Overview
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 later models were less successful.
The common Lada sedan/estate, sometimes known as the Classic in the west (VAZ 2104/2105/2107 were known as Signet in Canada, Riva in the UK, and Nova in Germany), was partly based on the 1966 Fiat 124 sedan, and became a successful export car. The keys to its success were: competitive price as an export, reliability, simple DIY-friendly mechanics and unpretentious functionality. Since 1980 over 13.5 million Ladas were badged as 'Rivas' (UK only, Signet in Canada, Nova in Germany), added to 5 million made from 1969 to 1979, badged as 2101 (Lada 1200 sedan), 2102 (Lada 1200 estate/wagon), Lada 2103 (quad headlights, more luxurious interior than Lada 1200, known as Lada 1500s in Canada), Lada 2106 (improved Lada 2103, known as Lada 1600 in Canada) depending on engine size/interior specs for a total of over 18.5 million. The car was built under licence in several other countries.
Being exported worldwide in the 1980s and 1990s, Ladas was a big earner of foreign hard currency for the hard-pressed Soviet Union, and was also used in barter arrangements in some countries. Over 60% of Lada production was exported, mainly to western countries (the US was the only large market not to have imported Ladas). 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 Russia, made high usage, such as 300,000 miles (480,000 km) possible under less extreme operating conditions. Because of their very competitive pricing and ease of service, Ladas became common as police cars, taxis, and a range of public service and civil defence vehicles in many parts of Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean.
In March 2008 Renault purchased a 25% stake in AvtoVAZ in a US$1 billion deal. This is expected to result in new Lada models being manufactured 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). In spite of a flood of western models into the Russian market in recent years, Lada has managed to maintain its dominant market share.
Early 2011 was to be a watershed year for the brand as a whole, with production of the classic Fiat 124-based 2105 and 2107 series models being completely moved from the Togliatti plant to the IzhAvto plant near Izhevsk, in order to make space for the company's forthcoming 2116 model.
In April 2012 AvtoVAZ announced that the Lada sedan model 2107 will cease production after more than forty years. The production of the rest of the Lada model lineup which includes the Kalina, Priora and Granta continues.
In August 2012, the Lada XRAY concept car was launched at the Moscow International Automobile Salon. The XRAY was designed by chief designer Steve Mattin, formerly of Volvo and Mercedes-Benz.
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