The history of the VAZ-2108 Bashny.Net

The decision to write an article about the VAZ-2108 did not come immediately. What to write about the car, which seem to know almost everything! For all its faults, "eight" for the Soviet Union was a revolutionary machine. And it is not even concerned fashioned front-wheel drive or the aerodynamic design, the philosophy was different cars. The first Soviet citizen was allowed to have a three-door car with a sporty design nontrivial character. How much room for tuning in the nineties gave the family "Samara" owners! It changes everything - from headlights, ending, exhaust system. Appeared in 1984, this car seems to have no intention to leave the streets. "Samara" changed its status from the prestigious Soviet car at the first car of the Russian student, but without losing its relevance. Today it will be, perhaps, about the most loved and hated, the most spectacular and the most controversial, but without a doubt, the most controversial of the USSR production car - VAZ 21083 "Sputnik / Samara» ...

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02. In the previous review, we talked about the development of the first Soviet "peredneprivodnika" at ZAZ. However, as is well known, brand could enter the market only in the late eighties, when Samara has traveled full-on country roads. Officially, the creation of a new model in Togliatti car automotive industry minister announced VN Polyakov in his speech at the XXVI Congress of the CPSU in February 1981. He said that in the Eleventh Five-Year at the WHA will be created a car with front drive wheels are not related to the design and technology is producing a "Zhiguli" classic layout.

I must say that, despite the start of distribution of front-drive all over the world, the Soviet automakers treated him initially very skeptical. Debate arose at both the technical and the technological level. And whether all Soviet industry to learn, for example, constant velocity joints needed to produce a car of this class? The obvious was the fact that the prospective family needs a fundamentally-new body, the classical family of rapidly becoming obsolete, even being upgraded to version 5.5.07. By the way, here are the search layouts modernization VAZ 2101, started the factory designer Vladimir Pasko. Pay attention to the spectacular American styling of these samples - many solutions applied here, we will see more on modifications Samar.
By the way, the name of Samara is primarily intended for the Western market, for internal name was coined by satellite, but it "does not matter", and soon all the cars got nameplates family "Samara" on the tailgate. Since the car was in many ways revolutionary, it was decided to bring her to the creation of the Western partners. There were negotiations with several companies, but eventually as the main partner has chosen the German Porsche.

This is how the decision on cooperation the chief designer of AvtoVAZ in 1975 - 1996 years. Georgy Mirzoyev in the book "High thoughts flame»:

In 1975, the president of the company "Porsche" E. Fuhrmann met with Vladimir Polyakov, who was already minister of the automotive industry of the USSR. And in the conversation said that the German government has caused much harm to the Soviet Union, started World War II, and that it is necessary to somehow compensate.
As a result of the agreement between the VAZ born and the company "Porsche" under the auspices of the State Committee on Science and Technology (SCCT) the USSR.
The work was designed for three years - from 1976 to 1978. At 500,000 DM per year. During this period, it has been developed and manufactured: version of the car "Niva" with aluminum mounting parts; engine that runs on gasoline blends the poor; chassis layout modernization of VAZ-2103 on the interior and exterior.
During the two and a half years "Porsche" was constantly in our team of experts, are updated regularly, which allowed "to gain intelligence" and dvigatelisty and tinsmith, and designers.
With a choice of a consultant on technology from our technology has been unequivocal opinion: Fiat have since there is better understood in our vazovskoy technology, equipment layouts.
But, as Fiat itself to cooperate with us on the front-wheel drive refused, he offered his subsidiary company UTS, which specializes in technological developments.

So, as we can see, on the creation and fine-tuning I worked very VAZ Samara, German and Italian Porsche include, but were still dozens of companies - suppliers all over Europe! We can say that the project has been global, but the stakes were high. VAZ latest conquest in Europe then was quite revolutionary Niva, which is sold worldwide circulation of more than 500 thousand copies. Maybe it's not a very high figure for the automotive giants, but for a single Soviet model - it was a real achievement, and the new model was not to "lose face." It should immediately be noted that in contrast to the "filling" to the design of the Satellite Western experts had nothing. The image was born gradually, and at the stage of elaboration styling sketch resembled the front of even American Pontiac those years.



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04. A sample of 1978 and the staff of its creators.



05. Note the recessed sidewalls door handles - later rejected by this decision. Even the legend, if a Russian immigrant with Porsche gave our engineers a handle on the model 924. However, these legends are not without foundation. Besides the obvious advantages, which enabled the cooperation with world grandees engineering, our bureaucratic system often "sboila" and gave rise to unpleasant precedents.

Recalls test Konstantin Kukushkin:

Sparks good decisions (no worse than branded) quickly extinguished our bureaucracy.
The company offers us a solution, we would have at a certain time to evaluate them and give their opinion on the suitability in our environment.
At the right time, we usually did not fit, but so as not to lose face and show the inability to work quickly, in advance of these proposals approved. Later, when it became clear that the proposed is unacceptable to us, had to find a new solution. The company has readily offered another option - just pay.
When the final design of the body, in the tests we born good decisions, sometimes even better offered by the firm. But our bureaucracy they flatly rejected. Contract!
To my statements did not seem anyone cite two specific examples from personal experience.
Thus, the proposed design by the side door did not want to fit into the norm. Filimonov, and I have long struggled with sagging doors, reworked several options.
The search results are door meeting all standards, and thus easier to 200 g.
This was written by the relevant reports and "forgangi." But we are still forced to "torment" design, developed by the company.
When it finally completely rejected, the firm proposed a new - our made us a year ago, its sleek and ennoble the internal panel. The door was accepted as a firm offer!
A similar situation occurred with the storage platform. In a frontal collision the battery did not want to stay on the court (or the area did not want to keep the battery).
Me pad was made, which was 100 g German easier and simpler to manufacture. It has stood the test, but was not adopted.
She was sent to the "Porsche". Tests she stood there.
A representative of the company, Mr. Gettser when tested my site said:
- Gout. But the firm - better.
Was adopted playground firms - so peaceful.
What happened, happened. From the song words can not erase.

There were some funny situations. Specialists Porsche offered to put the appropriate inscription on the part to which a hand. However, the Soviets refused. In magazines wrote: "... with the participation of German experts." Any European manufacturer honored would be honored to have the Porsche nameplates on the details of the car, but "the Soviet own pride» ...

I must say that for the domestic automotive industry project developed an incredibly fast pace. If in 1975 was made a fundamental decision to cooperate, then in 1978 it built the first prototype in 1984 the car went into production. Interestingly, this first example was an incident. The car collected exactly 31 December 1978, to start the engine but did not succeed. However, 2 st January 1979 engineers began testing again.

The machine developed by the German system adopted. The project was given the name "Gamma", as each new sample series with two zeros - 100, 200 and 300. The first digit of the series reflects the willingness of a particular instance of the serial production. It is necessary to take into account that the coordination of the three engineering areas: Togliatti, Stuttgart and Turin was carried out without the use of modern data transfer technologies. Between the three cities all the time, "cruised" seconded experts from different companies.

One of the first "peredneprivodnikov VAZ project" Ladoga ".



06. Search and project sketches restaliynga VAZ 2101 provides insights about the general high level of design at the WHA in those years.



07. Plasticine layout VAZ 2108



08. Plasticine layout VAZ 2109. Emphasis is placed on the door handles a la Moskvich 2141 and a huge rear glass



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However, in addition to the development of the car and putting it into production, to be solved much more organizational problems for suppliers. As we know, there is still the problem of quality of Russian components in the plant has not been solved, but then had to literally obbivat thresholds departments and factories that would persuade companies to produce a particular type of products of good quality and desired configuration. Below is one of the best examples.

Recalls technologist A.Zevakin:

With manufacturing glazing for new VAZ-2108 Bor Glassworks were a lot of difficulties.
The windshield glass and the tailgate have been taken for the construction without any objections. But the development of sunk glass doors and windows sidewall met strong resistance glaziers.
Of course, technological difficulties enough. Glass cylindrical (concave) for them - a new thing, but at first did not even want to try. This is understandable - why should they extra headache?
It was only through the intervention of Mr. Mirzoyev, who was able to negotiate with their Commander in Chief of the Moscow plant has agreed to make a trial batch of glass.
The work led by Chief Engineer A. Zhimalov Glassworks and the deputy chief technologist V. Tarbeev. From UGC sent me.
All together, we examined and picked up the oven, press, which then installed our stamps, pre-wound fiberglass them.
The fact that the seals were made of wood, and they would operate in contact with a hot glass.
On the first pressing of the plant came to many experts. Later, I realized all the difficulties that are anticipated specialists glaziers.
Of 60 treated billets managed to get only 11 fit glass - 7 right and 4 left. The rest - the fight or marriage from fitting. And only training spent two shifts, apart from the fact that for our needs was stopped by a complete module.
Then there were many trips to B. Glass Unzhakovym, Shevelev Yu, V. Kuznetsov, D. Khusainov - for finishing the work equipment and the manufacture of glass.
Each trip, although with difficulty, but allows time to ensure the assembly of prototypes.

Such problems were literally everything! Rubber gaskets for the glass, shock-absorbing bumpers of glass polyurethane - all given "to fight". Soviet industry in many areas came out with "eight" to a new level of production, but this level was given a very hard time ....

By the way, originally, the family was to include a model with two body styles (three- and five-door hatchback) and three engines in volume of 1.1, 1.3 and 1.5 liters, but later became clear, and the need to develop a sedan that has lasted right up to 1990 ...

Cars competitors. Seat Rondo (1982-1986)



10. Scoda Favorit (1987-1995) - an analog of the "nine" even outwardly



11. Finally, in 1984, produced a pilot batch of cars. Of course, the magazine "At the wheel" could not fail to note such a significant event, and spent "eight" some of its rooms. Two New Year logs appear detailed article about the new car:

"Actually, the VAZ 2108 is not just a new car, and the first model of a radically new design for the family car. When in 1978 was approved as a technical task, preference was given to assembly scheme with front-wheel ... »

"As shown by extensive tests and operation in different weather and road conditions, the VAZ 2108 is not only very different in their consumer qualities of the other common we machines. He is not inferior to the best foreign analogues in its class. The machine is well suited for use in our country and in these conditions, we can safely say is superior to foreign models. "



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13. In 1989, "Driving" "abridged" results in the test of the British magazine «Car», spent test Ford Escort and "Eight»



14. Since the VAZ 2108 car was not only for the domestic market, but also to the outside, he needed a major advertising campaign. To promote the new model, the all-powerful "Autoexport" used the most advanced technology - and advertising in automotive publications, and the creation of video - clips and, of course, the formation of the sports brand image. This is worth more detail.

French advertising Samara



15. Advertising photography B. Khetagurova



16. On the basis of "eight" have developed some really unique racing cars, including for intra-competition rally classic layout and present a mid-monsters: Eva Lada, Lada Samara T3, VAZ 2108 Rally 4x4

The first such car was the VAZ 2108-Rally, created in Office forced testing Office Chief Designer VAZ. Basically he had converted "vosmerochny 'body, the center of which was a set of 150-horsepower 16-valve engine, rear wheel drive. Later it was established four-wheel drive modification of VAZ-2108 Rally 4x4, and in 1987 in Vilnius, built heavy duty Eva.

VAZ 2108 Rally 4X4



17. Here I have tried to portray the "collective" image Lad rally that time. Of course, they were not yellow and have "advertising" coloring. "Chandeliers" were hung on the bumper as needed.



18. Development of the VAZ 29081. According to the project, the car had to have trehsotsilnym engine.



19. The fair it is worth noting that on the Lada Eva "eight" were only the doors, windshield and head optics - the rest of the body is made of fiberglass, was the original design. By the way, the car's aerodynamics experts Prienai adjusted pilot plant DOSAAF sporting aviation.

Even used a different engine - a block from the VAZ-2106 with increased to 1860 cubic centimeters in volume, with shestnadtsatiklapannoy head unit, distributed injection fuel "Lucas" and turbocharging, giving out 300 hp And the engine was located not in front, and the back (behind the seats) and rear wheel drive. Chassis also undergone significant changes - the front and rear suspension double wishbone relied on the tube stretchers, attached to the central part of the body. Eyewitnesses claim that the dynamics and handling prototype in no way inferior to the then Queen of the rally - Lancia Stratos.

But creating a sports car based on the VAZ-2108 did not stop, because apart from group B rally, there are other events - such as the famous "Paris-Dakar". Unfortunately, in the early 1990s in the Soviet Union, seemingly indestructible, already were planned some friction and Experimental Vilnius factory (new name VFTS) is not undertaken for the preparation of "eight" to the "Dakar", and therefore fine-tuning the car took the company POSH - Lada distributor in France. In LADA SAMARA T3 from VAZ left even less - even the engine was no longer Soviet, and German boxer Porsche ... of 3, 6 liters, develops power of 400 hp! Plus wheel drive transmission from Porsche 959, suspension, designed Tupolev-based suspension is used in the chassis of fighters and a body consisting of the space frame, the frame and ultra-light cladding Composite ... LADA SAMARA T3 took seventh place in the rally "Paris-Dakar" in 1990














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