Chinese Cars are Becoming Increasingly Popular
In the past, Cuba was famous for its streets full of vintage American cars produced before 1960. The reason is that the Cuban government banned its citizens from buying new cars produced after 1960. Therefore, vintage Pontiacs, Buicks, Chevrolets, and Cadillacs have long been associated with the lives of the Cuban people. In addition, the relationship between the Communist Party of Cuba and the former Soviet Union also meant a large number of Lada cars from Russia on the streets. The Lada cars from the 1970s and 1980s are even more numerous than the vintage American cars.
Recently, US President Barack Obama announced the normalization of relations with Cuba. This will gradually lead to US goods flooding the Cuban market. However, when it comes to the automotive industry, no car brand from any other country has penetrated the Cuban market earlier than China.
In January 2014, the Cuban government lifted the ban on buying new cars produced after 1960. However, Cuban people do not have many options when it comes to buying cars because European and American cars are too expensive. Therefore, Chinese and Korean cars with relatively low prices have a big advantage in Cuba.
A new car on the streets of Cuba.
Currently, the people of Havana are getting used to the sight of new cars from Asia, such as the Geely CK from China or Kia produced by Korea. According to the Global Times website, up to now, there have been 10,000 Geely cars arrived in Cuba because state officials were allowed to import cars before the ban was lifted. In addition, the number of imported Kia, Peugeot, and other brands in Cuba is only half of the sales volume of Geely cars in Havana.
Cars are still out of reach
Renowned for their low prices, Asian cars are still out of reach for many ordinary people in Cuba. Compared to the USD, the Peso has a very low exchange rate, so new cars, even though they are extremely cheap abroad, are still expensive in Cuba. A new car worth about 20,000 Peso in the US or Europe could be sold for 80,000 Peso in Cuba.
“New cars are very expensive and out of reach for many people. Trade in goods in Cuba is heavily taxed,” affirmed Diego Moya-Ocampos, a Cuba analyst at research firm HIS. “The Cuban government is trying to invest in public transportation with revenue from the automotive industry. 75% of revenue and taxes from cars will be invested in public transportation. That’s why cars in Cuba are so expensive.”
Therefore, it is not surprising that Reuters asserted that in the first 6 months of 2014, only 50 cars and 4 motorcycles found new owners in Cuba. In addition, there are only 11 car dealerships in the country. 4 of them are currently located in the capital, Havana.
Vintage American Cars Continue to Exist
Mauricio Alonso, a small business owner in Cuba, claimed that the “Cold War between Cuba and the US has finally ended.” However, that does not mean the end of the days of vintage American cars in Cuba.
“Some vintage cars are still used as taxis in Cuba. They are quite dangerous and pollute the environment. The Cuban government wants taxis in Cuba to meet higher safety and emission standards. However, it takes time and money to replace the vintage cars in Cuba. Many vintage cars are still intact and attract tourists,” said Alonso.
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