As part of Argentina Independence Day celebrations on July 9, San Telmo featured an antique car and bus show. Before the military dictatorship of the ’70s and ’80s public buses in Buenos Aires were customized to the owner’s liking, with fileteado (decorative hand-painting) details on the outside and personalized decorations on the inside, ranging from religious or tango iconography, to popular sayings, or poetic declarations of love.
The ‘colectivo-telo‘ seen here is a popular designs among bus drivers. This telo-stylized bus features a playboy insignia on the fare reader, a mini bar(!), black lighting and mini disco balls on the ceiling.
Today much of the ‘pimp-your-public-bus’ tradition has fallen to the wayside, but ride enough buses in Buenos Aires and you can still find some classic porteño touches.
