Lada

Hinta Lada is the trademark of AvtoVAZ, a Russian car manufacturer located in the city of Togliatti (Tol`yatti). The name was chosen to replace the original Zhiguli brand, because of the phonetic resemblance of the word Zhiguli to Gigolo, which hampered export sales. Lada made its name in Western Europe selling the Lada Riva as an economy car in large quantities during the 1980s, but subsequent models have not enjoyed the same success as the Riva. Its headquarters are in Togliatti (Samara Oblast or province).

The common Lada sedan/estate series popularly known as the 'Classic' in the west ('Signet' in Canada) has the distinction of being one of the most produced car models in automotive history. The car was originally based on the 1966 Fiat 124 sedan. Since 1980, over 13.5 million Lada Rivas have been built, and an unknown number of millions of the same car were also produced between 1969 and 1979 badged as 2101s - 2107s (depending on engine size and interior specifications). Lada has since ceased production of the Classic series, but the car is still in production at another Russian car plant as well as being built under licence in several other countries.

The Lada was widely exported throughout the world in the 80s and 90s (the US was the only large market not to have imported Ladas, but Canadian cars can be found there) and is unique in being the only car model that can be found on every continent, including Antarctica (where the Russian research base used Lada Nivas). The rugged design of the Lada Classic, which was built to cope with extreme Siberian climates and poor roads, meant that high mileages were possible under normal conditions (300,000 mls + on the same engine). Because of their economy and ease of service, Lada Classics are commonly used as police cars, taxis, and as a range of public service vehicles in many parts of Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean.