Lada Samara (VAZ-2108 / 2109) History

The Lada Samara family (VAZ-2108 three-door hatchback; VAZ-2109 five-door) represented a generational shift for AvtoVAZ: the first front-wheel-drive Lada, with a modern transversely mounted engine and hatchback body, entering production on 18 December 1984. In export markets it was sold variously as the Lada Samara, Lada Sputnik (the three-door), and Lada Forma.

The Samara sold well in Western Europe in the late 1980s and early 1990s, continuing the brand's value proposition. A second generation (the 'Samara 2', VAZ-21099 sedan and updated hatchbacks) followed, and production of the hatchback variants continued at Togliatti until 2004, with some assemblies running until December 2013. The Samara was progressively replaced by the Kalina and Granta platforms.