Frets you've never seen

The most popular joke about the VAZ on the Internet consists of two photographs. Shown above is the evolution of the BMW 5 Series throughout its production history. Below - "evolution" Lada - the same car for 45 years and the text "Perfection cannot be improved."

But the truth is that the Volga Automobile Plant over the years has produced many interesting and even strange models. Simply, most of them did not enter the market, remaining conceptual models, or were released in very limited series.

A bit of history

VAZ was founded in 1966 on the basis of a contract with the Italian Fiat. The long-time leader of the Communist Party of Italy, Palmiro Tolyatti, provided serious assistance in this agreement, which is why the newly-built city for workers was named after him (today, about 699 residents live in it). For many years, the director of the plant was Viktor Polyakov, the then Minister of Automotive Industry of the USSR.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, VAZ tried various partnerships, including with GM / Chevrolet, but in the end the company was bought by the French Renault Group and today it is part of it. The museum of the company in Togliatti illustrates well all the stages of this story.

Here are the most interesting exhibits exhibited in it.

Inspiration: Fiat 124

This compact Italian car lasted less than eight years on the European market before being replaced by the Fiat 131 in 1974. But in the Soviet Union, it turned out to be almost immortal - the last car based on this architecture was made in Russia in ... 2011.

First: VAZ-2101

In fact, this is not the first car that rolls off the assembly line in Togliatti - no one thought about saving it. However, this is the first copy delivered to the end user, from whom it was later purchased in 1989. In Russia, this model is called "Penny".

Electric VAZ-2801

Another very curious car that is missing from the museum in Togliatti. VAZ-2801 is a serial electric car, produced in the mid-seventies in the amount of 47 units.

Nickel-zinc batteries weigh 380 kg, but give decent horsepower for that era 33 and a 110 km mileage on a single charge - provided that the car travels at a speed of no more than 40 km / h.

VAZ-2106 Tourist

Pickup truck with awning integrated in the luggage compartment. However, the plant director rejected the project, and the only unit produced was then used as inland transport. Today, only toy mock-up models of a forgotten “tourist” are preserved, so he is not in the museum.

VAZ - Porsche 2103

In 1976, the VAZ turned to Porsche for help to improve and modernize its base model. But German refinement was too expensive. However, some elements of the prototype are included in the future Lada Samara.

Last: VAZ-2107

This car, which left the factory in 2011, is ending its Fiat license. Although some components will be used in later models.

Anniversary VAZ-21099

Made in 1991 in honor of the 25th anniversary of the plant, this car bears the names of absolutely all VAZ employees of that time. Including cleaning staff and janitors. The total number of workers at that time was 112.

New beginning: VAZ-2110

The first luxury car developed in Togliatti. It was designed in the first half of the 80s, and the first prototype appeared in 1985. But the economic crisis after Chernobyl and the chaos of change delayed the launch until 1994.

This is the first serial number with a total mileage of just 900 meters made by the then Russian President Boris Yeltsin.

Arctic Niva

In the period from 1990 to 2001, it was this car that served the workers at the Russian Antarctic station Bellingshausen. VAZ proudly declares that this is the only car that has existed for 10 years in Antarctica.

Hydrogen Niva: Antel 1

Created in collaboration with the Ural Electrochemical Plant in 1999, this car uses an innovative hydrogen drive. A feature of the model are tanks: the car carries hydrogen and oxygen in cylinders on board, so there is no space for the trunk.

Gases are mixed in a generator at a temperature of 100 degrees Celsius and generate electricity. To exclude an accidental explosion, the power of the power plant is reduced to only 23 horsepower, and the maximum transport speed is 80 km / h.

Climber: VAZ-2131

This car was a member of the Tibetan expedition in 1999 and climbed to a height of 5726 meters. By the way, some inscriptions are made in Cyrillic, while others are in Latin, depending on which markets or exhibitions representatives of AvtoVAZ products visit.

Electric cars: Oka and Elf

The less money VAZ had in the 1990s, the more bizarre experimental cars its engineers created. Here are the electric version of the Oka and the electric car VAZ-1152 Elf, developed in 1996 - released in total in two copies.

Children's Lada - Pony Electro

Created by order of the famous VDNKh - the annual exhibition of achievements of the national economy. This toy is electrically powered. But it was never sold in children's stores. So it remains in a single copy, for boasting.

New era: Lada Kalina

This is the first car of the second generation model, personally tested by Vladimir Putin and still having his signature on the hood.

More recent times: Lada Largus

Another autograph from Putin, this time on the first model of the Renault group, produced in Togliatti. We know it as Dacia Logan MCV, but in Russia it is called Lada Largus. This ends the rather boring first hall of the museum. More exotic things in the second.

VAZ-1121 or Oka-2

The conceptual model of 2003, from which the successor of the VAZ city car was to be born. But the model never reached this level.

VAZ-2123 based on the Chevrolet Niva

Partnership with Chevrolet gave rise to a not-so-successful SUV, which failed to replace the old Niva. And in 1998, engineers tried to make it a pickup version, but the project did not reach the assembly line.

VAZ-2120 Manager

In 1998, VAZ launched the first minivan in the history of the Russian automobile industry and called it “Hope”. The “manager” was to become its most luxurious version, adapted for an office on wheels. It was never produced, and the Nadezhda itself crashed as a result of import competition and was stopped after only 8000 units were produced.

Lada Rapan

The concept electric car with a nickel-cadmium battery and an electric motor power of 34 horsepower, presented at the Paris Motor Show in 1998. Under the innovative coupe of its time is the Oka platform.

It is worth noting that even the concept stored in the museum has already managed to rust.

Lada Roadster

Conceptual model of 2000 based on the banal "Kalina" of the first generation. Doors from Alfa Romeo GT.

Lada Peter Turbo

Further development of the older Rapan concept with a focus on aerodynamics, although a seemingly very streamlined coupe has never been tested in a wind tunnel. Introduced in 1999 in Moscow, and then at the Paris Motor Show.

VAZ-2151 Neoclassic

Another concept car, but this time it was created with the clear goal to go into mass production. The design is easy to find some similarities with the then Fiat Stilo, Ford Fusion and some Volvo models. However, the company's difficulties in 2002 prevented the birth of a production car.

Lada S

This project was developed in conjunction with Canadian Magna and shown in 2006. However, the appearance of Renault as an investor put an end to working with Magna, otherwise it could easily become a production model.

Lada C2

The first project with Magna struck with its ugliness even the usual fans of Lada, so in 2007 the designers fixed it. But even this hatchback was doomed to remain just a concept.

Lada Revolution III

Since the time when AvtoVAZ regularly participated in the Paris Motor Show and wanted to conquer the rotten West. The Revolution III is the third version of this sports car with a 1,6-liter engine and 215 horsepower.

Lada Rickshaw

The search for new sources of income at the beginning of the new millennium gave rise to models such as golf carts with the VAZ logo.

Lada Granta Sport WTCC

The first relatively successful racing model of the VAZ, made under the hat of Renault. In the period from 2014 to 2017, he recorded 6 victories in the championship, and it was on this machine that Robert Huff achieved the first of them in 2014.

Lada Reid

The concept of 2006, with which the VAZ planned to return to rally sport. But the company's economic uncertainty ruined the project.

Lada Samara, rally

Here is a real rally car that participated in the Moscow-Ulan-Bator race.