The rate of car ownership in Mexico is only about one third that of the US, but the vehicles that are on the road don't look much different than what we're used to. It's certainly not a nation of dusty beater vehicles as some stereotypes might suggest. One difference that is apparent, however, is the number of old-style Volkswagen Beetles. Mainstream production of the beetle shifted to Mexico and Brazil in 1978 to take advantage of low labor costs. This continued in Mexico until the very last one rolled off the assembly lines in Puebla in 2003. Just for the fun of it, Deborah started counting all the Beetles she saw when we were on a day trip in Oaxaca. She reached 100 after about an hour and a half and then gave up.
Overall the vehicles here are modern but, in keeping with the Mexican's predilection to fix things rather than throw them out, you sometimes come across a really old model that's been brought back to life. Here are a few photos of some of the interesting vehicles we've come across this trip.
Beetles aplenty.
A billboard truck, complete with loudspeakers of course.
A beetle reborn as a tricycle.
Tiny taxi.
As seen at a folk art museum in Izamal: Mary and Joseph go for a drive with the baby Jesus, the three wise men, an angel, and the little shephard boy.
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