Lada Lada 1200 (VAZ-2101 / Zhiguli) History

The VAZ-2101 — sold domestically as the 'Zhiguli' and in Western export markets as the Lada 1200 — was AvtoVAZ's first production car, rolling off the Togliatti line in April 1970. It was based on the Fiat 124 under a licence agreement signed in 1966, but was substantially re-engineered for Soviet conditions: the body was strengthened, ground clearance raised, heating improved, and the engine rotated to place the carburettor on the cooler side away from the hot manifold.

Exports to Western Europe began in 1971 and reached the United Kingdom in 1974, where the car's rock-bottom price made it a genuine sales success. The VAZ-2103 variant (1972–1984) added a 1.5-litre engine and twin headlights as a domestic luxury version. Total production of the 2101 at Togliatti exceeded 4.8 million units and established AvtoVAZ as one of the world's highest-volume plants by the mid-1970s.

The family gave way to the modernised Riva (VAZ-2105/2107) from 1980 onward, though some 2101-derived variants continued in production into the late 1980s.