In America, the Soviet-made Lada has long been the butt of jokes. Lada cars, which were built at the behest of a command-based economy, barely lived up to the standards of the Soviet Union—where personal automobile ownership was a rarity. Still, the VAZ-2101 was one of the rare Eastern Bloc models that enjoyed longevity and a cult following on both the capitalist and communist sides of the ideological divide. Still, it’s fair to say that few (if any) of them ever got the full lowrider treatment like the model seen here in this eBay listing.
AutoVAZ famously copied the Fiat 124 in the production of the 2101, buying the plans from the Italian company and then giving it a modern spin. Outside of Russia and its satellites, the VAZ name was unknown—as Lada was the badge affixed to the front of the export model (sold as the Lada 1200). Production was on a big scale. Close to 2 million of these compact sedans were built from 1970 to 1982, featuring a small 60-horsepower four-cylinder engine matched with a manual transmission sending power to the rear wheels.
How does the Lada 1200 drive? Well, it’s not nearly as “connected” as the Fiat on which it was based, largely due to the modifications that AutoVAZ made to the design to better survive harsh driving conditions on the other side of the Iron Curtain. The modifications included 200 pounds more steel in the body, and a softer suspension setup designed to float rather than crash over rough pavement. The car also benefited from a more modern engine featuring an overhead cam design rather than what was originally offered in the 124.
The Fiat/Lada tie-up was unusual, as the Italian government ended up fronting the Soviet Union a sizable loan and an essentially free factory to get AutoVAZ cranking out 2101s as quickly as possible. Equally strange is the fully-slammed suspension treatment on the listed Lada, which is made possible via a two-compressor air suspension system. The seller claims that the car can be put back to stock, if desired, without any major issues, but then you wouldn’t be driving perhaps the world’s only Lada lowrider.
With free shipping available on this pocket piece of Cold War history, you don’t have to be a fan of Vogue tires and shiny gold rims to appreciate the deal offered on this AutoVAZ 2101. Snag it and put it back to stock, or keep it as is and roll up to the next lowrider meet in car that’s virtually guaranteed to be one of a kind.
