From Radio Cadena Agramonte

For Jacinto Jaime García his 1922 Ford Model T is something more than a vintage car; it is much more personal than his own name since this car has belonged to the patrimony of the family for many years, once his father drove it home in 1944.

There isn’t any crack nor fault on the car that Jaime doesn’t recognize. Mechanic and lathe operator, Jaime García is like the personal doctor of his own car, that he maintains and cares like a jewel from India.

Painted in red and without having suffered from significant changes, this Model T is conserved practically identical to those millions of Model T cars that left Henry Ford’s assembly lines some 80 years ago from Míchigan, U.S. and represented almost half of all the cars rolling through the roads of the world in that time.

“Everything you see on this car is original, except the horne and tires”- assures the owner of this 1922 Ford who snared the Special Award at the Contest of Classic Cars and Motorcycles, attraction that takes place for the first time in the Camagueyan festivities honouring Saint John.

People of cheerful and creative spirit

A town prolific in legends and traditions, Camagüey offers a blow of fresh air to its oldest and more massive feast with a parade of classic cars and bikes that though doesn’t have the luxury and the pomp of those 18th century rides in which volantes and decorated horses participated, it does convey the cheerful and creative spirit of this people.

Amid shortages caused by a four decade rough commercial and financial blockade led by the US government against the Island that nowadays becomes toughest due to the recently dictated measures, the country has been refused to access the US market including spare parts of many brands of cars and motorcycles.

But such an obstacle has not impeded that the lovers of vintage and classic automobiles conserve and show them with satisfaction and pride.

Celia Cardoso Muñoz and her 1955 FordWe have the case of Celia Cardoso Muñoz, who lives in Altagracia, Camagüey. Out of a total of 25 automobiles, this lady drove a very original sedan to which the jury granted the First Award in the category of Classic Cars. “My car is a 1955 Ford Fairlane”, tells us the lady that has driven it for 34 years.

“As you can see it has the original engine and although logically it is not have the same painting, it does keep the two tones blue and white”, Cardoso Muñoz adds.

A very heterogeneous jury made up by people that in a way or another have contributed to the carnivals in Camagüey, advised by specialists of the Ministry of the Transport, based their criteria on diverse parameters to grant the prizes, for instance the classicism of the brands and models, the originality of their production and conservation.

Two wheels relics

Together with the “almendrones”, as the popular voice recently has called these old cars manufactured particularly before 1960; classic bikes, bici-taxis and horse drawn carriages paraded along the main streets of Camaguey such as Avenue of The Martyrs, República, “Ignacio Agramonte”, “Cisneros “, the Central Highway and others.

In the unusual parade, the curious and un-slept eyes of those who the previous night danced with the congas Los Comandos, Los Retoños or La Farola; could appreciate the multicoloured ride of old motorcycles, including the BSAs, Harley Davidson, Max, 125 cc CZ, or the Whizzers moped.

The jury recognized a classic bike from United Kingdom, a BSA made in 1956, owned by Oscar Arango who said that he bought it second hand to a resident of the municipality of Minas seven years ago.

The winning BSA, “still with the original painting,” as Arango assures, is characterized by its low fuel consumption, and although it is not a racing bike it has a sober displacement and roars elegantly, since it has a four times, 250 cc engine.

Although the young Yanco Pérez, also a 1953 BSA owner, knows that there is no so many vintage or classic motorcycles in the province, he would want to make a club of bike fonds.

Another youth man handles a 125 cc CZ (made in 1963 or1965). He is about to leave; his motorcycle didn’t win this time, but he is sure that he drives one of the noblest and most durable copies that the industry in Eastern Europe created in the 20th century.

Eliseo Rodríguez, an old “San Juan” festivity organizer and one of the main promoters of this event, also participates in this parade with his Whizzers, a moped that is able to reach speeds of 50 km/h.

This parade of old cars and bikes accompanied by the carriages and of the so-called bici-taxis, which is the most useful alternative urban transport mean in the City of the Tinajones, is a very smart initiative and it is a continuity of an old tradition in these low lands of Camagüey….