One day during my trip to Mexico, I was taking the Metro back to my friend’s apartment and had to transfer at Chabacano station. While walking through the partially aboveground complex, I looked outside the window and spotted something interesting. This culminated in a long walk through this charming if somewhat gritty neighborhood, where I took this series of photographs that help show the color of Mexico and the cars that exist within.
The first photo is of the Datsun Sédan, a Mexican-assembled version of the 710/Violet. It has seen better days, much like the colonia of Obrera. Mexico City (or Ciudad de México, as it is officially known) is split into 16 boroughs, each containing numerous colonias (neighborhoods). Colonia Obrera, once home to many garment factories, saw extensive damage from the shocking 8.0-magnitude earthquake of 1985. Many buildings collapsed and hundreds of poor seamstresses perished in the disaster. Today, Obrera is a little rough around the edges – perhaps more so than other neighborhoods in the borough of Cuauhtémoc – but is brimming with businesses.
Something is very wrong with this Mercury Cougar. Is it missing its engine, or is the suspension shot?
This LTD Crown Victoria and Maverick were parked next to an auto body shop, so hopefully they get fresh paint jobs. It was interesting to see a Crown Victoria on this street instead of the much more common (in Mexico) Grand Marquis.
There are lots of vibrant colors in this photo. The first (long) generation of Chevrolet Cavalier was always a rather handsome car.
In Mexico City and in much of the neighboring state of México, a program called “Hoy no Circula” (“No Driving/Circulating Today”) was implemented in 1989 to help curb severe air pollution. Cars are emissions tested every 6 months – although pre-1991 cars face weaker standards – and restrictions are placed on the driving of both diesel and gasoline-powered vehicles on weekdays. This is determined by the last digit on the vehicle’s license plate.
For many in Mexico City, this is not a huge imposition as the public transport system is quite comprehensive. Americans may bristle at this perceived infringement of freedom but look at it this way: many Americans live in neighborhoods with Homeowners Associations that impose often onerous rules and fines. The benefit to those residents is property values are presumably protected and the neighborhood is kept presentable. Well, Mexico City residents are prohibited from driving one day a week but the payoff is they can breathe better. That’s not a bad tradeoff, and even non-residents must follow the rule.
Here’s a dark emerald green Pontiac Trans Sport in front of an even more verdant building. Lots of textures in this photo. No Instagram filter needed.
There’s a distinctly third-world, drab, even old Eastern Bloc vibe to this photo. I generally stayed within the borough of Cuauhtémoc, home to Mexico City’s main business district and historic center. However, when I ventured out to more distant colonias, they were generally more colorful and pleasant than this picture appears. Shadows outnumber Beetles in Mexico City, appearing in neighborhoods like Obrera but also trendier, more upscale locales like the gorgeous, leafy Condesa and Hipódromo. If you had to commute in hellish Mexico City traffic, you’d probably prefer a Shadow, too.
One of the curious things I noticed about older, parked cars in Mexico City was how often they had completely flat or bald tires, even if they were otherwise fairly intact.
To Americans and Canadians this is a Dodge 400 but Mexicans knew this as the Dodge Magnum, making use of an appealing and evocative name. The Magnum nameplate survived much longer than its tiny two year run in North America, and was used on a series of coupes; the Mirada was not sold here.
Finally, we have a Volkswagen Sedán. The paint job is suggestive of a taxi, a role in which hundreds and thousands of these once served. Nowadays, the Nissan Tsuru and a series of modern subcompact sedans offer much more comfortable transportation. Judging by the tires on this old Vocho, no está circulando hoy (he is not circulating today).
All photos were taken within a four-block radius in Obrera.
Related Reading:
CC Global: The Mexican Carscape In 2016 – Part I, The Newer Metal
CC Global: The Mexican Carscape In 2016 – Part II, The Older Metal
Curbside Classic: 1994 Pontiac Trans Sport SE – Can U Get A Witness?
Curbside Classic: 1974 Datsun 710 Wagon – Third Time’s The Charm; Or Not
I can certainly echo your comments about public transportation. Where I live, it is simply not possible to build more roads, the land is just not there. Instead, we have a comprehensive public system. For example, if I want to go to the airport, it’s thirty minutes door. Today, my wife and I are going downtown to walk around in the Christmas vibe, and we will take the Skytrain. Even Bagel the Wonderdog loves it. Riding transit is just a lot easier. It is a whole lot cheaper, too.
I used to visit a friend in Phoenix quite regularly. It seemed that in that city, “public transportation” was an illegal phrase.
Everytime I think I’d like decent public transportation here, I remember you have to kind of like people…I Don’t Like People. I’m only 50, but I am becoming very curmudgeon ly before I should. I just couldn’t live in a major meteopolitan area and deal with all of it day in, day out, 24/7/365. My hat’s off to ya!
I live in Munich, and the public transportation as many Münchners don’t always admit and appreciate here is really awesome and very extensive. I couldn’t imagine myself having to drive in the city unless I have large stuff to ferry.
Regarding Phoenix, this is called ‘Caldara Effect’, named after Jon Caldara who was the chair of the board of RTD, Denver area public transportation agency, in the late 1990s. He made his disdain for trams very clear. He kept finding little obscure clauses and laws to thwart every effort to expand the tram system for a several years. Mr Caldara was so out of touch with reality and public sentiments: that was his downfall when the next board election removed him permanently from his chair. After his removal, RTD was able to get FasTrack expansion programme approved by the public and completed most of its goals. Now, we have Caldara-wannabe elsewhere ruining the days for people who depend on public transportation and subverting the expansions.
Nice composition in your pics William. The first one slightly reminding me of the cover of Joni Mitchell’s hits collection. A 1200 rather than the 710.
Looks like the Mexican version of
Langdon Clay job.
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/gallery/2016/dec/03/portraits-new-york-city-cars-langdon-clay
Good photos, thank you. I was expecting there to be more UV damage to vehicles’ paint though.
Nice pics
I love seeing pics of Mexico. Sadly every time I see a Mexican Datsun, I think of the picture of a journalist that was killed by being hit by a Datsun in Mexico City. She was on her way to a interview. The picture was taken by Enrique Metinides ( a famous crime photographer).
He has a book out called the 101 Tragedies of Enrique Metinides that shows crime/ tragedy through the lens of a crime photographer
Here is some of the pics including the white Datsun
http://www.slate.com/blogs/behold/2013/03/11/enrique_metinides_101_tragedies_of_enrique_metinides_documents_50_years.html
Anecdote about tires and Mexico. I had a storage room 2 blocks from the border. One day a man drives past my opened door in a little red truck, stops down the way. I was loading or unloading my vehicle so I got this in pieces; he opened his room, wheeled out some used tires, found one he liked, jacked up his truck and removed a rear tire, changed the tire off the rim with his feet and a bar on the pavement, remounted the wheel on the truck, closed up, and left.
I love and miss Mexico! And I particularly like getting off the beaten path into these kinds of neighborhoods. Love that Datsun.
Thanks for these street scenes William. The photography is beautiful and honest, I know I’d really enjoy Mexico. The Datsun 710 / Violet was built in South Africa and called the 160U. They are really scarce now. I often share the freeway with a brown coupe version when I go to work in the morning, I need to get photo’s!!!! My downfall is I assume these cars will always be around, and one day they aren’t..
Great travel snaps. That green building is beautiful. Datsun my fave.
I used to travel Mexico extensively, drove to Guatemala once and like it so much I stayed for a year .
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Mexico used to be a really friendly country ~ now all my buddies from Mexico and Guatemala tell me to be uber cautious if I decide to visit .
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-Nate
WE had Datsun Violets here 140J &160J havent seen one for a long time the 180B outsold them hands down and now both models have all but vanished rust and regularly blown headgaskets took their toll.
Ironically, I took the photo of Datsun 710/Violet in same shade of grey in La Paz, Bolivia as one in the first photo above.
Such a variety of colors and textures–I’m not sure if my favorite would be the multiple greens of the Trans Sport, or the crumpled and faded metal of the Datsun itself. Well done.