Ambar Motors

Ambar Motors began operations in 1939 and operated as a distributor for several General Motors brands, including Chevrolet, Cadillac, Oldsmobile, and Opel. The company also had a local assembly operation for Chevrolet and Opel trucks. In 1958, Cuba became the largest market for Cadillac outside the United States.

Ambar Motors’ facilities on Infanta and 23 included a spacious showroom, a repair shop, and a large warehouse for spare parts.

Over the years, the group diversified its operations in the country by opening Banco Atlántico, which provided lines of credit to invest in both old and new ventures. Investments were also made in the media sector by purchasing and technologically renovating the prestigious newspaper El Mundo and later founding Cuba’s fourth TV station, Telemundo.

In 1959, with the eradication of private property in Cuba, Ambar Motors and its affiliated companies were confiscated by Fidel Castro’s government. Shortly thereafter, the Barletta family left Cuba along with some of their employees, who continued to work faithfully for their companies in both Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.