Ladaens historie

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Så i forrige topic at det var noen som savnet historie om Ladaen, så jeg har tatt meg friheten og klippe litt fra den ungarske ladaklubbens hjemmeside. En side som er vel verd å titte på for ladafans.

 

Snipp:

 

In 1966 the Soviet Union decided to establish a new car factory at the service of "People's Economy". This factory was intended to improve the numbers of the cars affordable and available for this huge territory (few hundred million people). After WW.II. the aotomobile production was so low that it gave 5 (five!) cars for every 1000 (one thousand!) people. At this time this ratio was more hundreds to the thousand in West-EU countries. FIAT has signed a contract with the Soviet government, regarding the build of a new factory. The contract included shipping the tools, starting the production. They also sold the license for producing Fiat 124, which had been the Car of the Year in 1965. 660,000 cars were planned to produce a year, in the factory on the bank of river Volga.

 

An interesting fact is that parallel with building the factories, in 1970, the first cars were built. For the first time 2101 and 2102 left the factory. (See the "models" section in the left side menu bar). The usage of the planned capacity went 100% in 1975 for the first time.

 

Model numbers were strictly commanded by state standards. (The Soviet Standard is called "GOST"). The first number shows the size of the car. 1 means small car like Tavria or Oka. 2 is a middle sized car like Lada, and 3 stands for a large car such as Volga. 4 means luxury car (available for offcials only) like Tschaika and ZIL.

 

2101: the basic model of the factory. The first piece left the factory at 19th Apr 1970. A common question is about the differences to Fiat-124. Well, one of the main parts which have been improved is the engine. Our good old friend is the 1200cc 2101 engine. Don't laugh on that, this engine layout was up-to-date in the seventies. Chain-driven valvetrain has just came back in Suzuki or Opel models. This engine was a fashionable short-stroke, high-rev engine at the time. The short stroke was regarded an advantage at those times because it does not give a tall engine, which can be assembled solid-state. Due to the short piston travel its averaged speed is low. This results a long lifetime. The short stroke at the same displacement gives you a large cylinder diameter, whch in turn enables you to use bigger valves. This ways the efficiency of the cylinder loading can be increased, therefore the effective average pressure is increased too. Backdraws are big piston and bearing forces, infavourable shape of combustion chamber. This latter one results in worse burning of the air-fuel mixture and ends up in larger heat loss (through the cylinder wall).

 

2102: At these times a van was used as a small truck, this way the rear coil springs were designed to bear heavier weight. Wheel rims were 5" wide instead of 4.5", and tyres were 165mm wide. Fuel tank capacity was increased to 45 litres. Rear axle ratio was modified from 1:4,1 to 1:4,44. The top speed was decreased by this ratio modification by 5 kph.

 

2103: The other basic model of the factory was built on the schema of the Fiat Special sporty models. This model might be the top model of the VAZ factory. Faster and more comfortable than the 2101. This model gave the factory the 1,000,000th piece. What can be its secret? Just take a look at the motorways! Clients love GT, GTi, GSi, etc. models. The 1500cc 2103 was a model like those, affordable for almost everyone. Olympic winners got this model after their win from the government as a gift. Engine was 2103, 1500ccm, long stroke. Designers left the bore-up method of increasing the displacement. They enlarged the cylinder block and used a new crankshaft. The result is 15BHP and marvellous torque diagram. They took care of the safety too. Powerbrake, self-adjusting rear brake drum plates, Radial tyres. Noise in the cockpit was reduced by special carpets. The only thing which was not accepted by automotive community was the too high level of shiny crome trim.

 

21011: starting the production in 23th July 1974, this was the frist car of VAZ factory which was not a brandnew model but an improved version of an existing model. What are the most important differences to 2101? 79mm bore gave you 1300cc instead of 1200cc. This means 69BHP. More comfortable seats and improved cockpit ventilation were applied. Modified steering wheel trim, facelifted bumpers. Warning light for brake-fluid level was installed. Front indicator lights were yellow from now on (compared to white), parking lights were integrated within the headlights. Bigger and more safe rearview mirrors were introduced. Rear-drive light was a factory default from now on. When 2101 production was stopped, 2101 engines were installed into this body.

 

2106: The goal of this model was to improve the comfort level and safety of the 2103. Body was improved too. Better ecological results were aimed. This model has a 1600cc engine with the pistons of 21011, crankshaft of 2103. This model had a warning light for the first time. When this model got the 2103 engine, the RWD series' best selling model was started to be replaced by 21061. This model is also produced nowadays - but not for an export, due to the ecological properties. (Which do not match the strict EU regulations).

 

2121: the sensation of year 1977 is the NIVA. Its body layout is rare in its class. The constant drive of the front wheels and the offroad gearbox lets you get over a slope of 58%. It is imported into the EU and overseas too. Further improvements had been started two ways: NIVA 2123 five-door and "Tarzan": Samara body on the NIVA floorpan. Quite good concept car, matching the fashionable SUV trend.

 

2105: the basic model's further improvement ended up in this specific model. Head rests, improved head- and taillights, powerbrake. Totally redesigned engine: belt-driven valvetrain. Improved pistons. "Ozone" carburettor where the secondary barrel is opened by vacuum diaphragm instead of mechanic arms. Load-dependent ignition advance based on intake barrel vacuum too. This is the basis of the legendary VFTS racecar. (further VFTS info in the Tuning/Modification section)

 

2104: the new van after 2102. Its technical basis is actually the 2105.

 

2107: of course 2103 had to be improved too. The chromium trim was concentrated on the front of the car, this way it got the nickname of "iron nose". Some of them got the 5-speed gearbox for street use.

 

2108: in 1984 there was a revolutionary change in the Soviet car production. The Samara family was introduced with front wheel drive. The design was partly done by the German Porsche design company. The model for inside the USSR was called Sputnik.

 

2109: five-door version of Samara (2108). Four and five-speed gearbox was available.

 

1111: nothing sure is known about this car. It is called OKA and it has a 2-cylinder 650cc engine, produced at 3 places: in the Lada factory, the KAMAZ truck-factory, and the military factory Serpuhov.

 

21083, 21093: improved engine power at 1500ccm displacement. These cars have a factory default 5-speed gearbox. For a short period of time it was produced with 1100cc engine under the code of 21081 but it was not imported to Hungary.

 

21099: Samara Sedan. With a facelifted body and a fuel injected engine it is called Lada 115.

 

2110: this model is available now. It has a strange story. It was possibly the latest model which was designed as for a command of the highest government and party level. In 1986 the chief secretary of the Soviet Communist Party - Michail Gorbatchew - claimed the engineers, workers and technicians of the VAZ factory: a new car has to be designed matching the new trends. His command was confirmed by the ministry of the Soviet Union. Therefore there was nothing else to do than starting the design, to have something prepared until the next Party Congress. It had the codename "10th". It was not enough that it did not get a name like its predecessors, even the producing country (the USSR) finished existing. At the end of the eighties the plans were dismissed for a time. Its a pity. Now we know that the designers did a good job. The chassis has a Cw coefficient of 0.30. This car, just like the 2101, is the first model of a series.

 

21106 GTI 2.0 16V fitted with a 2 litre Opel engine. It was neccessary to produce it to get a homologated rallycar. They are produced in low numbers, quite unique pieces.

 

21107 Gr.A racecar prepared to fit the Kit Car rules (FIA).

 

21108 "President" - increased body length: 4m44cm.

 

21109 "Consul" - half more meter added to body length. Driver's cockpit and passenger seats are separated by a glass wall. It includes all neccessary safety and security parts, including the anti attack shields.

 

More models of this series: 2111 van, 2112 5-door, 2119 (an Opel Corsa sized car) and 2120 SUV ("Nadhezda")

 

At 5th Jan 1993 the factory forms a Corporation. The production of the new "10" model series is started. Instead of the 16 valve 1500cc engine they use the Samara engine for the first time. It is fitted with GM injectors. Catalytic converter is installed too. Buyers have more and more power requirements, and the EU ecological restrictions are more and more strict.

 

 

Back in the seventies:

 

Replacement parts: originally it was not planned to produce offroad cars. One of the spare parts factories was modified to be an assembling garage. The production raised much over the planned 660,000 - it even achieved 750,000 a year. This increase could be kept by assembling the spare parts to new cars. This way of production had its effect: total lack of spare parts across the USSR, across the East EU. This also led to creating huge stocks, because everyone was afraid of some parts going wrong, or some parts will run off almost for ever. At services and garages they could not provide you with new parts, you had to take it along with the wrecked car. Young people cannot even understand the pioneer era of the Lada (Zhiguli) owners' life.

 

The situation gone even worse, when one of the factories burnt to the ground. The VAZ company even had an own airplane to help situations like that. (Remember the empty chassis which was available as a spare part).

 

In the nineties the situation had a 180-turn. The factory was willing to sell anything for anyone for a reasonable amount of money. More than 300 (three hundred!) car dealers started to work in the area of Toliatti. These workshops prepared more 10,000's of new cars, made of spare parts. In the EU the client is never sure what quality he or she gets when he/she opens a Russian package of its brown paper cover, or reads the Cyrillic letters on it.

 

Services: in the seventies it was a new feature of a car company to have own service network. In the USSR there were a few years when the cars were serviced in temporary workshops under military tents. Since the Lada was an up-to-date model, owners had to be told that they cannot run the cars on their own - it is more comfortable and simple to get it to the garage.

 

Sports:

 

2101 Gruppe 2 and Lada VFTS was detailed in the 1999 July copy of the RS RallySport (Hungaryan monthly, not printed anymore). The Gr.A 2107 is shown it the Rally '99 book.

The Samara was modified for circuit racing for the first time. After the good experiences and the change of the rules (No Gr.B cars under 1600cc anymore), it was entered rally races at the late eighties. On slippery, wet surfaced superspecial stages it overtook 4WD cars too. In the nineties, a factory built 21083 1500cc racecar with fuel injection has arrived to the country (Hungary). At the same time two cars were built in Toliatti: one for the Hungarolada, one for a Sloven Lada dealer. It is interesting that the Hungarian piece had no success, technical problems came in its way. The other one at our Southern neighbours has a successful racing life until these days.

 

Samara did not avoid improvements. The fuel-injection was race-tested for the first time. In 1999, a 16V cylinder head was introduced in 21083-87. Unfortunately the factory did not finish the homologation process at the FIA, so that no cars like that are racing in Hungary - neither in Gr.H (Hobby). In its own country thismodel helps young racers to improve their knowledge.

 

 

The factory racing team (Lada Autosport) uses the latest "10" model, with an impressive success. In the year of its FIA homologation (1998) Victor Skolnii finished at the 2nd position with his Lada Kit Car. Last year he was 2nd again - in absolute results. The racing workshop can produce Gr.N. racecar too. You can buy the empty body with the rollcage inside, for only 3000USD.

 

The car was prepared on the basis of the LADA 21106 GTI 2.0 16V. The engine is 240BHP 2-litres opel model. It uses Proflex suspension. The circuit racing version is the own product of the Lada engineering center: 2-rotor rotary engine and 6-speed Samara gearbox. The only import part in the suspension is the Bilstein shocks.

 

Milán Novákovity

 

Budapest 2000. Feb.

 

Translated by z. - 2002. May.