There are two countries that are paradise to lovers of vintage cars. The most well known being Cuba where a large proportion of the cars on the roads are classic cars from the 1950s.
Cuba’s “love” for vintage cars was forced on them when President Fidel Castro banned the importation of foreign cars in 1959, and since then the island’s drivers have been stuck with whatever vehicles they owned. Their dependence on what they had was proliferated by trade embargoes imposed mainly by the USA. Cuba’s ban has been relaxed since Fidel retired, with new, often previously-owned cars now arriving in the country, mainly from China.
The ups and the downs of Uruguay’s economic welfare forced families to be stuck in the past as proud owners of much-beloved vintage cars.
Let us fly 7,000 km southeast of Havana to Uruguay, the second smallest country in South America and the third least poor on the continent. All over this small country, you will find many vintage cars, and the reason is very different than in Cuba.
During the 1940s and 50’s the people of Uruguay became prosperous due to their exports of wool and beef, and with much disposable income, they imported many cars from Europe and the United States. However, a lengthy economic downturn brought their fortunes to a halt by the late ’50s, and since then they have been forced to keep, and maintain, whatever vehicles they had. After many years the Uruguayans realized that they prefer old sturdy cars!
I found them. Many of them! Ford, Chevy, Plymouth, Studebaker, Opel, Austin, DKW’s, tiny Fiats, and even horse carts!
Getting there
I took a ferry from Buenos Aires, Argentina, to the small town of Colonia Del Sacramento in Uruguay, and then drove 80 km northwest to Carmelo, to check out the cars on the roads.
Let me describe a few of the most beautiful cars I found. Please note that not all info is 100% accurate, but I made much effort to get it as correct as possible with the limited information available. If you find any of my facts are wrong, please let me know.
Table of Contents
Ford’s “Model A” pickup truck (1930)
This Ford pickup truck is part of Ford’s successful line of Model A’s. Several revamped 1930 pickup truck roadsters (not in the photos below) have won awards as “America’s Most Beautiful Roadster” (AMBR), an award was given by the Grand National Roadster Show since 1950.
1930 Ford “Model A” Pickup Truck 1930 Ford “Model A” Pickup Truck 1930 Ford “Model A” Pickup Truck
Ford Deluxe (Late 1940’s)
After the war, the 1946/7 Ford Deluxe accounted for much of the company’s sales! According to Wikipedia, in the 1984 film The Karate Kid, Mr Miyagi gives Daniel Larusso a cream-coloured 1947 Ford Super DeLuxe (the convertible version) as a birthday gift. The car was actually a gift to Ralph Macchio from the film’s producer. To this day, Macchio still owns the car.
Studebaker Pickup Truck (1950’s)
Founded in 1852 in Indiana, USA, the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company (5 brothers having 5 sisters) established a reputation for quality and reliability. Their pickup trucks were solid as the one in the photo can testify!
Opel Olympia Sedan (1950 – 1953)
Produced by the German automaker Opel, the 2-door “Cabrio-Limousine” sold in very small numbers. By July 1956 the 2-door limousine was withdrawn due to low sales. The few survivors are much prized by enthusiasts and collectors half a century later! In the photos below is the sedan model.
Opel Olympia sedan Opel Olympia sedan
1948 Ford Prefect Saloon
Produced by Ford in the United Kingdom between 1938 and 1961, years later the car became a popular basis for a hot rod, especially in Britain due to its lightweight structure and four-cylinder engines.
Chevrolet Ak Series (1941-47)
The Chevrolet AK Series light truck production was from 1941 until 1947 when it was replaced with the Advance-Design, Chevrolet’s first major redesign post-World War II which was advertised as bigger, stronger, and sleeker than the AK series.
Chevrolet Ak Series (1941-47) Chevrolet Ak Series (1941-47)
Ford Pickup Truck (1950’s)
This 1956 Ford truck used to have red-rim wheels with white edge 15-inch tyres. At the time it was one of the coolest pickup trucks in town!
Ford Pickup Truck (1930’s)
Manufactured during the post-Depression years of the 1930’s, the Ford Motor Company proved its ability to adapt to tough times. These solid-made trucks helped Ford to survive the next few decades. The deluxe trim on these trucks included a stainless-steel radiator and a chromed spare-tyre cover, which has been removed on this one in the photo.
1929 Ford Model A Town Sedan
Ford’s Model A replaced the 18-year reign of the successful Model T. The “A” was built between 1927 and 1931 and became hugely successful. A total of 4,858,644 have been made in all body styles. Its successor was Model B.
Fiat 600
Made in Turin by the Italian manufacturer Fiat from 1955 to 1969, it measured only 3.22 m long and was the first rear-engined Fiat. A total of 2,695,197 cars were manufactured and it was popular in Spain and Italy. It was nicknamed Fitito, meaning small Fiat.
And that’s it… all I have for now. If you see any wrong facts, please let me know.
Thanks for the input by Geoff to correct the information about the Ford “Model A” pickup truck, the Ford Deluxe, and the Opel Olympia.
Blog post and photos by Peter who has been travelling almost full-time since 2005 and has been to over 122 countries. He visited several countries, such as Japan, more than 20 times. Peter is Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of GlobeRovers Magazine, an independent travel magazine focused on intrepid destinations.