Cars in Mexico
I had just boarded the ADO bus from the Cancún International Airport when a dark American pony car caught my eye. It was a current generation Chevrolet Camaro. Nice.
“I have never seen one of those in Mexico,” I thought to myself. And then I remembered that it was 2009 when I was last in Mexico (in Oaxaca.) The automotive landscape can change a lot in six years.
In addition to that Camaro, I saw a couple of Mustangs (ones made in approximately 2000 and 2005). Other notable cars in Mexico I saw included:
- French cars, including those made by Peugeot and Renault.
- Cars made by SEAT, a Spanish automobile manufacturer wholly owned by Volkswagen.
- Small Volkswagen sedans we do not get in the States. (“I bet Volkswagen does not have to worry about emission regulations here,” I quipped, alluding to the company’s current emissions scandal.)
- Some pickup trucks—mostly Chevys and Fords.
- Some classic iron like Volkswagen Beetles and American sedans from the 1950s through 1970s.
- A few sports cars, like the Mazda Miata, Audi TT and BMW Z4.
There were also lots of motorbikes like the Honda Wave. Some had whole families of four riding them, á la Vietnam.
The automotive landscape actually reminded me a lot of that in Guatemala, with many 1990s-era Japanese compact sedans used as taxis. Collectivos were frequently minivans with bench seats along the interior sides. I did not see any “chicken buses” in Cancún, though.
Driving in Isla Mujeres
Here’s a video of my friend Alberto François driving in Isla Mujeres.
