Lada is the trademark of AvtoVAZ, a Russian car manufacturer in Togliatti, Samara Oblast. All AvtoVAZ vehicles sold currently are of the Lada brand but this has not always been so. Ladas were AvtoVAZ's export vehicles, the same models being sold under the Zhiguli brand on the domestic Soviet market since 1970. They became extremely popular during later decades in Russia and Eastern Europe, particularly the former Soviet bloc countries where they have become a symbol of city life. From cities like Prague to Astana, Kazakhstan Lada cars are a very common automobile on the urban landscape.
Lada made its name in Western Europe selling the Fiat 124-based VAZ-2101 and its many derivatives as an economy car in large quantities during the 1980s, but subsequent models have not enjoyed the same success.
The common Lada sedan/estate, sometimes known as the Classic in the west (Signet in Canada), was partly based on the 1966 Fiat 124 sedan, and has become one of the most successful cars in history. The keys to its success were: competitive price as an export, simple DIY friendly mechanics, unpretentious functionality, and lack of competition on its USSR home market. Since 1980 over 13.5 million Ladas have been badged as 'Rivas', (re-styled to resemble the well-regarded Volvo 200 series), with another 5 million made from 1969 - 1979 (badged as 2101-2107 depending on engine size/interior specs) for a total of over 18.5 million. Lada terminated the Classic series in the 1990s but production of the model with uprated specifications still continues in significant numbers elsewhere. The car was built under licence in several other countries.
Being exported worldwide in the 1980s and '90s, the Lada was a big earner of foreign hard currency for the hard pressed Soviet economy, and was also used in barter arrangements in some countries. Over 3/5ths of Lada production was exported, mainly to western countries (the US was the only large market not to have imported Ladas) and Lada is unique in being the only car brand found on every continent of the world, including Antarctica (where the Russian research base used Lada Nivas). The rugged design of the Lada Classic, built with heavier gauge steel bodywork, to cope with extreme Siberian climates, poor roads and few service facilities in many parts of Siberia, meant that high mileages (300,000 mls [480,000 km]) were possible under less extreme operating conditions. Because of their very competitive pricing and ease of service, Ladas are common as police cars, taxis, and a range of public service/civil defence vehicles in many parts of Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean.
In March 2008, Renault purchased a 25% stake in AvtoVAZ in a $US1 billion deal. This is expected to result in new Lada models being developed on existing Russian assembly lines and increased output. The remaining 75% of AutoVAZ continues to be owned by the Russian state owned Rostekhnologia corporation. Lada is now part of the Renault-Nissan-Lada group, which is the world's third largest automotive group (after General Motors and Toyota).[1] In spite of a flood of western models into the Russian market in recent years, Lada has managed to maintain fairly constant sales figures.
Countries
Australia
Ladas were first imported into Australia in 1984, with the Niva compact 4WD and in 1988 the Samara 3dr hatchback was introduced. The Samara 5dr hatchback and 4dr sedan would later join the Samara 3dr hatch, but would be given different names - the 5dr hatchback was called the Lada Cevaro and the 4dr sedan would be sold as the Lada Sable. The Lada Niva 4WD would also be offered as a ute/pickup truck on an extended wheelbase and a 2dr soft top of which only 100 were believed to be imported to Australia.
While initial sales were promising, reports of poor quality and reliability issues soon began to take their toll and by 1996, sales had dwindled to under 100 units. It is believed Ladas had actually stopped being imported to Australia by 1994, but it took 2 years to sell the last of the remaining stock.
The Lada Niva enjoys a somewhat small cult following in Australia and if you are to see any Ladas on Australian roads, it would most likely be a Niva.
1996 was the last year Lada would sell vehicles on the Australian market before being withdrawn completely.
Brazil
Lada cars started being imported to Brazil in 1990, when the Brazilian president Fernando Collor lifted the ban on car imports. In fact, Lada was the first foreign trademark to enter Brazil's car market after Collor's liberalization of 1990. Initially, Lada 2105(sedan) and 2104 (station wagon) models (badged as Lada Laika) and Lada Niva were very successful models because of their low prices. Shortly after, the Samara was introduced. The Samara was never successful in Brazil. The Laika and Niva models' popularity began to wane after a few years because of the perceived lack of quality of all Lada car models. The cars were also widely criticized for their poor design. However, the Niva continued to be strong in the off-road market, even having a limited edition exclusively for the Brazilian market (Niva Pantanal). It continued to be sold until 1997. Many of the last Lada Nivas sold in Brazil had diesel engines. Most of the Nivas sold in Brazil remain operational and used cars still command high prices in the used car market. In fact, in Brazil, a 1991 Niva in very good condition can cost as much as R$11,000 or US$5,500, which is far more than the average price in the Brazilian used car market for a car of that year. The normal price for a Lada Niva made in year 1991 or 1992 is about R$6,000 (about US$3,000) in Brazilian used car market. As many as 30,000 Lada cars were sold in Brazil between 1990 and 1997. Between 1990 and 1992, Lada sold more cars than any other importer to Brazil. A Brazilian who loves to drive a Niva is called a "niveiro" in Brazil.
Canada
LadaCanada started importing the Russian made cars in 1979. The first model was the Lada 2106, with a 1500 cc engine. Later, the Lada Niva, a 1.6L 4x4 Lada, did very well, with over 12,000 sold in Canada in its first year of import. Lada disappeared from Canada after the 1998 model year due to the fact low-cost South Korean automakers Daewoo Motors and Kia Motors arrived in Canada at the time. By the late 2000s, many Lada dealerships and Lada products have mostly disappeared from Canadian streets. There are some Lada vehicles that are still in use in Canada. The Canadian vehicle market is now mostly dominated by the major American, German, Swedish, Japanese, and Korean car manufacturers.
Turkey
Lada made an entry into the Turkish Market in the late 1980s. Most of the sales were of Samara, which was marketed with durability, cheap price, and relatively low fuel consumption. Lada Niva also made a presence in the 4x4 market. New models like 2110 are still being sold in Turkey, though not with the success met by Samara.
United Kingdom and Ireland
AvtoVAZ began exporting cars to the UK and Ireland in 1974 using the brand name Lada. The Fiat 124-based range was known for its outdated technology, poor fuel economy and tank-like roadholding, but it gained popularity thanks to its ruggedness, spacious interior, massive boot and low price. The later Riva version featured practical spring loaded stainless steel bumpers. The low price was a particular consideration during the recession of the 1980s. The Lada also appealed to pensioners who did low mileages where the poor fuel economy was less of an issue.
After introduction of the Riva range in 1980, sales through the 1980s were particularly strong, with UK and Ireland sales peaking in 1988 at 33,000 units (being near 2% of UK car sales). AvtoVAZ built up a network of UK and Ireland Lada dealers through its marketing associate, Satra Motors. A memorable advert for the Riva was also produced featuring comedy duo Cannon & Ball. Some of the dealerships were owned outright and some were agencies. The Satra-owned dealerships were all sold off in 1987 and 1988.
Lada was a victim of the political and economic problems of Russia in the late 80s and early 90s. It was not possible to invest adequately in product and service development. By the 1990s the age of the basic Riva design was showing more than ever. Not even sub-£5,000 prices on the basement models were enough to disguise the 1966 vintage of the design. UK & Ireland sales dwindled away to 8,000 units in 1996, the last full year in which Lada cars were marketed in the UK & Ireland. During this period, many Lada dealers either went out of business or switched to other makes of car. Confronted with the need to meet new 1992 EU emission control requirements, Lada tried to continue to use a carburettor with an exhaust catalyst instead of the near universally adopted electronic fuel injection. Three years later at their first emissions MOT test they failed very badly, needing new expensive catalysts. Over-fuelling had destroyed the catalysts. This catastrophe, along with a shortage of certain imported components, and increased competition from Daewoo and Proton in the '90s, led AvtoVAZ to withdraw from the UK, Ireland and most other western European markets. Lada cars maintained a presence in a number of African, Caribbean and Latin American markets.
From 1979, Lada produced the Niva four-wheel drive. It had Monocoque construction which was innovative in the 4x4 market where a heavy separate chassis was the norm. It competed well with Japanese rivals like the Suzuki SJ and Daihatsu Fourtrak in terms of practicality and stability, and above all else, its off-road ability. Also, the Niva was significantly cheaper than its rivals. This was one area where Lada achieved some market success in the 1990s. The Niva was adopted by several British police forces and attracted something of a cult following within the 4x4 enthusiast fraternity in the UK and elsewhere. Niva sales would have benefitted from a diesel engine option, but it was never offered in the UK. After the withdrawal of Lada from the UK & Ireland in 1997, several dealers continued to acquire Nivas by special import for sale in the UK. These required some local modification of the new General Motors supplied engines, in order to meet emission control regulations current in the UK. A few Lada enthusiasts make the trip to Tallinn where they can buy new, right hand drive Ladas (made for the West African market) for as little as US$2,500.
Lada's first attempt at a modern car came with the Samara hatchback in 1984 (launched in the UK in 1987), which made use of a completely new mechanical design. But many budget-conscious buyers simply stuck with the old Riva, which many would argue was actually a better car (despite its ancient design) and also sold for significantly less.
In 1997, the Lada range was withdrawn from Britain and most other European markets, but it continued to be an enormous success in Russia. Another attempt at a modern car came in 1996 with the 2110, which is similar in size to a Ford Mondeo or Opel Vectra. This model was never sold in the UK or Ireland. It looked and was far more modern than the rest of the Lada range, but proved disastrously unreliable in its early years, causing the company already in financial difficulty to spend millions ironing out the many faults which had been reported.
After Lada (UK) ceased operations in 1997, the remains of the British network of Lada dealers were serviced by Lada (France). Ladas rapidly disappeared from British roads. They had minimal second-hand value in the UK and a re-export market for Russia developed. Many UK and Irish-registered Ladas were sold back to Russia (especially by Russian trawlermen), to be stripped for spare parts or to be sold to Russian buyers who appreciated the superior export-specification cars.
There have been several attempts to reintroduce Ladas to the UK market (though not the Irish market), but these have not produced a result as yet.
Ecuador
Lada 112 "Sport" (left) in Quito, Ecuador
Lada cars appeared in Ecuador during the 1970s. The imports stopped in the mid 1990s. In 2000, AvtoVAZ associated with the local factory AYMESA to produce the Lada Niva 4x4 1.7i. This agreement ended in 2005 when car imports began again.
By 2007 other car models were also being imported: Lada 110, Lada 111, Lada 112, Lada Kalina (sedan), Lada Niva 2121 (3-doors), Lada Niva 2131 (5-doors) and Lada 2107 "Clasico".
There are some very old models, like the Lada 2101, that are still functioning.
Finland
Lada cars came to Finland in 1971. They were among the most sold cars in Finland for many years in 1970s but their share has declined and in 2004 Lada cars were in position 26th of all new registered cars. The Lada models sold in Finland are Kalina and Niva. Kalina is known as "Lada 119" in Finland.
Since 1990s there has been organized meetings of drivers of old Lada models. In 2008 Lada drivers made a trip to Lada factory in Russia with their cars.
Costa Rica
Lada cars started to being imported to Costa Rica in the late seventies and become very popular in the eighties as one of the few new cars that the middle class could afford due to its low cost. The models included the Niva, 2104 and Samara among others. There are still a few Ladas in circulation nowadays, altough it is considered as a rare sighting.
Singapore
The Lada Samara was introduced in Singapore for a brief period of time in the early 1990s. They proved to be extremely impractical in a country where cars above three years of age have to be inspected yearly, because of their unreliability especially in the tropical climate[citation needed]. Coupled with the Certificate of Entitlement system, which meant that a hefty sum needs to be paid after 10 years should car owners wish to continue driving their cars, Lada had virtually no market and pulled out quickly. There are few, if any Lada cars left, on Singapore roads.
Trinidad and Tobago
From 1995 until 2001, there was a fairly successful attempt at marketing Lada Riva saloons, estates, Nivas and Samaras in Trinidad and Tobago. Using right hand drive kits from the defunct Lada UK , these were sold as budget transportation as at one time the Riva 1.5 SE saloon was the cheapest new car available. Trinidadian dealer , Petrogas Ltd. marketed the Riva as a family runabout and the Niva as a lifestyle 4x4. Both were reasonably well equipped and retailed for between US$8,000.00-$15,000.00. Rust , reliability issues and increasing competition from grey market Japanese imports soon forced Ladas off the market. The Samara was introduced in 2000 as a last-ditch attempt to salvage the brand. It failed and the last Samaras were sold as unfinished kits in 2003.
Motorsport
Lada are competing as a factory team in the World Touring Car Championship, racing the 110 model, now they replaced it with there new Lada Priora. The Lada factory team has 3 110's (now replaced with 3 Lada Priora entered in the 2009 World Touring Car Championship (WTCC). They are driven by Viktor Shapovalov (now replaced with James Thompson, Kirill Ladygin and Jaap van Lagen. Race after race the new priora is going better then ever. The best Result for Lada so far is 6th place for 2x at Imola, resulting in their first championship point. The car was driven by James Thompson.
Lada sponsored Aldershot Football Club of the English Football League for two seasons leading up their bankruptcy in 1992. Lada also sponsored Colo Colo (Chile) during their championship season in 1991.
Image gallery
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Rally-prepared Lada in Hungary
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A self-made limousine version of a Lada 2101, in Trinidad, Cuba
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See also
References
External links
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