France, Oct. 31 -- Outside his car-service station in Doral, a predominantly Latino city west of Miami, the owner has his employees polish his pride and joy: a majestic 1960s Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost II, coated in silver from top to tail.

He does not speak english, and when asked about the general economic situation in Florida, he grins and gives a thumbs up.

But Celeste, a Latin American immigrant who stopped at his service station to buy petrol, is worried.

"Today I paid $45 because I didn't fill it up as it's getting very, very expensive each day," she says. "I'm very surprised because when I first got to the United States it wasn't that price, it was $2 and something [per gallon]". That's less than half of today's price.

Despite t...