The Soviet Union found itself in an interesting predicament during the 1960s. While it claimed to be capable of matching the United States technologically and militarily during the height of the Cold War, it lagged considerably in the area of passenger car construction and sales. It tried to bridge the gap with the Lada 2103, a car based on the Fiat 124. However, even its enormous production facility in Tolyatti could not build cars fast enough, leaving potential buyers waiting for years to take delivery of their new toy. This 2103 rolled off the line in 1977, and was imported by the seller from Lithuania. It is set to head to a new home, and I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Mitchell G. for spotting it listed here on Craigslist in Morningside, New York. Handing over $18,500 could allow you to drive away in what the seller describes as a zippy Soviet icon.
The USSR was desperate to develop a viable passenger car industry during the 1960s, leaving no stone unturned. The Government approached Ford and a couple of European manufacturers, but seemed to encounter roadblocks wherever it went. However, it negotiated a deal with Fiat during this time to develop a local version of the 124 Special. The styling remained unchanged, but Lada performed a massive reengineering program to allow the 2103 to cope with roads with holes big enough to rival the Grand Canyon. It utilized heavier steel in the bodyshell, increasing the curb weight by over 230 lbs when compared to its Fiat cousin. Rust prevention strategies were superior to those utilized by the Italians to ensure that cars didn’t dissolve during the merciless Russian winter months. There were also mechanical updates, which we will cover shortly. This 1977 example looks like a gem, with the seller stating that it is rust-free. Its Orange paint looks remarkably good, because many Ladas from this era looked like they had been painted with rattle cans. Orange-peel was common, as were runs and sags that detracted from a car with quite crisp styling. This car shines nicely, the panels are as straight as an arrow, while the trim and glass are excellent.
This Lada’s interior springs a pleasant surprise, especially for a vehicle of this vintage. The Brown cloth and vinyl may not appeal to all tastes, but the color is typical of the period. There is no visible wear beyond some marks on the Black carpet below the pedals. The dash is excellent, as is the faux woodgrain. Other Russian cars from this period represented motoring at its most basic, but this Lada scores extra points for its tachometer and the AM radio.
The use of heavier-gauge steel in the body of the 2103 and the higher curb weight when compared to the Fiat 124 Special led to the decision by Lada to employ a more powerful engine to retain respectable performance. It chose a 1,458cc four that generated 75hp and 77 ft/lbs of torque. Buyers could choose from a four-speed manual transmission or…a four-speed manual transmission. While the Fiat featured four-wheel disc brakes, Lada adopted aluminum drums on the rear to reduce costs and potentially improve long-term reliability. The engine chosen by Lada was essentially bulletproof, and with such factory additions as an auxiliary fuel pump and a starting handle, it took some pretty extreme weather to stop a 2103 in its tracks. The seller states that this survivor is a turnkey proposition that is fun to drive. It appears that flying in, handing over the cash, and driving home is a viable option for potential buyers to consider.
The Soviet Union was desperate to match the United States during the 1960s and 1970s, with the Government investing heavily in the military and infrastructure. However, passenger car production remained a thorn in its side, and the figures told an alarming tale. In North America during the late 1960s, there was one car for every 2.7 people, but in the USSR, that number ballooned to one car for every 238 people. The Lada 2103 hit the market in 1972 to bridge that gap, remaining on sale in almost unchanged form until 1984. As was the case with most aspects of Soviet life during this period, it is almost impossible to discover accurate production figures. However, only a limited number have found their way to North America as private imports. This 1977 example looks like a gem, and I won’t be surprised if it finds a new home fairly quickly. Do you agree?
Lada rally entrant. š
You’re not wrong, Stan. There are plenty of these still doing the rounds in rally competition. The stronger body means that they will withstand far more abuse than the Fiat version, while the Fiat twin-cam is easy to bolt in for improved performance.
En Russia, our GPS tells you where to go,,,Once again, rare doesn’t always mean valuable, let’s see, a driveable Mach 1 or this. I know, I kid, you know, this is really a pretty nice car. Sadly, in good old USA, we were taught to hate the Russians, not sure why. I suppose they threatened the very life they slogged through France for. As I got older, I realized, they weren’t all that much different than us. They had jobs to go to, rent to pay, school to go to, and could buy a GAZ, I suppose, but 74 different kinds of cars just weren’t needed. This worked and was good enough, while it enabled them to concentrate on world and space domination,,,or so my old man said. If I could only tell him, dad, I don’t think so.
Oh, one more thing( cough, hack, Columbo), I would tend to disagree with the author, the Fiat twin cam is a belt driven, scrambleable motor, this used a timing chain, and was very dependable,,,I read. Not sure if there were Russian hooligans dropping Fiat motors in Ladas?
Thank you very much Howard for these wise words!
Howard, I know you like to read. You might enjoy The Untold History of the United States by Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick. It covers the last hundred years or so and tells the story from a more worldly perspective, rather than the typical orientation where each country is the star of its own history.
Perhaps that will make it easier to understand why our parents believed and said what they did. I think youāre correctā
The Russian people werenāt that much different from us. I, too, learned some new things here about the Lada here. Interesting that in spite of the Cold War, the Russians were shopping the world markets to fulfill their automotive needs.
My wife and I traveled in a Lada in Czechoslovakia with some local friends in 1992. The Lada was an excellent car and I knew it was based on a Fiat but didnāt realize it was modified for its intended use.
Iād rather have this car than 5 Trabants!
Or a half dozen Skodas!
I’m going to come right out and say it…. I like this car!! I don’t know much about Ladas. But sure know a lot more about them now after reading all of this. You wrote a terrific article Adam, and once again walking away know more than before. I actually didn’t know about the extra metal in the bodies and these being engineered to survive Russian roads and winters. I would guess you were living in the lap of luxury with an AM radio AND a tach!!! The seats look great to me, like they belong in something more expensive, and they look pretty darn comfortable too. This one absolutely looks like a gem. And let’s face it….. You would ABSOLUTELY be the only one of these parked at a Cars and Coffe or a car show…… And if there did happen to be a second one???? I’d SO park right next to it for kicks. I enjoyed this very much again, thanks Adam.
-Dave
These were sold in Canada as well. I recall visiting a dealership in Vancouver, B.C. circa 1978. The build quality didn’t seem quite as nice as the Fiat-built versions — there was some orange peel on the paintwork, and a few ragged edges here and there — but the price was right and, by all accounts, these were rugged little machines.
A short test drive revealed a pretty nice little sedan, but one might have wished Comrade Abarth had worked his magic on the engine….
What I really had a hankering for was a Niva, not because it was so special, but more because it was, well, a bit strange. But I knew I’d never get it across the border into the USA.
Orange peel. Common on Fords of the ’50’s. Mostly gone since then, but a few years ago, shopping for a new car, I liked the looks of the Nissan Rogue, drove one at the dealer’s, worst orange peel I had seen in years on their demo car. Could not understand why they used that one. Was gutless as well, so crossed it off the list.
GM in the ’70s was well known for orange peel since they swapped directly from lacquer to waterborne acrylic enamel.
This might be the same seller that’s on Facebook,constantly
selling Eastern Bloc older cars,& the asking price is never cheap.
Consider what else $18,500 would buy.
Crazy Vaclavs Place of Automobiles???
Crazy Vladimir.
My thoughts exactly, we saw a Ford Ranchero on Barn finds yesterday for $12500. I might go look at the Ranchero today, you can keep the Lada for $18500.
You are absolutely correct. I bought a new Fiat 124TC in 1974 for under $2000 and it was not a great car. Rusty right off the boat. $18500 for this car today is just plain nuts IMHO.
I remember once on Top Gear when the Lada was “tested” … the rear drums made out of aluminum … had the friction power of … butter.
While a nice example, I struggle mightily with the idea of $18k for a Lada. They are pretty crude cars, and āfun to driveā isnāt exactly what my memories say.
Back in the summer of 1981 I worked for a relative who had a larger dealership in Sweden. Ford was the main brand, but somehow they also sold Lada (and Belarus tractors). There were two kinds of Lada buyers. Either very poor people who couldnāt afford the payments on a better car (and typically couldnāt afford it on the Lada either, there were many repossessions!) or more commonly elderly people who never even test drove the car before buying it. It wasnāt uncommon that they didnāt want to drive it home after the purchase, so weād deliver it to their home so that they could ālearn the new carā in the familiar surroundings.
Everything thatās good with the Fiats had been sucked out of the Lada. The eager engines, good brakes, crisp steeringā¦ Here itās all very agricultural. Rough engines, noisy transmissions, heavy leaden steering and brakes. The one redeeming thing was that they had very good heaters.
As for the build quality it wasnāt perhaps as bad as for the Belarus tractors, those were disassembled and put back together again with Western bearings and seals and bolts properly torqued. But Iād say that more than 50% of the Lada arrived partially repainted with overspray, visible tape lines and questionable color matching. Poorly stitched seat covers, ill fitting carpets etc. That year there had been some change to the rims so the hubcaps would fall off – we started delivering the cars with the hubcaps in the trunk so that we werenāt held liable for the lost ones.
No, I donāt have any fond memories. Of all the east bloc cars that I have tried the rear engine Skodas were the ones to have. At least they were a bit more fun.
During a visit to Canada in the 1980s I stopped in at a Skoda dealership out of curiosity. (At that time the rear engine models were still current.) I looked over the ones in the showroom and as I recall they looked pretty decent overall but did not ask to take one for a test drive.
By the way if you check out the Russian automotive youtube channel “Garage 54” those guys seem to have an almost infinite supply of Ladas to use for crazy experiments!
Did the Favorit even make it to Canada at all?
@nlpnt – The Skoda brochures I have are from “Jay’s Skoda” in Vancouver and the models covered are the 120L and 120GLS, Rapid 130, and 130 Coupe.
The price sheet I have is dated 3/15/1988 and lists the 120L at $5998 and 120GLS at $7512. Another $995 in addons includes freight ($397), dealer prep ($140), 1500km inspection ($80), full tank of gas ($18), PVC undercoating ($180), and Waxoyl treatment ($145).
There is also a list of optional equipment, some notable pieces are AM/FM cassette player with 2 speakers ($295), popup sunroof ($295), alloy wheels ($595), sports steering wheel ($105).
So that’s a little snapshot of Skoda in Canada during the late 1980s.
T
During a visit to Poland in late 1977, I travelled from Warszawa to Gdansk as a rear seat passenger in a Lada. What I remember is a noisy engine accompanied by a whining transmission and a suspension that would have made my college ride ’52 Chevy seem like a limo. Every bump in the road caused the roof to oil can and the driver to mutter, “Russkie”, which I understood to not be a compliment.
These Lada sedans were the common man’s car–what so many drove due to affordability. If you go on YouTube you can find hundreds of dash cam videos taken in Russia and surrounding areas featuring Lada sedans like this. My God, these cars fold up like crazy in wrecks! Windshields pop out in certain impacts, and the it’s as if there are no ‘crumple zone’ protections built into them at all! Add to all this the fact that Russians by and large are horrible drivers and you can imagine the death rates!
Will,
I was going to let this pass since I only had one brief encounter with a Lada, but your comments reminded me of my also one and only encounter with a Yugo. Dallas, 1990. Coming out of a residential side street in the 1985 Chevy 3/4 ton 4×4 pickup that I was driving at that time. The Yugo ran the red light (brake failure?? / don’t know) and the impact with the side of my pickup peeled its body panels like an orange. Total loss. Damage to my pickup. A minor horizontal dent across the lower part of my door. ROTFLMAO.
In the late 90ās after the āwallā came down I lived in Kazakhstan and had a Lada that I paid just under 3k for. One of the best cars Iāve ever had based on reliability. In some of the most extreme weather it never let me down! Its minimalist design was a savior in KZ and was able to get me from point A to B with no issues. That said Iām having a hard time with the price point on this one BUT it is why it is! IMHO – way overpriced.
Boy the memories of these in my youth. In 1980 my elderly aunt had a boyfriend whom had one. The only thing i remember though it was red, i was only 13 then. But later on in the late 80’s one of my friends had a 87 bought new and it is true it had a hand crank. The miles we racked up going all over the place. I worked at a parts counter with my friend in that era and we had a regular following of people for parts and maintenance. My friend always laughed when on very cold winter days here in Quebec that many upmarket cars refused to start his always did. Ever go 180 kmh. We did once as we were entering Quebec city in the wee hours of the morning in a long downhill he wanted to see how high it would go. I sware at 180 i thought the fenders would fly off. Now that was fun
Yes we had them in Canada. I had a girlfriend in high school that had one…I have to say it was awful to drive. I had heard that Russia had basically pushed the Italians out of the JV and took all of the infrastructure, but I cannot find a reference to back that up. However, I did find a really interesting article (including car show models wearing fur bikinis!):
http://www.curbsideclassic.com/uncategorized/automotive-history-the-unlikely-story-of-trying-to-import-soviet-ladas-to-the-united-states/
best
bt
Somehow, even though its a close relative to the Fiat 124, it looks like the love child of a Datsun 510 and a Skoda. And has all the charm of neither. If someone wants something no one else has, then more power to them.
It goes without saying that these things (LADA’S) are all over the place in Cuba, but I also remember seeing them in Jamaica. I found it very interesting that in Cuda, most of the ‘daily drivers are in really bad, patched together shape, but the LADA’S from the 70’s, 80’s & 90’s are in as bad a condition (or worst) then the vintage American cars from the late 40’s, 50’s and early 60’s.
When I went to Jamaica for college spring break in the ’80s these were all over the place as taxis.
Russian cars. Fun to drive ? Maybe with a three-point hitch on the back.
My kind of car! The kind that no one else has, that’s a FIAT. Been drivin’ them since 1958 and never came in “on the hook” in over one million miles. To have economical fun in a sort of anti-establishment car, all that’s required with a FIAT is to follow “the book” and drive it like you stole it… lovingly, i.e.; sanely.
Most of my experience was with the small displacement, high revving engines turning around 4,000 revs a mile and it was no sweat to turn one half TRILLION revs reliably… oh, that’s ’bout 120,000 miles and still goin’ strong.
I remember the first time I saw one was at this years McPherson Collage C.A.R.S. Club Car Show. First time I had ever seen a Russian car. Took some cool pictures of it with my 35mm. Unfortunately I never got to meet the owner and hear its story. Was in worse shape than this one, but according to what I’m hearing from the comments, that’s common. Definitely saw the orange peel, over spray, and the paint was super chalky. I was surprised that it didn’t have any rust at all, but now I know they built it with rust in mind. Kudos to them for that. Looks like a fun car, although I shudder to think of the cost of OEM parts. Definitely a unique car and everyone would ask you about it at a car show.
Lovely looking car. It’s unforgivable that it was never offered here in the USA. I would’ve bought it and enjoyed it.
It was offered here. I had a 74 Fiat 124TC, essentially the same car.
Is it? From what I’ve been told, the Russian built Lada was better built than the Italian Fiat.
Car Nut Tacoma: Based on the article here you could be right. But I owned one and this looks exactly the same as my 124TC. I guess the sheet metal and rust prevention could be better, (It couldn’t be worse) But what about all the cheap plastic? If Lada was going to build everything better than the Fiat, what did they need Fiat for?
I agree. It also takes consistent maintenance to keep a car running right. Assuming the Lada and the Fiat are the same cars, it should’ve been possible.
nice
Year ago when Ladas were sold in Canada I spent what was to be a week with a Lada Niva from their press fleet. I loved the idea of it, the size, its pure utility, but it was a dog. It had very few miles on the odometer but ran rough and stumbled endlessly. Essentially no suspension worth having. Fit and finish? Ha! I took it back after 3 days.
Some additional tidbits – the Lada (together with other Soviet cars like the Moskvitch) came delivered with a very impressive tool kit. You got things like a flashlight, tire pump, funnel, tire iron and other stuff I have never seen in other cars. Guess you needed that in the Soviet Union (or in Kazakhstan!)
I also remember the headline when the largest car magazine in Sweden tested a Moskvitch. āCheaper than Lard Sausageā as the price per kilo was less than for such inedible sausages..!
Finally – thereās a hilarious documentary movie on YouTube āThe Last Russian Limousineā about the GAZ truck and limousine factory in Moscow some time after the fall of the Soviet Union. A must see for anyone interested in East Bloc vehicles!
I owned a 1980. Used it as a winter beater for 3yrs. Had its little quirks but you could not kill it. Iād buy another in a heartbeat but not for this price.
$18k for a cute car made in the USSR, pre-glasnost. Ain’t Capitalism great?
I owned one of these, in Red. Bought it for $200, drove it as a daily driver for 2-3 years, and rallied it one a month. It won it’s class in our club, much to the disgust of the VW dealer prepped Golf or Jetta.. Weird facts, the distributor has a manual adjustment wheel on the side, to advance and retard the timing. This is to adjust for bad gasoline ( pretty sure what the owners manual said ). I rebuilt the carb by removing 5 screws from the top of the carb and removing it, installing a new float and needle seat assembly. You set the needle seat by using a metric drill bit of correct diameter as a gauge. Parts were $19, time was 1/2 hour. Good memories.