AUTOS CARS CUSTOM

found on http://caristas.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-gullwing-watch-it-and-weep.html

for a full article on it: http://caristas.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-young-man-and-300sl.html

 awaiting that dream day when it will emerge better than new, this man's trophies are a Hispano-Suiza race car, a Fiat Abarth 750 Zagato "Double Bubble" coupe, even a Chrysler Special by Ghia show car.
   And, of course, that Gullwing,  a Mercedes-Benz 300SL, engine-less, rust creeping up its sides, lies beached amidst debris in a yard near Havana.
   In the photos Miguel took of that very car in Nov 2012, the rust has spread everywhere: door sills, window frames, the roof. Worse, the car bends up at either end, its trademark doors jammed open. Because it was transported and stored poorly, Miguel writes at This European Life, "it's almost broken in half."
and I just learned... there is a car museum in Havana.. the Depósito del Automóvil http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dep%C3%B3sito_del_Autom%C3%B3vil
and inside it are :

1905 Cadillac
 1926 Rolls-Royce Phantom I
1953 MG TD
 1920s Fiat Alfa Romeo roadster
1970s Daimler
1980s Chevy replica of a 1957 Maserati used by Juan Manuel Fangio
 Cadillac V16 1930
 1959 Oldsmobile, owned by Commander Camilo Cienfuegos
 1918 Ford T
1930 Baby Lincoln
funeral carriage
1977 Ducati 900SS owned by Fidel Castro
1915 Mack AC. Chain drive







the personal cars of Fidel and Raul Castro, as well as the Chevrolet Impala of Che Guevara, Mr. Maestre said he would like to secure what is perhaps Cuba's most important car: Ernest Hemingway's Chrysler.

The best online photo gallery is http://www.flickr.com/photos/riveranotario/sets/72157633360600664/with/8683984605/

Eduardo Mesejo Maestre, curator of the Depósito del Automóvil, the country’s official antique car museum arranged Treasury Department permission for Tom Cotter to travel directly to Havana from Miami on cultural exchange visas. Call it spark plug diplomacy.



Depósito del Automóvil is at Oficios No. 13, Habana Vieja, C.P. 10100, La Habana, Cuba. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/03/automobiles/03cuba.html?_r=0

Steve McQueen? maybe. Thin white walls on a Cobra? Yup




all found on http://megadeluxe.com

this video was a good look at the 1990's running of the race, and it included clips from the 1950's and 60's to show the history of the race. It did a good job of explaining what brought the race to being, and how it's changed. One of the most unusual cars that has been in the race is the above, which I think is a Cadillac with an airplane greenhouse mated to the top instead of the cars windows, A and C pillars, and roof

it appears in the video at minute 56 and 50 seconds , and 57 and 10 seconds

from artist Renaud Marion http://www.renaudmarion.com/ and found because Pete is cool enough to share with us!

Source: http://laughingsquid.com/air-drive-photo-series-of-old-cars-transformed-into-flying-cars/