Lada Niva, symbol of Soviet era
Recently, I heard news about a Russian auto brand that I hadn’t heard of in years, Lada Niva. Apparently, the manufacturers of this much-ridiculed brand have decided to call it quits, after 40 years of selling more than 20 million units globally.
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It was often likened to a skip on wheels, yet somehow it managed to become a symbol of the Soviet era. The box-like sedan - first produced in 1970 - became the most joked-about car in the world due to its shoddy construction and infamous unreliability.
The Lada, known across the old USSR as the 'Zhiguli' and in the West as the 'Riva', has sold more than 20 million worldwide and is still widely driven on Russian roads. Although it broke down regularly, its legend rested on the knowledge of drivers all over the country to fix it and get it going again.
Critics say the latest version, the Lada 2107, was outdated the moment it first rolled off the assembly line three decades ago. But unlike more sophisticated Western models, it seemed to cope better with the Siberian cold.
Chelsea tycoon, Roman Abramovich, was once a proud owner of a dark blue model and even asked his first wife, Olga, to change the gears for him – so she could feel what it was like to drive an automatic.
The name 'Lada' meant 'boat' in Old Russian, with the badge depicting a Viking sailing ship. The model made a promising start to life after being partly modelled on the 1966 Fiat 124 sedan.
It became a successful export due to its competitive price and DIY-friendly mechanics and brought in important funds for the cash-strapped Soviet Union in the 1980s and 1990s.
Renault bought a 25 per cent share in AvtoVAZ in a $1billion deal in 2008, which was expected to result in new Lada models being produced, but with the car suffering a slump in popularity, the decision to call it quits came after a 76 per cent fall in sales in the first three months of 2015.
For those not familiar with the Lada Niva, some background is in order. The Niva is possibly the most successful Soviet-designed car when it comes to global sales.
It was developed in the '70s in the Soviet Union as something like the equivalent of a Jeep Cherokee or a Range Rover — an off-road-capable vehicle that could also be used to drive with comfort and practicality in town.
A bit more specifically, they wanted something that rural farmers could use out in the field (that's what niva means in Russian) as well as being easy to navigate and cheap to run in the city.
Hear the words of an engineer who reviewed this car for an auto website.
“Ergonomics was just a word that the designers of this car rolled their eyes at before shoving another control in an improbable place, like how the hazard light switch is exactly where you think the ignition key should go. Or how the indicator stalk is shorter and harder to reach than the high-beam switch stalk, so every time you turn you end up flashing your lights at someone.
“It's archaic. Woefully, wonderfully, irredeemably, painfully archaic. Which is probably why I like it so much. But all that is just the fundamental essence of this car.
“Somehow, Lada has managed to make something that's both shoddy and rugged, all at the same time. I don't really fully understand how this is even possible, since you'd think those two qualities would cancel each other out. Surprisingly, they don't.
“The Niva had no radio, which was probably just as well, since I'm not sure you'd have been able to hear it, anyway. The Niva may be the loudest, most cacophonous car I've ever been in.
It's not the usual sort of engine noise loud — though the Niva's 1800cc 4-cylinder engine certainly is capable of making a good din, but it's rather the accumulation of pretty much every part in the car, which seems to have been designed to make as much noise as possible.
“With all its quirks, folks seemed to love the car — when I was taking pictures of the Niva, several people stopped to ask me if I was selling it. An old guy walked by me in the Niva and asked what year it was. I told him 2010, but you know, it's a Lada, and he gave me a knowing look and a warm laugh of understanding.
The Niva is what it is, it's terrible and wonderful, archaic and adequate, shoddy and rugged. It's confusing and ridiculous and practical and fantastic and I'd totally drive one.”