Here is a bunch of snapshots I had restrained myself from sharing, for fear of turning CC into my own Cars of the Tropics site. Regardless, the time has come. And I think the images will provide CC readers with a favorite pastime: car spotting.
In the first image, a bunch of American goods are parked on what I believe is the UPR (University of Puerto Rico) campus. Most are GM products, with some Fords and Chryslers adding variety. At least one Renault Dauphine is visible, and a few VWs.
With Puerto Rico being a US territory, it was only natural most vehicles would be American-made. In photos, the island provides an alternate reality to Cuba’s 1950s roadways. Of course, Cuba’s eventual fame was keeping old American cars on the roads until today. Puerto Ricans, on the other hand, were making enough dollars to purchase Detroit’s newest offerings. By the time I arrived on the island in the late ’80s, most cars in these images – if not all – were long gone.
Besides the cars, the island’s changing conditions are noticeable in the images. Roads and housing were still precarious through a good part of the ’50s, and American money would transform Puerto Rico’s lifestyle during the ’50s -’60s. An investment mostly due to Cold War politics.
The above street -with the Ford in the foreground- could be almost anywhere on the island. The architecture is small-town typical, and on my return in ’87, the first street we lived in Mayaguez didn’t look too different from this (though by then, looking cleaner and with better infrastructure).
Like the US, Puerto Rico had a small share of imports. So, A few oddities appear here and there. There was one exception: The Beetle, which was becoming as ever-present as it was on the mainland.
A Pontiac (a ’52?) appears on a secondary road in Santurce. Dirt roads were to disappear soon, for the most part.
Once again, the UPR. Modernity was arriving on the island, and that ’56 Chevy is another sign of it.
This shot was taken in Ponce’s downtown, a rather picturesque city in the South of the island. The late ’60s Opel stands out the most in the image, as well as a Willys Jeep.
Last, I’ve no idea what’s up with this split-window Cadillac. Some Caddy expert might illuminate us on that particular. Bulletproof perhaps?
In any case, take a look and enjoy. We may have another tour around the island some other day.
That Cadillac has been bullet-proofed. I wonder who rode in it?
Nice selection of photos; a wide range of cars, tending towards both ends of the spectrum: low end and higher end. Which one would expect.
The 1960 model behind the 66 has been armored too with a very curious modification to the wrap around windshield.
My guess is that it belonged to the Governor.
The 1960 Cadillac in the rear was ordered by Gov. Luis Munoz Marin in 1961 – below is a close-up picture showing the windshield that Hardboiled mentions above. Seems reasonable that the Cadillac in Rich’s picture is the 1960 limo’s successor.
Maybe the governor was frighten by the attack on Nixon’s limo in 1958 in Caracas, Venezuela.
The hell Pat Nixon had to go thru as the wife of Tricky Dick.
More likely it was due to the revolts in Puerto Rico during the 1950s, many of which targeted politicians, so it seemed that Puerto Rico’s leadership had more safety concerns during that time than did other US politicians.
From what I can tell, Gov. Munoz Marin used an armored Packard limo during the 1950s, which was supplanted by the 1960 Cadillac. The car featured here was likely ordered by his successor.
True, wasn’t there an assignation attempt on Truman by Puerto Rican nationalists in the early 50’s?? Truman was OK, but a police officer and one of the attachers were killed during the incident.
Yes. The Puerto Rican Nationalist movement was (and is, since it still exists) understandably off the radar of most in the mainland US, but it was quite the issue for many years in Puerto Rico, and remains so to this day. It’s all part of the rather complex situation regarding Puerto Rico that most in the US can avoid thinking about, but that is very much connected to the things that we periodically hear about regarding the debt crisis in Puerto Rico and how to solve that. Puerto Rico exists in a situation that is not entirely happy for Puerto Rico or the US government, and the people of Puerto Rico are divided even in their own feelings as to what would ultimately be best to resolve this situation.
Luis Munoz Marin was the first governor of Puerto Rico and generally ran counter to the desires of the Nationalists. And yes, those were the folks who mounted an armed attack on Congress in DC in 1954. Marin imposed a law that made it illegal to promote Puerto Rican Nationalism or to dispute his authority. Hence, to many he was a dictator in the same mode as many of the US-sponsored/supported authoritarian regimes contemporary in Latin America and the Caribbean. He was able to remain in office as Governor for 16 years. During which time he was very much the target of the armed opposition…hence the armored limos.
Anyone who flies to or through Puerto Rico flies through the airport named after him.
Jeff, thanks for the detail on this!
I got back pretty late to commenting on this, but Jeff summed it up pretty nicely. Regarding the Puerto Rican Nationalist movement, yes, they had a knack for outlandish plots and attention-grabbing plans; the 1954 attack in the US Congress being the most known.
I love old snapshots of cars, wherever they may have been taken.
In that top photo I spy a couple of Ramblers in the top left corner. In the third shot, the car behind the telephone pole is a 41 Studebaker with its unique 2-tone paint treatment!
Nice tour! Thanks for the ride! The photo of downtown Ponce has a two-tone 1953 or 19454 Plymouth Plaza or Savoy. Two tone Savoy models are rather uncommon, but one never knows.
In the first photo, what is the swoopy finned coupe in the center, just to the right of the ’58 Chevy coupe? Mopar?
Looks to be a ’57 DeSoto.
I’d say Mopar, looks like a ’57 or ’58 Plymouth with ’57 DeSoto-like side trim (if that makes sense).
But … how are these cars parked in such a manner that at first looks chaotic but actually seems to have some logic to it in that no one is blocked.
I do not see parking space lines. Perhaps a skilled valet parking crew?
It might be a De Soto Diplomat, a Plymouth with front clip and side trimming from De Soto. Similar to the Dodge Kingsway, a Plymouth with Dodge decoration (also known as “Plodge”). Both were for export only and produced in Canada, I believe.
The photos are fascinating—I know so little about Puerto Rico—and the Library photo provided today’s lesson about German-born architect Henry Klumb. He did several years with Frank Lloyd Wright and then a postwar career of prominence in P.R., including many designs for the campus. Cool!
“PR” is a place I always thought would be nice to see.
It’s the Johnny Cash “One Piece at a Time” Cadillac !
Gotta be !
In the top photo, just below the dump trunk and parked behind the ’57 Chevy is a compact car. Looks European. Maybe British??
Looks like another two-tone 1961 Ford Consul Mk. II, the other of which was identified by Pete Wilding in a level-1 comment just below.
Fascinating photos, Rich. While the US cars are familiar to me, I found myself drawn to the others, like the early Mark 2 Ford Consul with the two-tone paint in the top pic (parked next to the ’61 Chevy). While US cars had been well-regarded in Australia, they grew too big and thirsty by the late fifties. I wonder how the Holden would have done in PR?
Thanks for this.
I spent 3 summer months in 1963 attending a UPR sponsored tropical forestry program. Half in Rio Piedras (where UPR is) and half at El Yunque National forest. So I may have been there when some of these photos were taken.
But none ring a bell.
I remember the glorious sunsets and the charms of Phosphorescent Bay.
MORE wonderful old photos ! .
#6 looks more like third world macadam than dirt .
I hope you have more to share .
-Nate
Very nice ’54 Olds 88 2-dr. hardtop in color photo.
Smooth, clean, fender-skirted, left rear quarter panel.
It’s a nice 1953 Pontiac Catalina with an equally nice 1953 Chevy Bel Air driving by in the opposite direction.
Been to PR many times, mostly on business matters. Compared to the mainland, the vehicle mix seems more auto centric, with fewer SUV’s and pickups. Asian imports predominate.
2 Ford Consuls in day at CC!