History
VAZ 2101 Zhiguli
The VAZ-2101 was developed from the Fiat 124 with extensive modifications for Soviet requirements, including reinforced suspension, higher ground clearance, and thicker gauge steel. Built at the massive Togliatti plant on the Volga River, it represented Soviet mass motorization. The Zhiguli name was used domestically while exports were branded Lada. Despite being based on 1960s Fiat design, the 2101's robustness and adaptability to extreme conditions made it successful, spawning an entire family of derivatives that remained in production for decades.