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The Tolyatti released two millionth copy of the Lada 4x4

Several days ago, the assembly line of "AvtoVAZ" came two millionth copy of the three-door SUV Lada 4x4, better known to Russians under its former name "Niva". This case can be called almost exclusively because of 36 years of production, the car has never changed his appearance: "Niva" continues to look at the world more "eyes" -farami, raised an "eyebrow" turn signals.

Exclusivity and adds the fact that in its present shape of the car will last at least until 2016. Then replace the model should come new SUV "AvtoVAZ", which, according to the company's president Igor Komarov, "will be a worthy continuation of the legend." However, this year Lada 4x4 waits for the next stage of modernization. In particular, the machine will start to paint metallic enamels, all the windows will heat-absorbing or athermal, windscreen washer jets will be equipped with two-point.





In a kind of birthday "Niva" I want to remember how to create Togliatti "rover", which became the first affordable SUV in the USSR and was awarded international recognition. After all, even now, "Niva" is the most exported domestic cars. Last year, the factory has sent abroad more than ten thousand off-road vehicles! Moreover, in Germany a few months ago there was a special series Lada 4x4. Buyers are offered a three-year warranty and service assistance in case of breakage on the road for the same period, as well as additional protection of the body from chips and scratches. In general, the choice of the Germans offer more versions of 4x4, than the Russians. In Germany, you can buy a model with a snow shovel from the front or with a special compartment for the game in the trunk.

But back to the year 1970. It was then chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers Alexei Kosygin instructed teams plants IZH, AZLK and "AvtoVAZ" to create a fundamentally new model combines the comfort of a passenger car with SUV capabilities army.

After a couple of years, designers and designers AZLK presented to the Commission SUV "Moskvich-2150", but the mass production of the car did not go. It referred to various reasons, but somehow the car was rather "ennobled" UAZ than really modern and comfortable jeep. As a result, in 1974 in the decisive battle on the state tests agreed IL-14 and "Field".



However, competitors IgE could not be, because originally designed "Niva" looked very depressing and even among vazovtsev got playful name - "Crocodile". Ugly tilt VAZ-E2121 is basically a chassis with the elementary bodies. Familiar to millions of people face "Niva" takes 1973 through the efforts of designer Valery Semushkina. This is how the situation surrounding the establishment of a new model of leading designer and now a leading design engineer Peter Prusov:

"According to the" Cornfield "while a critical situation. When discussing the concept of the car VAZ-2121 was a lot of controversy. Prominent experts defended the classic version ... That is, all inclined to traditional open jeep. This is understandable - at a time in a different way, no one thought. But we, the young, have seen this car quite different (such as it eventually turned out - not the details, of course). But on the Arts Council traditional view prevailed and was adopted by an open option (on closed we did not yet have enough weighty arguments).

VAZ-E2121 "" Crocodile »



So I went to Solovyov (chief designer of VAZ - a comment. "SP") and put it on the table statement to release me from my duties leading designer in connection with the disagreement with the basic concept of the project. At that time, a full-scale mock-up of open plasticine version was already, so to speak, "lick". Our Skmushkinym with layout (closed jeep) to bring this condition we have not had time, and compared it obviously lost.

But Solovyov told me not to get excited and to prepare a convincing argument to the nearest technical council. Obviously, internally it was already agreed with me, but he wanted more time to weigh everything. For technical council were prepared both. And as soon as the Council has started, Solovyov made a stroke of genius. He went first to the open layout: "Of course, this option is more elaborated. But, alas, he was not very promising. So let's do so - will lay its cover, so it does not distract us, and take a closer look the second, closed version, which I think is a much more promising ».

And start a normal, calm discussion, which eventually led to the fact that our viewpoint won! I must say that after the adoption of the concept of all the controversy ended, and further work was in line with the trend. "

Interesting are the memories of the designer Valery Semushkina who spoke in an interview about his sympathy for the small car FIAT-127. It is difficult to say for sure, repelled an artist when creating a "Niva" of this car, but with a strong desire to find a similarity between them is possible.



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So, in 1974 the Commission had to make a difficult choice - "Niva" or IL-14? However, as is often the case in the Soviet Union, the real "battles" were in departmental offices, not in landfills, snow-covered slopes or quicksand. The fate of Izhevsk SUV at the time was already solved. Ministry of Defence, which owned the plant, funds for the development of "raw" car does not stand out, so "Niva" was the only viable project with the prospects for mass production ...

"Niva" of 1974



In 1977, VAZ-2121 stands on the conveyor and into the market. Price - 9000 rubles, which is a little cheaper, "Volga" and is much more expensive than "pennies." The farmers and workers of the village to buy a new car is not in a hurry: the price bites, and the choice was not great, as 80 percent of cars produced were exported. It should be noted that in the West a new vehicle class received very warmly. That's what it says Chief Designer Peter Prusov car:

"... The impetus for the rapid growth of car sales in Europe ... given the weather. In 1979, winters in Europe was unusually snowy, ordinary passenger cars moved on the roads lie as with great difficulty. Unaccustomed to drift with the European flustered and looked enviously as Russian "Niva" drove even where there were heavy SUVs. The best advertising is hard to imagine: in the same year in Germany alone, "Neve" sold four times more than the year before! "Niva" was successfully sold in more than 100 countries, it was collected in six countries: Brazil, Ecuador, Chile, Panama, Greece, Canada. In New Zealand, 80 years 40% of the registration of all off-road vehicles accounted for "Field", and in Austria, she spent several years in 90% of the off-road segment. In France, the "Niva" was generally a cult car. In many countries, there are still clubs fans of "Neve" and England fans "Niva" even publishes its own journal! »

The first production car VAZ-2121



Of course, the export "Niva" is strikingly different from the Soviet version. Depending on the wishes and possibilities of the dealer, "Niva" received "kengooryatniki", "fog", panoramic mirrors, vinyl on the doors and the roof, rear wiper (on our first cars did not have them), plastic moldings and extenders kolestnyh arches, light alloy wheels and hatches, completely alter salon, cut roof. The car became a pickup, convertible or tractor caravan ...

In Germany, for the purchase of "Niva" it had to be written to the queue as a "Mercedes". In the countries of Eastern Europe in the pre-entry "Field" in the '80s - all normal. In 1978, the Austrian magazine Austromotor wrote: "The fact that this" Lada "has no equal, show - Russian car market carefully analyzed and accurately hit the empty niche ...»

"Field" on the roads of Germany



Popularity "Niva" was added, and the success in motorsport. In 1981, for the first time participating in a super marathon "Paris - Dakar", the Soviet rover was in the lead on seven stages and won the final in third place among all SUVs. Also in 1981, "Niva" immediately won two prestigious race - the "Rally of Tunisia" and "The Algerian Rally." The following year, the racer Jean-Claude Briavuan took in "Dakar" second place in the overall classification, and a year later in the "Rally of the Pharaohs-84" three "Niva" generally occupied the whole podium!



In the context of a serious demand for a car it would be logical to think about the release of a new generation SUV. And it was done, but on manufacturing layout did not get. Perhaps the most modern design had "concept" in 1987, however, the Soviet Union was beginning to fall apart, and designers began to realize that the work "on the table».

The "Niva" of the sample in 1987



During his long life of the conveyor "Niva" significantly upgraded only twice - in 1994 and 2009. However, from a design point of view, both of these upgrades is difficult to name even restyling - fell during the first opening tailgate, coupled with the emergence of vertical taillights, and in the second retouched "shesterochnye" turn signals. In 2006, the name "Niva" in relation to the old car completely disappeared from price lists: now the model is simply called «4x4».

Today Lada 4x4 sold in Russia with three- and five-door body. The model is equipped with a single 83-strong petrol "four". The initial cost pyatidverki is 386 thousand rubles, trehdverki - 345 000 700 rubles. Last year, the SUV has sold 54 000 656 copies, which was the fifth result among all the models of "AvtoVAZ».

Instead of an epilogue
For more than thirty years "Niva" was the basis for the creation of such a large number of modifications that can probably qualify to get into the Guinness Book of Records. Below is a selection of the most notable modifications.

On the basis of "Niva" would produce amphibious VAZ-2122. However, the military refused to allocate funds for the purchase avtomobley and unusual project remained "on the shelf". In the photo one of the intermediate samples during melt



From 2000 to 2002 LADA 4x4 made in Ecuador. In the photo the first batch of cars assembled at the plant in the city of Quito. In the future, the unstable political situation in Ecuador is not possible to continue the project



Option open body for use in warm climates and resort areas - wore the name "landole»



LADA Niva Marsh. The car is more than suitable for hunting, fishing, inspection oil and gas pipelines for delivery of cargo and people in remote places, etc.



Modification "Ambulance»



The asset "Niva" should be written, and the conquest of the North Pole in April 1998, it being dropped with a parachute, he started up and reached the top of the Earth



Normal "Niva" spent 15 years in Antarctica, at Bellingshausen station. Now the car-hero and restored in the museum AvtoVAZ



The car "Lynx" with enhanced off-road performance. Machinery collected for a specific customer



Spetskomplektatsiya News Hunter journalists



Tibet Expedition-99. "Field" in the Himalayas has taken height of 5726 meters above sea level



LADA 4x4 bulldozer. That's all I wanted to say.



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