LIVIN' LA VIDA LADA

There’s something undeniably beautiful about simple automobiles. Case in point; the Mini, Volkswagen Beetle, Fiat 500 and for us Indians Maruti 800. But there is another addition to this list - Lada.

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For well over 50 years, the Lada has been ruling the streets of Moscow! By ruling, we mean plying. Yes, the Lada was considered the standard car for a man or woman living in the former Soviet Union. It’s a true icon in the car world because, not only has it survived half a century, it has survived an entire system of government.

How it all began

The Lada’s birth came about when the first Russian manufacturer, AVTOVAZ (Formerly VAZ), was formed back in 1966 in Togliatti. AVTOVAZ was a collaboration between Fiat and Soviet Vneshtorg (Department of Foreign Trade). Their objective was to produce cars in the Soviet Union. In 1970, the Russian company began to produce, what would become the first Lada, a more rugged version of the Fiat 124. At home, the brand called the codename ‘VAZ-2101’ as ‘Zhiguli’.