers as you will ever encounter. They offer you a beer. They're...
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Latecomers
Not every Harley-Davidson rumbling around Cuba dates to the pre-revolution era. Several machines at the Harlistas rally were from more recent decades. How did they get to the island? Oh, probably by...
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Not every Harlistas rides a Harley
BSA tank badge looks like a one-off, and the tank itself appears to have been sourced from some later bike. Certainly the seat and front fender are replacements, and the oil cooler is an add-on. But...
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His chrome away from home
Mike Norgard and his Hydra-Glide: Cuban heritage with some Canadian shine. And not every Harlista is Cuban. Havana-based oil industry consultant Mike Norgard is a Canadian who came south to share the...
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Mountain of a motorcycle
The Ural: Three wheels on the ground, another as spare. While the Harleys drew admirers, this Ural 650 stood alone. Russian machinery gets scant respect in Cuba today. Yet to someone who hadn't run...
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The power of patina
Late 1940s flathead, on display at Harlistas rally in Varadero. "Patina" gets mentioned a lot these days. In its broadest sense, it's the visual evidence – faded and peeling paint, blossoming rust –...
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Article 4
Their name translates to "all mixed up," but members of To'Mezclao certainly seemed sure of themselves at the Harlistas gathering in Varadero. The popular group is known for a blend of styles, from...
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The quintessential old Harley
Mid-50s Harley has no saddle bags or other adornments to obscure its classic silhouette. Here's that Harley-Davidson from the last post, sans band members. It wasn't the oldest or rarest Harley at...
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Article 2
I know, I promised no more motorcycles for a bit. But at least it's not a Harley! I've come across a number of these Cushman scooters in Varadero. Must have been a dealer there, back in the 1940s...
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A day at the beach
Sunshine cruiser has lost a few grille teeth and some side chrome, but still looks smart. For 1953, the Bel Air was Chevrolet's new top-of-the-line model. Chevy built 24,000 Bel Air convertibles that...
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Caristas – a blog about the classic cars of Cuba
Forgive me for being obvious, but it appears that a certain arbiter of all things Internet has trouble categorizing this site unless its ever-roaming spiders are hit over their tiny robotic heads....
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Why stop at one big pipe?
When you can have two big pipes?Lada 2107 with a few custom touches.Of course, you can always skip the replacement pipes and go right to the swoopy-doopy spoiler.Lada 2101 with a whole bunch of custom...
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You KNOW you want to see more of that green Lada
\And who am I to deny you?While Canada, Britain and other nations got the export model Lada with four headlamps (and later, square headlamps), the two-headlight Russian domestic model was among Lada...
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Trading (car rides) with the enemy
A Dodge, or at least a Dodge-ish, in mid-rebuild in Havana. For the American car buff, it's a conundrum. One day, yes, relations between the U.S. and Cuba will improve to the point where any U.S....
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Square the wagons!
Most of this Chrysler is from the early 1950s, but greenhouse is more recent. From a quick gander, this could be a successor to the Chrysler PT Cruiser, maybe with some Chevy HHR tossed in. Same...
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Now that's awkward
Squint, and altered Studebaker looks a bit like a Vista Cruiser. Or not. As mentioned, not every Cuban station wagon conversion is a vehicle of beauty. This 1951 Studebaker Commander (though...
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Also awkward
Built for headroom and cargo space, but not for style. CARISTAS contributor Michael R. Roy photographed this rather rudely converted 1957 Dodge Custom Royal and its bemused-looking owner, who was...
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