Cubans' chance to trade up is unlikely to jump-start economy

HAVANA: Until a few weeksoutlet ugg boots outlet ugg boots outlet ugg boots ago, Erik Gonzalez's decrepit car did little more than devour his tiny income. He spent hundreds of dollars fixing the car, a 30-year-old Moskvich that his grandfather passed down to him in 2000. Even when outlet ugg boots outlet ugg boots outlet ugg bootsit worked, Mr Gonzalez could rarely afford to buy petrol.

Then, overnight, the rattletrap became his nest egg.

Mr Gonzalez put the Soviet-brand outlet ugg boots outlet ugg boots outlet ugg bootscar up for sale last month when the government published rules allowing Cubans to buy and sell used vehicles freely for the first time in half a century.