Margaret

This is Margaret, our 1959 Chevrolet Impala. Original straight-6 235 ci engine with original manual transmission.

Margaret is our third car. We purchased her in 2013, in Artemisa province. She was painted in (faded) cream color. All four tires popped on the way home (a tow truck covered the last kilometers). Buying this car was the cause of serious friction in our marriage - it was totally above our budget, but Julio managed a very good deal and Nidialys finally gave in.

The handbook of this Chevrolet showed an original black color, so we adhered to our rules and we painted her shiny black. We named her Margaret after a special person.

Margaret played a prominent role in the opening of the American embassy in Havana. She drove John Kerry, Secretary of State under President Obama, during his diplomatic mission. With Nadine for stars, and Lola for lovers, Margaret is definitely the favorite of businesspeople and politicians.

As you can see, by 1959 things got really wild in the tailfin department. Instead of the typical vertical fashion, Chevrolet went for flat fins, which combined with a very busy grilled got rival designers to describe this Impala as a “Martian Ground Chariot”.