Sunday, February 25, 2007

Gran Premio de Cuba - 1957


"Gran Premio de Cuba" - Grand Prix of Cuba; run 50 years ago, in a sunny February day, 1957. The Quirogas had the next-best-thing to a grandstand view of the ongoing action at the Malecon circuit, witnessing the driving finesse and performance of great, classy drivers such as Juan Manuel Fangio and Alfonso "Fon" de Portago - or as my uncle Prego always respectfully referred to him, "el Marques de Portago," "the Marquis of Portago."

Royalty of the Road Circuit, if you will.

The official race poster image, as well as many of the photographs you see here, comes from www.jmfangio.org, a fantastic web site for Fangio fans.

And where was our grandstand view of the fast machines with their accompanying, doppler-effect roar? From Focsa apartment 26L, into which we had moved the previous September, having no idea at the time it would provide a perfect venue for viewing this exciting race.


This image, from a promotional postcard originally published by Casa Morris, Havana, depicts the Focsa building and surrounding neighborhoods in early 1956, just before construction of the building was completed. Apartment 26L was a corner unit; if you look to Focsa's left side, and count down from the top floor, the 29th - ignore the center tower - you'll find us...or rather, you WOULD have found us that Sunday 24th of February, five decades ago. Who were "us" that day? For certain, mom and dad, who provided the viewing venue; sister and I, aunt Josephine, her husband and her son, Fernando Prego Sr. and Jr.; dad recalled his cousin Julio Parames was also present. Julio, a Spaniard, lived in Cuba at the time and worked with father at Quiroga Brothers. He was a proud Spaniard - dad tells me "Julio was totally convinced his countryman, De Portago, would win the race no matter what. However, although the Marques de Portago did lead during most of the race, his engine blew I think about two laps away from making the finish line; he was really pushing his car. Fangio took the trophy."

And Julio Parames was dejected. He need not have been. It was a well-fought duel of road titans, but only one could emerge the victor.


Why, here's two lil' critters who watched the action that day - of course, lil' sis was kinda young to get too wrapped up in the excitement. The photo dates from May 12, 1957 and gives you a good look at the Focsa's balconies, perfect perches from which to watch the race - more so given the field-of-vision advantage from the 26th floor.

If you had watched from ground level, at the start point, this would have been your view. The photograph would have been published by one of Havana's dailies, perhaps "Prensa Libre," "El Pais," or "El Mundo." It is not attributed, but came from the www.jmfangio.org web site.

The graphic-also from the Fangio web site-depicts the Malecon race circuit on which the duel of men and machines played out; they were to race 90 times around the circuit, a total of just slightly over 500 kilometers, or a shade over 300 miles, for us non-metric types.




Perhaps a current aerial view helps visualize the circuit, and the various vantage points from which lucky spectators would have seen the action that day.




Click on the GoogleEarth satellite image and check out the place markers so you can orient yourself - and enjoy the aerial view of the Malecon circuit. One thing to point out: Notice the grounds of the Focsa building appear stark and gray; back in 1957 they would have been green, the pool filled and clean. Not the case now; the grass is dead, most if not all the palm trees gone, the pool empty. Another example of "socialist" urban improvement. The Hotel Nacional grounds, however, are nice and green, the pool water clear and inviting - of course, that is where a lot of foreign tourists stay, so...no island Cubans need apply.

Come to think of it, if it's 1957 and you've been standing too long waiting for the race to start, or watching its progress, and your feet are tired, giving out...just race to Drs. Rosabal and Lopez's practice at Focsa. They are within walking distance if you're standing near the Battleship Maine Monument section of the circuit. They'll take care of your footsies well and get you back in shape for race time.
This is the back side of the Focsa postcard you looked at earlier. I wonder if Drs. Rosabal and Lopez saw increased business that day, or if they simply closed up shop and went to the race?

And now time-tunnel back to 1957 and you see Fangio's Maserati roaring by the Maine Battleship Monument - perhaps you can pinpoint his exact location at that moment in time. He appears to have put some distance between himself and the opposition. Given my non-expertise in these matters, but at least knowing which way the four points of the compass pointed in Havana, and guided by the shadows seen in the photograph, would guess the time to have been between 1:30-2:00 PM.

May as well show you how our grandstand box appeared from the inside, the place where the Quirogas and the cheerful invitees, family members, neighbors, and friends gathered to enjoy the action.

Who's that spaced-out kid apparently discoursing on "spiritual" literature? Looks familiar...perhaps he is my clone; in which case I'd be beside myself! The photo actually was taken by dad a year or more after the Grand Prix; by then, the balcony had been enclosed, because of Focsa's notoriously strong air currents, and to provide additional living space. The small bar was not there in '57 - not to say the guests didn't imbibe refreshing drinks such as Cristal beer, or perhaps Cerveza Hatuey - possibly daiquiris or rum-and-coke, maybe even highballs. Do you know what a highball is? But all in moderation, and no one had to worry about drinking-and-driving - the driving was left to the experts that day.

Oh, and before I forget...a little anecdote...dad had a nice, powerful Bausch & Lomb telescope, which we used to watch the ongoing action. The heavy metal body of the telescope was green, and I well remember this device. Well, speaking of ongoing action to watch, at one point during the race, someone viewing through the 'scope - I recall it was one of the menfolk, but not who it was - and perhaps this is a good thing - shouted: "Miren, miren - veo una mujer en cueras en el Hotel Nacional!" "Hey, look here - I see a naked woman at the Hotel Nacional!" There was a scramble of grown men towards the telescope, with cries of "A ver! A ver!" - "Let's see! Let's see!"

And what was the 6-year old's reaction to all this excitement? "Let me see! Let me see!" The horrified reaction of his mother is to this day fresh in the mind of the grown kid - "No! Esas no son cosas que ven los ninos!" "Those are not things for children to see!" And then came her admonishments to the menfolk who were creating the ruckus, reminding them to cease and desist their ocular explorations of the improper kind.

Which window was the notorious window? This illustrates the view we had towards the Hotel Nacional and the Malecon. Imagine the view with the aid of a powerful Bausch & Lomb telescope. Now, now - I am speaking STRICTLY about the racing action in the Malecon.

(www.geographicguide.com)

Do not know in what window of the Hotel Nacional the particular exhibition took place, but if any lady reading remembers taking in the fresh air in her birthday suit at the Hotel Nacional February 24, 1957, we send this nostalgic greeting: "Peek-a-boo, we saw you!!"


OK - it is time to get a look at the Knights of the Malecon Circuit, the men who will joust, with skill, chivalry, finesse, and courage in sleek, beautiful-beauty is in the eye of the beholder and for most guys these machines are beautiful-fast, and powerful cars.

First, Juan Manuel Fangio, nicknamed "El Chueco," which according to research done for this post, means "bowlegged" in Argentina. If that is not true, hopefully an Argentine reader will kindly correct us. Bowlegged or not, Fangio knew how to work his Maserati 300S's accelerator, brake, and clutch pedals skillfully. He was racing for a Brazilian team, Scuderia Madunina. This is a pre-race photograph; Fangio seems quite relaxed, sporting a confident look - that of a man convinced he will be the victor.

Leading, in the Maserati 300S...if only we had the sounds of the race to go with the photo!


And the inevitable pit stop, with the pit crew working fast and furiously ensuring their driver and his mount stay in the race - and better yet, win it.

For the younger generation, Esso, one of Fangio's sponsors, was the old Standard Oil Company - today's Chevron. However, just because you put Chevron in your tank does not mean you'll be "flying like Fangio." Obey posted speed limits, please.

This is an official press photo of Fangio in action which went with the race write up by Jess Losada - if you look carefully, you will see Losada's name superimposed on the upper right corner; Jess Losada was a popular sports commentator and writer of the time, who did both radio and TV sportscasting and wrote an article about the Gran Premio. Father is pretty sure he did most of his writing for the daily "El Mundo," likely where this photograph and accompanying story were published. He went on to continue his career in exile - you could say he beat the bearded bozo in the race for freedom - and his son, Jesse Jr. continues in his father's footsteps in the United States.


Another great - Alfonso de Portago - Gran Premio de Cuba 1957 - photo by Tom Burnside - www.motorsportphotos.de


Let me assure you De Portago did NOT drive his Scuderia Ferrari 860S with the Shell Gasoline sign over his head! This is a promotional photograph - Shell was a big sponsor of the Gran Premio de Cuba.

Fantastic action image of "The Marquis" powering by in his Ferrari 860S - one can almost hear the warbling roar of the powerful engine, producing close to 300 HP - that's some knightly steed!



Below is a happy Eugenio Castelloti, posing in a Ferrari 290MM - not the auto he drove in the race, however...










His machine was this Ferrari red - but of course, what other color is synonymous with Ferrari? - 121S.








By now, you are realizing this is a very cosmopolitan race, as indeed it was - as was Havana in those days.

The Englishman Stirling Moss, for example, teamed up with Harry Schell of the USA, driving a Ferrari 300S - Harry Schell at the wheel in this press photograph.




There were non-racing personalities in attendance too, such as actor Gary Cooper, here chatting with Stirling Moss - or perhaps with the unidentified lady? Was Mr. Cooper whispering "do not forsake me, oh my darling" to her? Or perhaps he was reminding her and Stirling Moss that "it is approaching High Noon, the race is about to begin." And if you catch the clues in this invented dialogue, then you win the prize for being a Cooper Trivia Expert.


Well, let's continue with the race program and the parade of personalities, the players in the drama.


Phil Hill of the USA drove a Ferrari 857S - found out while researching the subject, he was born in Miami, Florida. Why, we coulda been neighbors at one time! I sure hope he enjoyed his visit to Havana in 1957.

Mr. Hill is still doing well, thank you - at age 77, in 2004 - from www.veloce.com

Yet another American, Carroll Shelby, competed in a Ferrari 410 - this race was a promenade of Ferraris, wasn't it?


You know, if things had turned out a bit - or shall we say a lot - different, and the Gran Premio race had continued through the years, Mr. Shelby might have come back driving a Ford Cobra...or would it have properly been an AC Cobra??


Regardless, Mr. Shelby is also doing very well these days, still involved in things automotive - photo from www.speedsportlife.com

Continuing with the gallery of drivers and their machines, we see here the Belgian Oliver Gendebien with his Ferrari 500TR, and the Frenchman Jean Lucas, on the right, driving another Ferrari, a 121LM.













Last, but by no means least, a native driver, Cuba's own Alfonso Gomez Mena - known by many as "Alfonsito," the diminutive version of Alfonso. He raced a Jaguar D-type, which later became the basis for the famed - and beautiful - XKE Series.




And there goes Alfonso, nimbly taking a curve in the Jag - his countrymen pridefully looking on.

More Alfonso Gomez Mena action, seen in this press photograph, likely published in "El Mundo."


Speaking of the press, dad recalls the excited voice of an Argentine sportscaster, whose name unfortunately he does not remember, who kept tabs on Alfonso, shouting through the airwaves "Ahi va, ahi va Gomez Mena, Gomez Mena, Alfonsito, ahi viene, Gomez Mena, Gomez Mena!" "There he goes, there goes Gomez Mena, Alfonsito, here he comes, Gomez Mena, Gomez Mena!" Apparently a true fan of our native competitor.

Update from cousin Fernando: "The Argentine sportscaster's surname was Sojit." Thank you, racin' cousin. That was fast.

And compete he did. He wound up in 6th place, overall, at the Gran Premio. Considering the quality and toughness of the opposition he faced, that was a very creditable performance. You go, Alfonso!

Father and I were fortunate to meet Alfonso Gomez Mena at the Sebring, Florida 12-Hour race held March 26, 1966. Cousin Fernando, who has been an automotive enthusiast for as long as I can remember, and who has done a bit - or more than a bit - of racing himself, invited us to that event, in the course of which we met a mustachioed Alfonso.

He had come to watch the race, not to compete - his racing days ended by the realities and tribulations of exile. He struck me as a down to earth, self-effacing type - "buena gente," as Fernando referred to him. Among Cubans, that is a nice compliment, meaning literally "good people." Yes he was. Was, because unfortunately, he died young although, unlike so many who practiced his beloved sport, not behind the wheel. Regretfully, there are no photos to mark that pleasant meeting.

Gomez-Mena was not the only native driver that February day. The tobacco firm of Trinidad Y Hermano - "Trinidad and Brother" sponsored a Mercedes 300SL "Gullwing," driven by Modesto Bolanos, a model by "Bang" being available if you wish for an affordable race memento, as it will "only" set you back US $45; the image comes from the eBay site where it was found during the blogger's search for Gran Premio lore. This is also the only Mercedes 300SL "Gullwing" most of us will ever be able to afford.

Offered by RacingModels Co., UK - that's the United Kingdom, not the Ukraine...

No idea how this car and the driver fared, but based on the race results detailed in the www.jmfangio.org site, the Trinidad Y Hermanos entry did not place in the first 10 positions. The car may have dropped out with mechanical troubles. Perhaps one of our readers will choose to share some information about this particular race entry.

As the running and roaring got underway, the Gran Premio eventually became a duel or joust between Fangio and de Portago. De Portago led for much of the race.

But not always. In this press photo, taken right at the start, Carroll Shelby is leading, followed by De Portago and Stirling Moss.



The Marquis pressed on. Here he powers by Jean Lucas. One can't help notice how close the spectators were to the action; this is great for immersing oneself in the sights and sounds of the race. But there is danger, and this would become obvious the following year.



Fangio, however, would eventually "crowd" De Portago, and challenge the Marquis until the climax, on the 68th lap, the battle well depicted in this press photograph. Looks almost as if their two cars have become one.



De Portago had to pull into the pits on the 68th lap with a blown engine, at which point Fangio was decisively in the lead, and continued leading until he took the checkered flag. Race over! "El Chueco" and Maserati had done it!



Not everything was fun and games, as illustrated by this anecdote, shared by my racing cousin, who was 14 at the time, and like father has prodigious powers of recollection...

"For the first Grand Prix they had gotten me a "pit pass" through the National Sports Commission, and, of course, from the time practice began, if memory serves right, on a Thursday, I was in the "pits," and continued hanging around them Friday and Saturday, managing to get, on an official race program, the autographs of all the drivers, except for Stirling Moss who refused me one. Since we came to your home that Sunday to watch the race, I left the autographed race program there."

(Pre-race practice, at the pits - it appears cousin Fernando needed an umbrella during his pit visits)

"On Monday morning I went to get my program, and found out it had been thrown out during cleanup! (Bet he was mad! I woulda been ballistic!! AQ)

When the race was over, President Batista, his entourage, and his escort, traveled on 19th street in order to turn left on "O" and 23rd streets, get on the Malecon road, and return to the Presidential Palace. However, they got held up in the heavy post-race traffic on 19th and "O" streets. At that point, a mob of blacks rushed towards the presidential motorcade, seeking merely to speak to the President and request favors of him. The escort detachment, including the Presidential Palace Secret Service, all in suits, fell on the supplicants, battering them with brutal blows in the most indiscriminate and abusive attack I have ever witnessed in my life."

That was the dark side of the Gran Premio. And, unfortunately, that abusive overreaction on the part of Batista's escort would doubtless help fuel the flames of the resistance already building relentlessly against his regime. Acts like these not only increased social and political strife, but also helped unleash forces which would come back to haunt the Gran Premio in 1958...collateral damage of a political kind, if you want to look at it that way.

A small technical time issue arose as I was writing this, which Fernando helped me resolve. According to the official race poster, the race was held February 25th, which was a Monday. Not so, according to Fernando. "The race was held Sunday the 24th, which happened to be a Cuban national holiday. I cannot account for the date on the race poster, because the race was definitely held on Sunday. It would have made no sense to hold it on a work day." We'll have to chalk it up to printer's error, perhaps. Possibly someone else can contribute a more detailed explanation for the discrepancy.

We looked forward to the 1958 Gran Premio de Cuba - the race and viewing venue, well, our viewing venue, would be the same. But the 1958 Gran Premio was, frankly - at least to us - a complete letdown. This was in no way the fault of those who came to compete in what should have been a great reprise of the 1957 event.

The political climate, the social tensions and overall unrest played a large part in the unraveling of the 1958 race. For starters, the great Fangio was kidnapped by "rebels" seeking to sabotage the race and embarrass the Batista government. I remember being deeply disappointed at hearing the news, because I wanted "El Chueco" to snag another Gran Premio victory. We greatly admired him. But it was not to be. He was held until after the race was over, then released unharmed.

I knew there were reasons why those "rebeldes" - "rebels" - never appealed to me...

Recently, your blogger managed to "pick up" a copy of the March 15, 1958 edition of the weekly "Zig Zag" satirical newspapers, which a little blogger enjoyed reading in those days, even managing to understand some of the nuanced political satire and criticism within its pages.

The pain of a wounded wallet was eased considerably, however, when this article about Fangio's kidnapping was found inside - a bonus find indeed!




It is a shame there is no spare time to translate the 2-page writeup of the incident for you. However, at least can offer you this article on the same subject - which also reports on the terrible accident marring the 1958 Gran Premio - originally published in the Time Magazine edition of Monday March 10th, 1958. You can find this at www.time.com, if you wish to read it on the Time, Inc. website.

One thing to be pointed out, which illustrates well the sense of humor permeating the atmosphere at the Zig Zag publishing office. Notice on the second, or lower page, an advertisement for GE light bulbs. No doubt inspired by the story about Fangio's abduction, some ad copywriter decided to have fun. The caption for the ad reads: "Stop Light Bulb Kidnappers!"


Death on The Malecon – Monday March 10, 1958 – www.time.com

As the world's No. 1 road-racing driver, Juan Manuel Fangio is an old friend to danger. The 46-year-old Argentine has seen its blurred face in the swirling landscape of a hundred tracks, known its angry snarl whenever his sports car skidded through a tight turn. But one evening last week he stared at danger in a new form: the muzzle of a pistol. Poking the weapon at him in the lobby of Havana's Hotel Lincoln was a tall young man in a leather jacket. "Fangio, you must come with me," he ordered. "I am a member of the 26th of July revolutionary movement." One of Fangio's friends picked up a paperweight and cocked his arm. The pistol moved alertly. "Stay still!" its owner said. "If you move, I'll shoot." Fangio went obediently to a waiting car and was whisked off.

In town to race in the Gran Premio de Cuba, Fangio was himself the prize of no ordinary kidnapers. His captors rushed to tell the world who they were, as they launched a week of revolutionary sabotage right in President Fulgencio Batista's front yard (see HEMISPHERE). No sooner had they hidden the racing ace than they were bragging to the newspapers: If President Batista wanted to hustle up the tourist trade with a big sports-car race next day, he would do it without Argentina's defending champion.

Steak & Fear. Fidel Castro's rebels embarrassed the authorities, but the race went on. Next afternoon the cars were ready, the Malecon that curves along Havana's lovely coastline had been cleared. A crowd of 150,000 lined the broad boulevard. The Cuban National Sports Commission delayed the race for more than an hour while local cops ran down false rumors of Fangio's release. Then France's Maurice Trintignant slid into Fangio's empty seat in a blue Maserati, and the big buckets of power were sent careening around the 3½-mile course.

Fangio, meanwhile, was under guard in a comfortably furnished apartment. He had eaten well (steak and potatoes, chicken and rice), and he had slept "like a blessed one." Faustino Perez, Castro's second in command, had come personally to apologize for the inconvenience. The rebels even supplied a radio so that Fangio might listen to the race. But he preferred not to. "I became a little sentimental," he said. "I did not want to listen because I felt nostalgic." Yet Fangio was also fearful that his life was endangered, not by his abductors but by a clash that might come at any moment between them and the police.

Turn to Trouble. On the Malecón, the danger more familiar to Fangio began to haunt his fellow racers as they whirled into the long (315 miles) grind. Britain's Stirling Moss took the lead in a Ferrari, Missourian Masten Gregory, driving another Ferrari, was second. Fangio's Maserati, in Trintignant's hands, fell far back to 13th place. By the end of five laps, all the drivers saw that almost every turn was slick with spilled oil; they knew that they were in for trouble.

Next time around, Cuba's Armando Garcia Cifuentes, 27, met trouble headon. His bright yellow-and-black Ferrari skidded out of a shallow turn and tore into the crowd. It spewed up at least 40 casualties, including seven dead. In its wake lay empty shoes; spectators had been knocked right out of them. Said Porsche Driver Ulf Noriden, who stopped his car and ran back to help: "I couldn't even see the Ferrari. The bodies were piled all over. I was wading in arms and legs." Panicky survivors swarmed across the Malecón, careless of the still racing cars, and police swung their billies to keep the mob in check. Just 15 minutes after it started, the race was called off. Stirling Moss, who held the lead, was declared winner.

After that, Fangio had no trouble talking his captors into turning him over to the Argentine embassy. "Well," he philosophized, "this is one more adventure. If what the rebels did was in a good cause, then I, as an Argentine, accept it."

Person or Persons. Satisfied that the oil slick was not rebel sabotage, the authorities placed all the blame for the accident on Driver Cifuentes, who was barely alive in a hospital. He was charged with manslaughter. Criminal charges were also filed against the "person or persons unknown" who kidnaped Fangio. No one found it worthwhile to criticize the "person or persons who" permitted the crowd to line the trackside, i.e., the National Sports Commission, headed by Brigadier General Roberto Fernandez Miranda, who is President Batista's brother-in-law.


Fangio after his release, February 24, 1958 - from www.puntoclasico.com

The 1958 Gran Premio ended after just six laps, so it can hardly be called a race. Ironically, it was held again in 1959 under more peaceful, stable conditions. But it was only for show purposes, as the new self-appointed "revolutionary" government was trying to create an impression of normalcy and pretending it would be "business as usual," while working behind the scenes to consolidate power. Eventually such "bourgeois" sport would no longer be necessary...

In fact, under the new "management," blood sports became "de rigueur."

www.latinamericanstudies.org-prof de la cova - via Babalu Blog

Kind of puts you off racing, doesn't it? Instead of the good Fangio, Cubans were exposed to another Argentine visitor, who not only overstayed his "welcome" - if one can call it that - but also purposely and gleefully engineered many more deaths than poor Mr. Cifuentes, unintentionally after all, caused through his unfortunate accident a year earlier.

I have little recollection of the 1959 Gran Premio. Perhaps this was a natural reaction after the letdown in 1958 and the unsettled, disturbing times that followed. It was just not the same. Not only did 1959 mark the end of my interest in this otherwise exciting event, it essentially marked the end of organized road racing in Cuba. By 1960 the Gran Premio de Cuba was no more.

Before this blogging race against the clock crosses the finish line, thought it appropriate to mention that without the good work done by the creators of the www.jmfangio.org website, and the valuable contributions others have made to it for the benefit of its readers, it would have been very, very difficult to make justice to the subject of this post. Even if you are not a great fan of automobile racing, visit the site and leave a compliment or two for the editors or webmasters.

And, of course, this post would be much poorer but for the valuable recollections and reminiscences provided by my patient papa, pestered by many questions during the preparation of this story, yet cheerfully answering each and every query in detail - his mind is still as well-tuned as were those Maserati and Ferrari engines in 1957! The same is true regarding the treasured memories shared by my cousin Fernando L. Prego, who can probably to this day drive through the streets of Havana blindfolded and tell you exactly where he is; wish you would have had a shot at a Gran Premio de Cuba trophy, Fernan!

In the end, the Quirogas, the Pregos, most of our family and friends, together with over two million compatriots won the race which really counted. The Race for Life and Freedom. It may have meant exile. It may have meant hardship and sacrifice. But the goal was only one, to be attained at all costs: To outrun the dark powers seeking to shackle us from January 1, 1959 onwards, to stay ahead of them, and finally place ourselves out of their reach, forever. Perhaps someday a new generation of free Cubans will once again be able to enjoy another Gran Premio through the streets of the Malecon circuit, in peace, prosperity, and freedom...under new track management.

32 Comments:

At 7:13 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Albert, what a great post.
I could hear the engines of the Ferraris revving past me when I looket at the photos.
And you are totally responsible for the magic, thanks!

 
At 7:57 AM, Blogger Albert Quiroga said...

Thank you very much for the compliment, Charlie. This was a fun post to do, but could not have done it without the already-mentioned websites visited, or without the wonderful memory-banks possessed by my father and my cousin; and of course, all those excellent Grand Prix drivers who were there and whose crowd-pleasing skills still shine 50 years down the road.

 
At 9:23 AM, Blogger Manuel A.Tellechea said...

Your story was wonderfully written and evocative of that time. The country was then in the midst of a civil war marked by the ferocity of the rebels' indiscriminate bombing of public places. It was unfortunate but understandable that Batista's security detail should have sought to protect him from a besieging mob, not all of whom might have been well-wishers. President Batista and his family had only recently been the victims of an assassination attempt at the Presidential Palace. It is true, however, that Batista was immensely popular with Cuba's blacks whose benefactor and protector he always was throughout his political career. This is the reason that blacks were almost entirely absent from the ranks of the "July 26th" Movement. It was not uncommon for the president's motorcade to be overtaken by his enthusiastic followers. At any other place and time, they would have been welcomed; but this was not the time or place. The anecdote does demonstrate that these outpourings of affection were spontaneous and not staged, unlike, say, Fangio's "kidnapping" next year.

It was suspected at the time that Fangio's kidnapping was a publicity stunt staged by the rebels with Fangio's cooperation. Fangio himself has always refused to clarify the matter, apparently unable to decide whether his legend would be better served by his actually having been kidnapped or his connivance with the rebels.

 
At 11:21 AM, Blogger Val Prieto said...

Another excellent post, Alberto. Gracias.

 
At 12:23 PM, Blogger Albert Quiroga said...

One correction to Mr. Tellechea's kind comments for this post: The assassination attempt on Batista at the Presidential Palace actually took place March 13, 1957. Unrest and sabotage were, however, already building and taking place in the country even prior to the Grand Prix. The security concerns for Batista and his entourage were real
by late February 1957.

 
At 1:11 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Gracias, Alberto!
Always entertaining and well-written. Wouldn't it be lovely to see Ferraris along the Malecon once again? =D

 
At 7:51 PM, Blogger Albert Quiroga said...

Posting this comment on behalf of the writer due to Google-induced technical difficulties - AQ

"Albert, I've been trying to post this a number of time, just for it to be eaten by Google!

Google likes the taste of my comments.
This is the third time I try to post a comment today on this tread!
The color of the Italian scuderia, remains their traditional blood red, to this day. It's the distinctive color favored by Lamborghini, Maserati, and Ferrari in all their cars. The British always sported their "racing green" (patented like that) on their Aston Martins, Lotus, and on monsters with hand made bodies and Rolls Royce engines. The French -at the long gone times they had both guts and good engineering- raced in blue. The German scuderia had the marquees of Porsche and Mercedes painted in silver or their metal bodies polished to a silvery shine.
Americans raced in white, and nowadays with the exception of Italy whose cars are always red, everybody paints their car whichever color they want.
The 26 de Julio was just a gang of terror mongers. The Directorio Estudiantil Revolucionario (13 March 1957 -attack of the Presidential Palace) were people educated in the principles of chivalry and high ideals. They were actually sold by kasstro to Batista as documented. kasstro had infiltrated the Directorio with his spies and they reported to him who gladly pass the information onto Batista, because, as y'all know, kasstro was the one who had to be the hero, he didn't want anybody defeating Batista on their own.
Needless to say, the Directorio Estudiantil was composed of men (and women) of principle. Not the 26 de Julio, noche de las cien bombas anyone?
Fangio visited Cuba on the thirtieth anniversary of his abduction. He 'fessed up that he was a willing collaborator of el 26 de Julio. Which made me hate him as much as I hate che huevera.
At that occasion, there was an exhibition with a few international formula 1 pilots in Cuba, and the show was really good. Of course the shadow of the betrayal to sportsmanship, gentlemanship, morals, and principles by Fangio obscured the day that the fans were waiting for. Curiously, the government had a large security detail surrounding Fangio at all times, as if they had been alerted that a real abduction could happen!"

-If that was in fact El Chueco's attitude in 1958, I will then try to always remember him as the Fangio he was in 1957. Life is full of disappointments, isn't it? AQ

 
At 8:25 AM, Blogger Albert Quiroga said...

"I just posted on your blog, but it wouldn't take my comments...Just wanted to say that I was there at the race watching from Ambar Motors!!
I saw one of the drivers crashed in front of Ambar Motors and he was either killed or badly hurt...all I know is that I wanted to go home! it took us forever to get back to our house only a few blocks away...
What a beautiful day that was!! I remember the excitment...the commotion....the noise....the smell of fumes.... all the "gente importante" that was watching the race from Ambar Motors too....
Thank YOU for bringing us back to the days when we were happy kids in a short lived part of our lives.
Carmen"

Hi Carmen! Thank you for your comment - this is very valuable and will post it for you, "sanitized" without your personal information. Google has been a pain lately since they changed to "New Blogger" format...they make you log in with your Gmail account ID and password.

I only wish we had photos of the race itself! Dad did not have a telephoto lens for his camera, so it would have been pointless to try and take photographs from Focsa - everything would have come out too small.

The driver you saw - and obviously you are talking about the 1958 race - was Cifuentes; it amazes me when the oil slick started spreading, the authorities did not halt the race and at least attempt to clean it up, throw sand on it or something, before allowing the competition to continue.

Albert

 
At 3:15 AM, Blogger Manuel A.Tellechea said...

"[T]he Directorio Estudiantil was composed of men (and women) of principle. — Carmen

Whatever the Directorio's principles may have been their tactics did not different from those of the "July 26th Movement."

Batista lived in the family quarters of the Presidential Palace with his wife and 5 children (all under 12). If they had succeeded in assassinating Batista and his family (and they attempted to penetrate the family quarters with guns blazing), it would hardly have been an act worthy of honorable men.

 
At 2:15 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks Albert for the wonderful post and photos. I was at the bar at top of the Fosca Building last week and at the TV Cafe bar on the ground floor. The casa particular where I stayed is just visible in your Photo on Calle 15.
The B.S. Levy raceing novel series " The last openned Road" includes a chapter on the Havana race. I recomend the series to any classic racing fans. I hope to see a Grandprix re-enactment some day in Havana. I found your post while looking for a refence for a 1953 Porshe Carrara Super Coupe I saw in Miramar.
Thanks again
Mike

 
At 8:29 AM, Blogger Yash said...

Hi Albert great information. Do you have any knowledge of a Maserati A6 chassis number 2065 having ever raced in any Cuban Grand Prix?
Many thanks
Yash

 
At 8:55 AM, Blogger Albert Quiroga said...

Thank you for your comment, Yash...you pose a tough question, but perhaps my race lore-and-trivia expert, cousin Fernando, can answer it, or get us on the right track to find the answer. If anything turns up, will post it in the Comments section.

 
At 12:37 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

This post brought incredible memories to me and images that I still remember vividly 50 years later. I attended all the "Gran Premios" held during the 50s in Havana. The event in 1958 is etched in my mind because on that day my brothers and I were watching the race from the small park on the Malecon, close to the US Embassy, into which the car driven by Garcia Cifuentes crashed. I remember seeing a group of people, which had been standing right on the sidewalk next to the street, running for their lives as the car cut into the crowd and mowed down the spectators. Fortunately, the car was stopped when it crashed into a crane or tractor that had been left in the park and did not cause further damage. Tremendous confusion ensued as the mass of spectators ran away; some tried to help the victims. I saw hurt or dead people being carried onto open trucks that were being used as ambulances. The next day the newspaper published a photo, taken from a building directly across from the accident, that showed arms, legs, and feet/shoes flying through the air as the car cut into the crowd. Following the accident, the Grand Prix was moved from the inner city and the Malecon. In 1959 and 1960 the race was held on a track laid out on the landing strip of the Columbia military airport in Marianao. If memory serves me right, Stirling Moss won one if not both of those races.

 
At 12:57 AM, Blogger RJT said...

Alberto,
Quiesiera saber si tu fuistes al colegio Phillips en Cuba. La clase nuestra estaban, Gustavo Cepero, Jose Ignacio Arguelles, Juan Pedro San Martin, Jorge Nogales y yo Roberto Tariche.
Mi dirreccion de email es
rtariche@optonline.net

 
At 11:58 AM, Blogger Figaro said...

Muy buena este articulos sobre las carreras de automobile en La Habana. Muchas gracias me dieron muy buenas memorias aun que yo era tan solo un nino cuando ocurrieron

 
At 8:57 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Magnífica descripción, detallada, excelentemente escrita. Felicidades. Tenía nueve años en el '57. Regresaron muchos recuerdos con claridad inconcebible. Para mi sorpresa, 50 años después, entre los comentarios veo el de una persona que conoce a otras que estuvieron en mi misma aula de entonces! Agradecido.

 
At 6:49 PM, Blogger steve said...

Great post Alberto. I came upon it while searching for verification of a story I once heard.
About 1957 a road race was held in Cuba. The car gathering the most press was a Ferrari with an internationally known driver. The cars were released one by one in time increments and off they went across country. First to the finish was the Ferrari and great fanfare ensued. A couple or three minutes while the champagne corks were popping, a 1957 Buick driven by a local Cuban skidded over the finish line. The Buick had started WELL back of the Ferrari and was of course the true winner whether acknowledged or not.
I think it is a great story and I hope it is true. Can you shed any light on this tale. Thanks, Steve

 
At 12:56 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Steve, My father Nilo Leal was a driver on the Buick racing team in the fifties. I remember him telling me about a Buick actually beating a Ferrari in a rally time event. . Great site. Thanks, Leonard

 
At 3:39 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Albert Quiroga, genial! I have a questions since you seem to be so knowledgable about car races in Cuba BC. Someone writes in here about the 1958 race and the accident. A relative was one of the victims that day. Do you know where I can find an account of the accident? I appreciate your response. Thank you! Marisel

 
At 7:07 PM, Anonymous Bill Warner said...

Albert: We will be honoring Sir Stirling Moss and his victory in Havana 50 years ago. This will be at Amelia Island *(FL) March 12, 13, 14 2010. Please e-mail me where I can call you (bwarner@ameliaconcours.org). Thanks. Bill

 
At 7:10 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

quick question;
i'm looking for the VIN number for the Gullwing that raced in the 57 national havana driven by santiago gonzalez and was owned by the Minister of Police. any ideas?

thanks for your time!
Jim Towne
jimtowne@aol.com

 
At 11:11 PM, Blogger Caristas said...

Congratulations on a fascinating account that captures both the excitement of the races and the broader tensions of the time. Regarding the Mercedes entries, it appears that at least two 300SL Gullwings competed in 1957. One may still be in Havana; see photographs of it at
http://caristas.blogspot.com/2009/12/discovered-in-cuba-rare-mercedes-bird.html

 
At 6:11 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

anyone know what has become of Cifuentes or the Ferrari 500tr that crashed on that fateful day in Cuba 1958

 
At 10:58 AM, Anonymous Michael said...

Fascinating account of a day I have never forgoten. On February 24th, 1958, my father was very exited and hopeful that Juan Manuel Fangio was going to be released by the rebels just in time for the big race. He took my mother and I to the grounds of the Hotel Nacional de Cuba to view the race from a magnificent spot. It was a great time in my life, even if I missed the naked lady.
Jess Losada was my uncle; a very charismatic and talented sportscaster.

 
At 7:35 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

hello,
I am seeking photos of all Maserati entered in the 1958 edition of the Gran Premio di Cuba. Canybody help? Also - oes anybody know if a photo-archive exists in Cuba today. Perhaps from a newspaper that covered those events in 1957, 58 and 60?

Any help is much appreciated. Please contact me directly:

tipo300S@aol.com

Many thanks.

JoBo

 
At 11:21 AM, Anonymous Laurence Daley said...

Alberto:

My cousin Manuel Jose (MJ) Norman did translations for the Havana Post on the second (1958) race. MJ is son of Jose Norman composer of Cuban Pete and much more, his mother was Manuela Garcia-I~niguez Ramirez. She was a daughter of Calixto (G-I)Enamorado Brigadier General in the 1895-98 last Cuban War of Independence, and granddaughter of Calixto Garcia I~niguez.

MJ and his friend Raul Hernandez Hernandez watched the race from the roof terrace of Humbolt 7. MJ still lives and has stories to tell of those days. I can reach him if you like or you can try the computer department at Michigan State University.

MJ and Raul were caught taking photographs from Bohemia to some Canadian reporters. And so they were tortured by Esteban Ventura Novo very soon afterwards. They only escaped with their lives because Ventura being paranoid did not believe that MJ who had dark hair was English, and Raul who had blond hair was Cuba, and he could not decide who to kill.

MJ and Raul were released very badly battered, and MJ's teeth were broken. Raul later was in the Bay of Pigs Invasion where he recieved a head wound which killed him some thirty years later. MJ became an academic.

Laurence Daley (Garcia-I~niguez)
(see "Love and War in Cuba" manuscript in long preparation.)

 
At 12:16 PM, Anonymous tom gee said...

Hello-

I am doing some research into the Cuba GP for an Italian model builder friend of mine and we are trying to identify a logo that appears on some of the cars (primarily Maseratis but also on a few Ferraris). It is a triangular shape that is on the #6 Maserati of Harry Schell on the right side to the rear of the ESSO logo; it is also on the right front fender of the Fangio #2, the tail of the #28 and others. Sadly, none of the photos I can find show the complete logo in any detail. By any chance in your research did you come across this logo and can identify it?

I appreciate any help you might be able to offer.

Regards,

Tom Gee
flagees5@aol.com

 
At 10:05 PM, Blogger haballi said...

Very sad that 50 years after the kidnaping of Fancio, the true, flusih, and found that him was part of the conspiracy, he died admiring Che and Fidel,a master in his field of car racing, have a communist in his brains.

 
At 12:08 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

In reply to the individual asking about the crash, you can view a clip of the race and the actual crash at:
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/disaster-at-cuban-grand-prix-after-fangio-kidnappi You can also find it by doing a Google search for Cuban Grand Prix Crash.
To add to my brother's comment on a Buick beating the Ferrari, I believe the driver was Elias Regalado. He raced on the Buick racing team with Inocente Gomez and my father Nilo Leal. I was
fortunate to have attended several of the races as well as the driver's meeting during the 50's.

 
At 12:09 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

In reply to the individual asking about the crash, you can view a clip of the race and the actual crash at:
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/disaster-at-cuban-grand-prix-after-fangio-kidnappi You can also find it by doing a Google search for Cuban Grand Prix Crash.
To add to my brother's comment on a Buick beating the Ferrari, I believe the driver was Elias Regalado. He raced on the Buick racing team with Inocente Gomez and my father Nilo Leal. I was
fortunate to have attended several of the races as well as the driver's meeting during the 50's.

 
At 1:35 AM, Blogger Jeny said...

Hi Albert,
Thanks for the sharing information. I really like your blog so much.
Holidays to Cuba

 
At 3:54 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thank you, Albert, for this info. I was at the Hotel Nacional as a 20-year-old tourist and so enjoyed the excitement of the race and the kidnapping. I thought I had remembered Mario Andretti as the winner but, of course, I now know that is incorrect. I went on to be a world traveler as a Pan Am stewardess in the "good old days" of world travel, but I always remember my stay in Cuba as so exciting, and I enjoyed your blog.

 

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