Slightly off-topic, but how Cubans skilfully care for their classic Plymouths, mFords, Buicks and Pontiacs may be a reminder for anyone dealing with heritage conservation. However, it is not necessarily out of love that the Cubans care for their cars, but of necessity. Will there now be an end to this conservation in practice?

Yes, it seems that President Raul Castro now has agreed to end the more than 50 year ban on buying and selling cars bought after the 1959 revolution.

As you can see below, I was, as everybody else, taken by the classic cars during a visit a couple of years ago. But though many Cubans may soon drive around in more modern vehicles, I gather that the classics are so important for the tourist industry that many will remain in the streets of Havana and at the countryside for another fair amount of time.

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