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Northern cold, and Central Asian heat. The car
was ready. In 1987 Oka successfully passed the
approval tests in Dmitrovsk. In 1988 the lot of 300
cars was produced. After that the mass production
began as well. The ace of trumps The latest
creation of the Volga automobile plant showed
itself in the best light. The press called the car "a
tiny tot with a fighting spirit". The representatives
of AVTOVAZ were honoured to hear from foreign
dealers the following words many times: «Niva
and Oka are your aces of trumps. You just wouldn't
have any competition if you made automobiles
like these ones!"
The only one
2121, 21213, 21214 (Niva, later Lada 4x4)
For a long time the car was named Niva. But
according to the agreement with General Motors
Corporation, it was sold to the Americans. Now
this five-door jeep under the joint venture has
a name Chevrolet-Niva, and all-wheel drive
vehicle of VAZ got a name Lada 4x». The work
on the new car was fully home development.
The project code was 2121. The first samples
were immediately named "the crocodile" for their
ridiculous outside appearance. But since no one
else in the world had never made anything similar
to this class of automobiles, the design was left
by for a while. The things that this car could do
exceeded all expectations. It easily managed to
climb over cliffs and mountains, moved freely
about running sand and deep snow. Its legendary
off-road performance is famous up to now. Some
of the first samples were driven to the garage of
special function in the Kremlin. The rest of them
were subject to a wide range of tests. According to
their results a definite conclusion was made: the
car has worked out very well!
Russian Bomb
This was the thing that no one expected from
the Russians to do – the car has done a bombshell
effect. Niva became the world's pioneer of a new
generation of offroadsters. In1993 the production
of an updated version 21213 has launched. It
was mainly different in a more powerful 1.7-liter
engine with contactless ignition system, 5-speed
transmission, modified and improved rear door
and new rear lights. Since 2002, when the car has
been already renamed Lada 4x4, they began to
put the same engine with suballocated injection
which met all the modern requirements. In 2009,
the car underwent another modernization (index
M). In general Lada 4x4, retaining all its former
has fairly moved on an advanced level without
losing its distinguish features.
The fuss about front-wheel drive
2108
When the developing of a new model in the
car family started, the factory insisted that it had to
be done on basis of the "classics". However, there
were still a couple of problems with the “classics”,
the main ones were brakes and steering. They did
not fall within the new requirements of standard.
To create the first ever front-wheel drive car VAZ
needed the new plant equipment. And the purchase
of finished pieces could mean total dependence on
the West. In short, every little bit helped when it
was the basic concept about creating a new car
family 2108. This approach was right then, there
was no need to "reinvent the wheel", and finished
products that VAZ received from the foreign market
were at the highest level. To this work several
foreign companies were also involved. The result
was a new engine 2108, which did not even give in
the best world standards in its class. Subsequently
the proof of this was a big amount of positive
customers’ feedbacks from developed European
countries. In the new car family was supposed to
have two models – three-door 2108, and four-
door 2109, the "eighth" and the "ninth". Both of
them had the rear seats able to slide backwards,
which allowed to carry large loads. The first
experimental-industrial series 2108 was produced
at the end of 1984. But nothing was going on
swimmingly. First year owing to the delays of
supplies the cars were coming out without a rear
window wiper, the right outside mirror was added
even later. Some few insecure moments have been
also happening on the road.
Two More doors
2109
The difference between the"ninth" and the
"eighth" is only in a number of doors. No wonder
that the five-door model was particularly popular
in Russia. It was determined by the fact that
Russian families, unlike European ones, usually
had only one car.
But People Wanted "Sedan"!
21099
As a matter of fact, the development of the
next model has been never planned. It was meant
to be a part of the new automotive family 2110.
But when the models VAZ 2108 and 2109 had
been successfully coming out, the factory began
to receive many letters which were questioning
"where is the “sedan?”. The development had to
get started in a hurry. The new model was totally
based on the “ninth”, though the wings and the
bonnets were also lengthened (which was more
attractive), the trunk became more spacious, (and
had a positive impact on the appearance). People
have met the car with enthusiasm.
Jewelry Work is Restarted
2113, 2114, 2115 (Samara-2)
Roundness all the Go
In the 90s the demand for AVTOVAZ cars
began to decrease, especially abroad. Meanwhile
the development a new car family 2110 was
going on. The production plant was in mess,
the administration urged with the development
and set really tough time and price limits. There
was no choice and engineers had to upgrade the
model from the previous family, however, the new
model must not look like just a car tuning. In those
days aerodynamic shape was just about to go into
the fashion. The front part of the car was redone as
if inspired. When it came up to the rear bodywork
some difficulties appeared. They Had to remove
the spoiler from the roof of a hatchback, the slope
of the rear glass door had to be changed too.
Eventually, the rear part was decided to remain
unchangeable, though the angularity was decided
to cover with the spoiler.
The Family 2110
2110, 2111, 2112
New Conditions
The producing of the new models was really
tough and there were two reasons why. Firstly, the
plant administration couldn’t turn away from the
"classics" idea. Secondly, it was about the decline
of the economic situation in the country at large, the
restructuring, and the unstable political situation.
After developing the first fifteen models that had
beenmadeaccordingtothebasicprinciplesof2108,
after subsequent hard test drives, the developers
realized that it was all wrong. They proposed a new,
audacious for those times, solution. The Special
attention has been given to aerodynamics. This
work has been done in close cooperation with
experienced firm Porsche. No doubt the shape of
the new model was just excellent.
Worth Attention
All the way around, since that time and by
now the 2110 model has been quite a decent
automobile. It was very good on the road,
acceptable for ergonomic qualities and had a
modern fuel economy system. Of course, it was
not that flawless, there were some problems
with the rear stabilizer, with the upper support
structure, the rigidity of fastening of the steering
mechanism. As a result, the controllability and
stability on the road of 2112 were a bit worse
than of 2108. The engineers managed to fix these
problems only in Priora
The New Life of the Old ‘Tenth’
2170, 2171, 2172 (Priora)
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