Experience LADA’s Unique Charm – LADA History
1960 – The origin
We are in the 60s, with the cold war in full swing and the Soviet Union leading a part of the world. In 1966, the USSR Council of Ministers approved the construction of new industrial facilities for automobile production. Added to this is the signing of a historic agreement between the Minister of Automotive Industry of the USSR, Tarasov, and the managing director of Fiat, Vittorio Valletta. Finally, in 1969, the Lada Zhiguli began, a model derived from the Fiat 124.
The Zhiguli is a cheap vehicle for Soviet citizens, the same as the Fiat 500, the Beetle, or the Seat 600 did for Italians, Germans, and Spaniards. The Zhiguli was built in different versions, with pick-up and rally variants, for example.
In 1971, the production of its most international vehicle began, the 4×4 Niva, which is still on the market today.
1981 – 1990 – Lada arrives in Spain
Lada began its journey as a brand in Spain in the early 80s. However, the brand has to face the difficulties caused by the import regulations in force. Once this policy was eliminated, sales, which had grown little by little, rose sharply.
1991 – 2000 – Russian Automobiles was born
The Spanish market acquires importance in the international strategy of the brand. As a result, AUTOVAZ established its subsidiary on national soil on May 31, 1996, under the name Automóvil Rusos, SAU. The growth in sales means that in 1992 they exceeded 15,000 units. The new company is in charge of marketing the vehicles and providing spare parts and after-sales coverage for existing cars in Spain and Portugal.
2001 – 2013 – Reunification
In 2007, the name of all models was reunited under the Lada brand. The original identity of the range since its first entry into Spain. More than 30,000 registrations are counted after putting the Kalina on sale in countries such as Holland, Germany, or Belgium; the manufacturer launched 2009 the second product of its new era: the Priora.
The compact arrives in a sedan body with a 1.6-liter gasoline engine, 100 HP, and a five-speed manual transmission. Its equipment includes, among others, ABS, double airbag, and air conditioning.
Lada, which retains a dominant position in the Russian market, was acquired in 2012 by the Renault-Nissan alliance.
The intention of the Russian manufacturer with the launch of the Lada Priora is to recover its share in the Spanish passenger car market, fighting with the economic models of Tata or Dacia.
