Cuba is perhaps the only country where classic American cars from the 1950s share the road with classic Eastern European cars on a daily basis. It's also the only country where, if a modern Geely clips your 1950s Cadillac, the traffic police are bound to arrive in a 1980s Lada. A nation frozen in time in more ways than one, it would be an understatement to say that Cuba has a diverse fleet of cars and trucks.

It is often the 1950s American cars that we hear about and see in the few news reports that we have access to, but the reality on the ground has changed dramatically over the past decade. There are plenty of European and South American companies doing business in Cuba. Those companies are allowed to bring their own cars and trucks, and there are also car rental agencies where tourists from just about everywhere except the U.S. can rent a modern car -- an MG, Geely or even an Audi -- to travel around the island.

The reality for Cuban citizens is much different, and despite the purported launch of new car sales earlier this year -- a tragic joke by the government by most accounts -- car ownership remains an unfulfilled dream for millions of Cubans.

The prospect of booking a flight and a hotel online in minutes in the reclusive island nation is still a few years away for most Americans, but tourists from other countries have had a chance to document the mix of fascinating machinery that fills Cuba's streets, painting an accurate picture of the mix of cars one is likely to see there. One of these travelers has shared his photos and experiences with us, and we've used them to put together this spotter's guide for fans or rare cars.

Chevrolet is said to be the most commonly encountered American marque in Cuba, and that means lots of Bel Airs. Ramon Rivera

Out of all the classic American iron in Cuba, Chevrolets are believed to hold a slight plurality over other American marques. That means there are plenty of Tri-Five Chevrolets to be seen (though there are reportedly very few examples in anything approaching stock condition). The second-generation models, produced for the 1955 through 1957 model years, appear to be in relative abundance, though like other 1950s American cars they've had one or two engine transplants in their lives. Their generous engine bay dimensions make them amenable to receiving just about any powerplant, though diesel engines have found their way into many examples. There are said to be a number of stock, or close to stock, examples in Cuba; they are in collector hands, not plodding the streets of Havana as taxis. The best examples are said to be hidden from view.

What are these doing in Cuba? Chevrolet was one of the most popular American marques in Cuba before the revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power.

Is it easy to spot one? It is, but marque purists might have a heart attack once they see what's under the hood of the average example.

Ease of retrofitting parts: Relatively easy... as long as the owner is not overly concerned about originality.

Just how are these still holding together? Wire and glue.

The 2141, which debuted in the late 1980s in Russia, can still be readily seen on Cuba's roads. Ramon Rivera

The Russian Moskvitch 2141 debuted in 1986. Replacing a line of cars dating back to the 1960s, it featured a modern liftback bodystyle cribbed from the Simca 1307 along with a relatively spacious and ergonomic cabin. Powered by engines ranging in displacement from 1.5-liters to 2.0-liters, the latter being a Renault-sourced unit for a deluxe model, the 2141 was a strong seller in Russia all the way into the mid-1990s when it started losing out to cheap imports like the Daewoo Espero. The 2141 had a propensity to rust, which is why it's hard to find a really tidy example in its home country.

What are these doing in Cuba? The 2141 started coming into the country in the late 1980s, when the USSR was still one of Cuba's largest trading partners. Descendants of the 2141 stayed in production through the early 2000s, so this model offers plenty of plug-and-play retrofitting potential with the later Svyatogor, Ivan Kalita, and Knyaz Vladimir models.

Is it easy to spot one? It's probably easier to spot one of these in Cuba than in Russia, as the 2141s didn't have the best long-term reliability and were viewed as disposable cars in their home country -- especially given the glut of used German cars that started pouring in just as the Soviet Union collapsed. Barring a sudden change in political landscape in Cuba, there will be more running 2141s in Havana than in Moscow in a few years.

Ease of retrofitting parts: Relatively low since they're not related to anything else on Cuban roads, but these are somewhat fresh cars by Cuban standards so there's little need to swap engines. At least for now.

Just how are these still holding together? Lack of salt on the roads, basically. Plus they're relatively recent, and are devoid of fancy-schmancy technology like automatic transmissions or central locking.

China designed the Emgrand nameplate with export markets in mind. Ramon Rivera

Geelys seem to make up a good chunk of government-owned cars in Cuba, and there are a number of different models to be seen in Havana. Emgrand is a luxury sub-brand, or at least it was intended as such when Geely launched it. After a few awkward years of Geely aping W203 Mercedes-Benz C-class design elements, it has settled into something exportable. The front-wheel drive EC7 is powered by 1.5-liter and 1.8-liter engines, and is even available with CVTs in some markets. Roughly the size of a Toyota Camry or Honda Accord, the EC7 retails in the low $10,000 range, which makes it popular in developing markets.

What are these doing in Cuba? They're rental cars and government cars.

Is it easy to spot one? These appear to be common all over Cuba, but they're obviously in a special category as there aren't too many in private ownership. These are government runabouts first and foremost.

Just how are these still holding together? Official parts support, that's how.

Ease of retrofitting parts: As these are officially imported, Geelys are one of the few cars with parts that can be ordered from the manufacturer.

The GAZ 2410 debuted in the 1980s as a heavy facelift of a car that first went on sale in 1970. Ramon Rivera

The GAZ 2410 debuted in 1985 and constituted a heavy facelift of the upscale GAZ 24 sedan, which entered production in Russia in 1967. Powered by straight-six engines, the 2410 was a popular taxi model in its home country -- it's tough to find one in private ownership in Russia. It stayed in production until 1992, when it was replaced by yet another heavy reworking of the 1970 GAZ 24 dubbed the 31029. These are big, plush sedans, and due to the sheer antiquity of their design, there isn't much that can go wrong in them. A lot of parts are interchangeable with the older GAZ 24 models which are also plentiful in Cuba, so virtually any variation of the GAZ 24 (whose latest versions left production just a few years ago) can be assembled via plug-and-play retrofitting.

What are these doing in Cuba? GAZ passenger cars were exported into Cuba starting in the late 1950s. For decades these were some of the most common modern full-size sedans that came into the country with any regularity.

Is it easy to spot one? We feel Cuba might already have more 2410s on the road than Russia currently has, given the relatively short production window for this model coupled with the fact that most were used as taxis --and were essentially driven into the ground in a matter of months in their home country.

Ease of retrofitting parts: Relatively high, since these will generally accept GAZ 24-family parts from 1970 all the way into 2005. Basic layout and generous space underhood and underneath means these will accept drivetrain transplants with ease.

Just how are these still holding together? 1960s Soviet engineering produced in the 1990s, by which time most of the bugs were worked out.

The Beijing BJ212 is a common staple of the Chinese military and police forces, and they've been exported in great numbers to Cuba. Ramon Rivera

One of the most common 4x4s in Cuba is the Beijing BJ212. Produced by Beijing Automotive Works since 1965, the BJ212 uses a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. The BJ212 is most closely related to early post-war Russian GAZ and UAZ 4x4s, even though its exterior tries to ape everything from the Land Rover Series I to the Toyota Land Cruiser, with a little Jeep thrown in for good measure. Hard-top, soft-top and pickup versions of the BJ212 have been produced.

What are these doing in Cuba? As these were made in huge numbers in China over several decades, plenty have found their way into Cuba and are currently used by the army and police, in addition to private owners (though that's rare).

Is it easy to spot one? These appear to be practically everywhere, and since they remain in production, new ones are imported en masse from time to time.

Ease of retrofitting parts: The Beijing 4x4s are imported by the government, so these actually enjoy official parts support.

Just how are these still holding together? New ones are being imported into the country.

The Ford Fairlane is still a common vehicle to see in Cuba, and all were brought into the country in the 1950s. Ramon Rivera

Ford sedans from the first half of the 1950s are among the most common classic American cars in Cuba, alongside Chevrolets and Mercurys. As 1958 was the last year of the Batista government, which ruled Cuba before the revolution swept Fidel Castro into power, 1958 is essentially the cutoff year for classic iron from North America. In other words, there are very few American cars in Cuba from 1959 and later years.

What are these doing in Cuba? These were on the roads before Castro took power.

Is it easy to spot one? Ford sedans and convertibles from the 1950s are virtually everywhere, as Cuba was a very prosperous country during most of those years.

Ease of retrofitting parts: Many 1950s cars are on their third or fourth engines and their fifth repaints. Parts are not so often exchanged for less worn ones, but are rather replaced by parts manufactured front scratch. There are entire foundries dedicated to refabricating needed parts by creating molds and casting them, mostly through the technique of lost wax casting. A lot of the gasoline V8s that powered American cars have since been replaced by diesel Mercedes-Benz units from the 1980s, borrowed from W123 and W201 cars, as gas engines with 1950s fuel economy figures are just prohibitively expensive to run.

Just how are these still holding together? By the incredible skills of their owners and parts fabricators alone.

The Argentinian Ford Falcon has been updated time and again from the original model. Ramon Rivera

No, this isn't just a bastardized Ford with Lada headlights. It's actually an Argentinian-market Ford Falcon, which, like the GAZ 24, has been facelifted into oblivion -- the old Falcon didn't leave production for decades in Argentina, and even had time to spawn pickup versions along the way. Produced from 1962 'til 1991, the Falcon started out as something familiar to us all but soon gained updated design details and eventually turned into something resembling a GAZ 3102. The interior received mild styling upgrades along the way, but the engines stayed the same for the most part. Falcon production began in knock-down kit form in Argentina, but they were soon being assembled there in their entirety.

What are these doing in Cuba? Relations between Cuba and South American countries have generally been warm and fuzzy, so it's not unusual to see market-specific Brazilian and Argentinian cars wearing Ford and Chevrolet badges.

Is it easy to spot one? Argentinian Ford Falcons appear to be a somewhat rarer variety of Fords, simply because they were always a one-country model that wasn't really exported, but by several accounts it's relatively easy to spot one after wandering Havana's streets.

Ease of retrofitting parts: Well, it's still a Ford Falcon even if it's not really from the U.S., and 1960s Ford tech is understood by just about every mechanic in Cuba.

Just how are these still holding together? Very basic engineering.

The Polski Fiat 126p has been brought into Cuba in great numbers. Ramon Rivera

By far the most common Polski Fiat model in Cuba is the tiny 126p, a licensed version of the Fiat 126 produced in Poland. The original 126p was never widely exported from Poland into other Socialist Bloc countries, but that didn't stop Cuba from gaining an impressive number of these starting in the 1970s. Powered by straight-two engine ranging in displacement from 594cc to a whopping 704cc, the 126p doesn't need a lot of gas or a lot of maintenance.

What are these doing in Cuba? 3.3 million of these were made between 1973 and 2000, forming the backbone of the private passenger car fleets of several Eastern Bloc states. Given their simple construction and thrifty engines, the "Maluch" has found plenty of fans in Cuba as well. The 126p remains one of the most affordable cars on the island, and its running costs remain low due to solid engineering and thrifty engines.

Is it easy to spot one? After the VAZ 2105, the Polski Fiat 126p is probably the most common Fiat derivative in the country. The 126p is a popular first car for many Cubans who are lucky enough to enjoy car ownership.

Ease of retrofitting parts: Pretty low, as there just aren't that many engines that will actually fit in the engine bay. Larger-displacement engines are easier to find in Cuba, so the 126p sometimes gets by on refurbished inline-fours.

Just how are these still holding together? Lack of too many moving parts.

VAZ cars of all ages have been brought into Cuba. Ramon Rivera

This Russian car from the 1980s appears to make up the backbone of Cuba's not-particularly-large fleet of private and state-owned cars. The 2105 debuted in 1979 as one of the updates of the 2101, which was a licensed version of the Fiat 124. The 2105 offered a more luxurious interior and an array of more powerful engines, ranging in displacement from 1.2- to 1.7-liters. At its core, the car is a throughly modernized Fiat 124, -- but thicker steel and some heavy-duty parts that have allowed it to persist on roads well past its 124 progenitor in virtually every country where it was exported.

What are these doing in Cuba? These were officially exported to Cuba from the USSR, alongside a couple other models like the 2104 and the 2107, the latter being a plusher version of the 2105.

Is it easy to spot one? This is perhaps the most common car to be seen on Cuba's roads.

Ease of retrofitting parts: There is tremendous potential for plug-and-play retrofitting with all 124-derived cars, and Cuba has everything from the initial VAZ 2101 all the way through the VAZ 2107, not counting any Fiat and SEAT versions.

Just how are these still holding together? 1960s Italian technology adapted for punishing roads by the VAZ factory.

The Peugeot 405 is a relatively common sedan in Cuba. Ramon Rivera

The Peugeot 405 is one of just a handful of western cars from the 1980s and the 1990s that Cuba has received. If you've been to Europe or Central or South America, you know that the Peugeot 405 was a much bigger deal in those regions than in the U.S.; there are still hundreds of thousands of them on the road around the world. Aside from modern rentals -- Skodas and Renaults that have been thrashed by foreign tourists -- a Peugeot 405 is the next best thing to a fully modern car in Cuba on the used car market, though we won't count on air conditioning working well in these. The 405 is a bit of a special case when it comes to Cuba, as there aren't any contemporary models from this French marque like the 205, 406, 505, 504, 604 or 605 to be found there.

What are these doing in Cuba? They were imported in the 1990s.

Is it easy to spot one? Yes, they appear to be very common.

Ease of retrofitting parts: Many are still on their original or rebuilt engines, and we'd rather not imagine what it takes to fit a completely foreign drivetrain into one of these. Fitting a stock engine and transmission is complex enough as it is.

Just how are these still holding together? We've heard that most are still on their original engines, as they just haven't gotten old enough to fall apart.

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