Lada Riva (VAZ-2105 / 2107) History

The Riva family — comprising the VAZ-2105 (base), VAZ-2104 (estate), and VAZ-2107 (top-spec) — was introduced from 1980 onward as a restyled evolution of the original Zhiguli. In Western markets it sold under the Lada Riva name and became known as one of the cheapest new cars available, particularly in the United Kingdom and Western Europe through the 1980s and 1990s.

Despite its dated engineering, the Riva's extreme affordability and mechanical simplicity found a loyal following. UK sales ran from 1983, when the Riva replaced the Lada 1200 there, until the late 1990s. In Russia, production of the VAZ-2107 — the most popular variant — continued remarkably until 2010, making it one of the longest-lived car bodies in production history.