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The Lada Story
At home in Russia, Lada is better known as VAZ (Volzhskiy Avtomobilnyi Zavod), which translates to “Volga Automobile Factory.” It is the most famous Russian automotive plant with the highest production of between 600,000 to 700,000 cars per year. In their motherland, Ladas are the most commonly sold brand in the entry level market, being of slightly better quality than most other Russian cars.
The history of Lada (also known as AvtoVaz) goes back to the early 1960s. At that time there was a need for more medium sized cars. The Lada (VAZ) plant was founded in 1966, by decision of the USSR Ministries Council. A deal was brokered with Fiat and preparations to build the new factory were instigated at a site near the River Volga about 800 km South-East of Moscow. Plans also included a new town to be called Togliatti, named after the leader of the Italian Communist Party, who was crucial to these negotiations.
(click on a picture to enlarge)
The VAZ factory was to be unique in Soviet motor vehicle production in that most of the parts for the cars would be made on-site. It is one of the greatest Soviet works: the production lines take up 90 miles (144 km), and the factory provides employment to 180,000 people. Production began in 1969 with an output of 30,000 cars. After the first two years 100,000 cars were assembled. Production was started during the construction of the plant!
The first Lada
Production of the first 30,000 “Zhiguli” (VAZ 2106) began in 1969. (Lada is the export name). It was based on the Fiat 124, however Lada engineers made many changes and upgrades to make the car more durable for the harsh Soviet environment.
This
car has become a Russian classic and is still in production to this day.
It has survived the test of time with only minimal cosmetic and
mechanical changes. After 30
years, it is still as popular as ever with the Russian car buying public.
(See the section on the Original Lada for
all the details).
Lada
is most famous in many countries around the world for its legendary Niva
(VAZ 2121) which has been in production since 1978.
It was created to take on the tough and rugged terrain of Russia
where driving conditions are very harsh.
With
its full time four-wheel drive and ideal dimensions, the Niva soon proved
itself to be quite capable to handle the challenging Russian driving
conditions. Although it looks
a bit dated today, it was quite modern when it first came out.
The familiar profile of the little Niva can be found in nearly
eighty countries worldwide.
In
1984 the VAZ 2108 was introduced. In
the Soviet market it was known as the Zhiguli Sputnik and in Western
markets it was known as the Lada Samara.
This was the company’s first front-wheel drive car.
The Samara bore no resemblance nor shared any parts with former
models.
(See the
Samara Page for the full story).
A
little known fact is that Lada actually dabbled with Wankel (rotary)
engines in the 1970s. These
types of engines were used by other automakers too, such as in Mazda’s
RX-7. In the 1980, Lada began to produce the 250
Zhiguli equipped with a single-rotor engine producing 70 hp.
The cars equipped with these engines did not look any different on the outside from the regular model, but under the hood were electronics very advanced for the period. There was a processor to analyze the data of the accelerator position and the speed of the rotor, and with this information it adjusted the ignition. Another component injected anti-freeze liquid at low temperatures.
Preceding
this model, a two-rotor 130 hp engine was produced. It was also used in the Samara. During the 1980s there were
even a few GAZ-Volgas equipped with the two-rotor VAZ engine, with 210 hp!
These cars were usually used by the KGB, the GAI (the Russian
police), as well as for competitions.
Since 1997 these cars have also been available for private
citizens.
Unfortunately
the life of the Lada-Wankel engines is terribly short, only 20,000 km!
This is because the Russian alloy is of poor quality.
A Wankel rotary engine needs high-quality materials for the various
elements.
These
engines are remarkable, but the lack of money and resources makes the work
and designs of the Russians engineers hard to realize in the real world.
Nevertheless, these engines still are produced in limited numbers for the
aero industry and for select cars such as the current Lada 110 Super
Tourism, equipped with a two-rotor engine for the National Championships.
In 1988 the Oka was launched, in collaboration with Fiat and is not widely know in the Western world. The Oka was a small car intended for city driving with a 750 cc two-cylinder engine, which is actually half of the Samara’s 1300 cc engine producing 29 bhp.
Despite
agonizingly slow acceleration, it was an excellent city car with
incredibly good fuel economy and a very small turning circle. Its small size makes parking a cinch. Diesel powered and
electric powered models were also available, but the Oka never became very
popular, as it was too small and basic even for Russian buyers.
In spite of having some of the world’s best trained designers working in dedicated facilities, in typical Soviet style lack of investment prevented production of their masterpieces. Successful ventures would often be outdated by the time production lines were set up.
In
1997 Lada’s second generation front-wheel drive car, the 2110 went on
sale (called the 110 in Western markets).
It had been worked on since the completion of the VAZ 2105/2107 in
1980. Prototypes had been
tested from about 1994 and were using many proven Samara components.
Styling looked to be from the late 1980s, but was more modern
looking than the Samara. The
110 is available as a sedan, hatchback, coupe, station wagon and even as a
limousine
Near the end of the development phase of the 2110, Lada became involved with General Motors. GM was intrigued by Lada’s enormous market share and growing research & development expertise. Russia is a very large captive market. A little more than one million new vehicles were sold there last year, but only about five percent were imported, which means that there is a very big potential for domestically produced vehicles.
Neither
company was very fond of each other, and they kept their distances during
the economic chaos of the early 1990s.
GM was leery of AvtoVaz’s huge debt to the Russian government.
Lada on the other had, was suspicious of GM’s intentions in
regards to the future of the wide (and popular), though outdated VAZ model
range, as well as the inevitable streamlining of the workforce.
Nevertheless,
the GM influence was made known in several ways, not the least of which
included obvious changes to the 110 model range to create Russia’s first
production sports car available to the general public: a 2 litre GTi model
using an Opel 16V engine. As
well, GM fuel injection systems are used on other models in the 110 model
lineup, as well as on some Samaras and Nivas.
General
Motors has high hopes of making it big in Russia.
They view it as one of eight countries that will contribute the
bulk of growth in the worldwide automotive market over the next 10 years.
A
plethora of prototypes to wrap up the 1990s
In 1996 a Niva-derived 4WD minivan/people carrier was launched, but in the pre-production phase. Like the Niva, it also uses the old Fiat 1.7 litre SOHC engine. A cargo version is now also available.
Another derivative of the venerable Niva is the 111 Tarzan, an aggressive hybrid all-terrain/station wagon similar to the Subaru Outback. A more sedate version (still with 4WD) called the 111 Stayer is also available but is intended for on-road use. It comes equipped with an Opel 2.0 150 hp engine.
At
the 1999 Moscow Motor Show, the “new” Niva 2123 prototype made its
debut. Featuring an all-new
interior, exterior and numerous mechanical upgrades, it retains the
critical dimensions and ruggedness that made the original Niva so famous.
Although it is still built by Lada today, GM had a big influence in
the first significant redesign of the Niva.
(See the Niva Page for more information).
The 1999 Moscow Motor Show also saw the launch of another new vehicle, the Kalina. Like the 110, it also has the choice of either a 1.5 litre 71 hp engine, or a 16V version with 90 hp. Although not revolutionary in current automotive design, the styling is quite current and trendy. Although still in the pre-production stage the Kalina represents the future of compact cars for Lada. It is expected to be in production by 2005.
At
the same time, a prototype electric car, called the Rapan, was on display.
This concept car once again shows us the skill and creativity of
Lada’s designers. A 2.0
litre DOHC engine is still in the prototype stage.
Lada
is currently working on two other experimental vehicles, the “Elfi”
and the “Gnome” both of which are microcars using the two-cylinder 650
cc Oka engine. They would be
likely candidates for an electric engine.
The
poor state of the unstable Russian economy has scared away most foreign
investment. Lada had an
interesting prototype make an appearance at the 2000 Moscow and Geneva
Auto Shows: the Lada Roadster. Based
on the perspective family of the Lada 118/119, it was designed with the
help of Swiss designer Franco Sbarro.
The
Roadster comes equipped with a 2000 cc 16V engine producing 136 hp.
It has an electric roof similar to that of the Mercedes SLK and
Peugeot 206 CC. The styling
cues are in sync with the current trend of curves mixed with sharp creases
and angular lines. The
Roadster will be the first pseudo sports car in the Russian market.
Lada hopes to have it in mass production by 2005.
The
Peter Turbo prototype, named in honour of czar Peter II (another sign of
change in Russia), is quite a showcar.
It has no interior or chassis, however the PR department at Lada
has promised to make a proper full-fledged car in the near future.
Although only experimental cars, the Roadster and the Peter Turbo could
give Lada a whole new image if put into production.
The
impressive new prototypes give us a glimpse of what we might be able to
expect from the company in the near future.
The company is defiantly changing its image and may soon be known
not only as Russia’s largest automaker, but the most cutting edge.
Although Lada has put out bargain priced tough little vehicles,
sadly many people treat them as such and many can be found in a poor state
of repair. Inevitably this
leads to further (often unwarranted) jokes about the reliability of these
fine Russian vehicles. Regardless
of which direction the company takes, Ladas have already made automotive
history in a relatively short period of time, and we can only imagine that
the best is yet to come.
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