Brenda Priddy, the spy photographer who first gained notoriety by sharing pictures she took of a highly camouflaged 1995 Mustang for Automobile magazine, has gone public. Her mission: to make American car enthusiasts aware of Cuba’s rich car culture. Priddy, who first visited Cuba on a NPR tour in 2013, has become the country’s newest ambassador, hosting automotive tours that include Havana’s National Car Museum, its top restoration shop, and private collections.
“You always see pictures of Cuba with 1950s cars on the roads,” she said. “It’s a photographer and hobbyist’s paradise. I had always wanted to go to Cuba to see the old cars but I thought it was against the law. It was so high on my bucket list that I thought it might be the one law I would intentionally break.”
Priddy’s tours, the next of which is scheduled for May 15-21, come under the umbrella of “people-to-people cultural exchanges that are licensed by the US government.” In addition to seeing cars, Priddy and her fellow tourists are ambassadors of kindness, bringing residents of schools and senior centers much needed supplies.
Because the average Cuban citizen earns about $20 per month, most of the cars are unrestored but well preserved. Only about 10 percent of the people in Cuba drive, so cars are handed down from generation-to-generation with great pride.
“Restoring cars is more expensive in Cuba because supplies are unavailable,” Priddy explained. “NostalgiaCar does professional restorations similar to what we see here in the states but private owners will paint their cars with brushes. Visitors coming from the US bring the paint they need over in small jars.”
Cars are often restored using donor cars, she explained. It’s not unusual for the car owner to swap out the original engine for a newer one, and to make the car bigger by lengthening the chassis. Since taxi drivers make good tip money, driving a taxi is one of Cuba’s most lucrative professions. Adding inches to a car’s wheelbase makes it a better limousine.
While many of the cars are classic Detroit iron, there are Canadian, European, and South American vehicles as well. Priddy says that Volkswagens and Peugots are especially popular. Restored MGs are used as rentals for European tourists. Visitors who prefer late model cabs to the vintage restored cars ride in Hyundais.
Priddy’s photographs reflect the warmth of the Cuban citizens that never ceases to surprise her.
We had gone on a tour of a cigar factory and weren’t allowed to bring bags inside so I gave some money to a friend to hold onto for me. After exiting the bus, I decided to go out for the afternoon to photograph cars. A major storm came through, flooding the streets. I realized that I didn’t have any money to take a cab back to the hotel. A cab driver saw me standing under a shelter and offered to drive me for free. Two days later I went back and found him. I had brought 20 pesos, which is more than what cab drivers usually make. He refused to take my money, insisting that what he had done was his gift to me.
Priddy admits that she doesn’t speak Spanish but says “a smile goes a long way in Havana.”
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