Ladas
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The Lada car series is one of the most visible and enduring images of Soviet manufacturing. Production only ceased in 2012 and Nivas, Kalinas and Samaras could be seen in all corners of the world. In Russia there are plenty still on the road. Some in markedly better states than others.
The Lada was originally intended to be the people's car, but has its own unique place in the story of independent Russia's privatisation. Boris Berezkovsky first acquired a license to sell them to the general public through his company LogoVaz. The humble people's car managed to make him very, very rich. Strangely, now some of them have become collectors items. People spend considerable sums of money kitting them out with alloy wheels, new body work, halogen lights and velvet interiors. The Lada Sedan range holds the dubious honour of being the highest selling car without a single design change. |