In a bit of outrageous news, it was reported Cuba has only sold 50 cars and just four motorcycles in the first half of 2014.
Cuba, a country that has faced tough economic sanctions from the United States during the Cold War, opened up its automobile markets for the first time in decades. Unfortunately, for the average consumer, buying a new or used car is not in the cards.
Reports during the past couple of weeks announced Cuba's car sales are not doing so hot, selling only 50 vehicles and that includes used car sales. Those sales only reached $1.3 million dollars, according to the news. Citizens may buy vehicles without any special permit.
Cuba faces demand for vehicles, but the supply is much too expensive for regular folk. Consider it was reported that a six year-old Peugeot compact car runs about $85,000. Prices are said to be about five times that of the United Kingdom. Wages in Cuba are around $20 per month for an average salary in the small country.
Dealership employees were reportedly not talking much to reporters about the car sales situation, but outlets continued to report 400 percent markups across the country.
Public statistics are not available for automobile sales data, but the aforementioned report notes visitors to the country are often shocked at empty streets in Havana, a city of 2 million people.
Another problem is that the infrastructure of the country would not likely handle huge car capacity. Street lights are few and far between and potholes litter the land and may not get fixed for years.
Prices have even soared for vehicles that are sold between people, a measure Cuba adopted recently. Many people in Cuba are angry over the move by the government, especially those who actually worked to obtain permits when prices were lower.
