Editing Transport in Cuba (section)

===Old American cars in Cuba===
{{further|Yank tank}}
Most new vehicles came to Cuba from the United States until the 1960 [[United States embargo against Cuba]] ended importation of both cars and their parts. As many as 60,000 American vehicles are in use,<ref>{{cite book|last1=Schweid|first1=Richard|title=Che's Chevrolet, Fidel's Oldsmobile : on the road in Cuba|date=2004|publisher=University of North Carolina Press|location=Chapel Hill|isbn=978-0807828922|page=9|edition=[Online-Ausg.].|ref=schweid}}</ref> nearly all in private hands. Of Cuba's vintage American cars, many have been modified with newer engines, disc brakes and other parts, often scavenged from Soviet cars, and most bear the marks of decades of use.<ref>Schweid, Richard. ''Che's Chevrolet, Fidel's Oldsmobile (On the Road in Cuba)''. Chapel Hill, London. University of North Carolina Press, 2004. {{ISBN|0-8078-2892-0}}  p.196</ref> Pre-1960 vehicles remain the property of their original owners and descendants, and can be sold to other Cubans providing the proper ''traspaso'' certificate is in place.

However, the old American cars on the road today have "relatively high inefficiencies" due in large part to the lack of modern technology.<ref>12. James P. Warren, Marcus P. Enoch, "Mobility, energy, and emissions in Cuba and Florida". ''Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment'' 11 (2006): 35.</ref> This resulted in increased fuel consumption as well as adding to the economic plight of their owners. With these inefficiencies, noticeable drop in travel occurred from an "average of nearly 3000 km/year in the mid-1980s to less than 800 km/year in 2000–2001".<ref>13. Warren and Enoch, "Mobility, energy, and emissions in Cuba and Florida", 35.</ref> As the Cuban people try to save as much money as possible, when traveling is done, the cars are usually loaded past the maximum allowable weight and travel on the decaying roads, resulting in even more abuse to the already under-maintained vehicles.<ref>14. Warren and Enoch, "Mobility, energy, and emissions in Cuba and Florida", 35.</ref>