The VAZ-2101 "Zhiguli", commonly nicknamed "Kopeyka" (for the smallest Soviet coin, 1/100 of the Russian ruble), is a compact 4-door sedan or wagon, called small class, passenger car, model 1 in Soviet classification, and produced by the Soviet manufacturer AvtoVAZ, introduced in 1970 as the company's first product.

The car is a licence-built version of the Fiat 124, that was heavily modified and tailored for the rough climate and road conditions across the Soviet Union and much of the Eastern Bloc countries. Subsequently, it was widely, and successfully exported to the West under the Lada brand, for over two decades. The station wagon version (correspondingly based on the Fiat 124 Familiare) was known as the VAZ-2102.

The lightweight Italian Fiat 124, which had won the 1967 European Car of the Year, was adapted in order to survive treacherous Russian driving conditions. Among many changes, aluminium brake drums were added to the rear, and the original Fiat engine was dropped in favour of a newer design made by NAMI. This new engine had a modern overhead camshaft design but was never used in Fiat cars. The suspension was raised to clear rough Russian roads and the bodyshell was made from thicker, heavier steel with reinforcement in key chassis areas after cracking was discovered during durability testing.

The first Lada models were equipped with a starting handle in case the battery went flat in Siberian conditions, though this was later dropped. Another feature specifically intended to help out in cold conditions was a manual auxiliary fuel pump.

Although the facelifted and modernised VAZ-2105, 2104 & 2107 versions largely replaced it in the West in the early 1980s, it was still produced for the domestic market as late as 1988.

The estate version of the VAZ-2101 (based on the Fiat 124 Familiare) was known as the 2102 and was available from 1971.

The 2101 was built, virtually unaltered, from 1970 until 1982. The slightly upgraded 21013 continued to be built until 1988.

The VAZ-2103 Zhiguli is a deluxe compact sedan car (small class, passenger car, model 3 in the Soviet classification), produced by VAZ, introduced in 1972 and produced until 1984. Better known by its export name Lada 1500 outside of its native Soviet Union and popularly nicknamed the Troika (Russian: 'three') in its domestic market.

The car was developed jointly by VAZ and FIAT at the same time as Fiat 124 Special, and the two models had the same basis and influenced each other. The 2103 was built under license and tailored to the Soviet and Eastern European markets.

The 2103 externally differs from its predecessor, the VAZ-2101. Firstly, by its four, that is, double sets of headlights, different grille and direction pointers, moldings on the sides of the body and larger taillights. Its main difference - the more powerful 75 hp 1452 cc straight-four petrol engine. In addition, this model is distinguished by the presence of a vacuum brake booster as well as self-adjusting rear brakes and internally on the new Fiat 125 based front panel.

The interior was also more upmarket with a different steering wheel, cloth interior trim on export versions (in place of the VAZ-2101's vinyl) and an improved dashboard featuring wood imitation, tachometer, oil pressure gauge and front panel clock.

Known as the Zhiguli within the Soviet Union, the main differences between the VAZ-2103 and the Fiat 124 Special are the use of thicker-gauge steel for the bodyshell (so the 2103 weighed 1030 kg, the Fiat 105 kg less), an overhead camshaft engine (in place of the original Fiat OHV unit), and the use of aluminium drum brakes on the rear wheels in place of disc brakes.

The car featured a starting handle for cranking the engine manually should the battery go flat in Siberian winter conditions, an auxiliary fuel pump and improved soundproofing. It was later joined by the 1198 cc -powered 21035 and the 1294 cc (VAZ 21011-engined) 21033.

VAZ were forbidden from selling the car in competing markets alongside the Fiat 124; however exports to Western European nations began in 1974 when the 124 was discontinued in favour of Fiat's newer 131 Mirafiori model.

Although starting to be slowly replaced with its successor, the VAZ-2106 already from 1976, it remained in production until 1984. It was the first VAZ model to be discontinued, despite not being the oldest one. This was mainly due to the complexity of production and the expense of its chrome plated elements, both of which were severely reduced in VAZ-2106.

The Lada Niva Legend, formerly called the Lada Niva, VAZ-2121, VAZ-2131, and Lada 4×4 (Russian: ВАЗ-2121, ВАЗ-2131, Лада Нива), is a series of four-wheel drive, small (hatchback), and compact (wagon and pickup) off-road cars designed and produced by AvtoVAZ since 1977.

Initially aimed at the rural market, later models also targeted urban users. The three- and later five-door 4×4 hatchbacks were sold under the Lada marque in many markets, and have been in continuous production since 1977.

In the 1990s, three- and five-door wagons on a 50 cm longer wheelbase and an extra-long wheelbase pick-up were added to the range. After the original Land Rover and its successor, the Land Rover Defender, were discontinued in 2016, the Niva became the longest-production-run off-road light vehicle still manufactured in its original form. By the end of 2020, an estimated 650.000 Lada Nivas had been sold globally.

The Lada Niva is the world's first mass-produced off-road vehicle with a unibody construction (fully integrated body and frame). It is the predecessor of current crossover SUVs, most of which are built similarly.

In August 2020, Lada took over production of the 2003 Chevrolet Niva and rebranded it the "new" Lada Niva. In December 2020, the new Niva was further rebranded as the Lada Niva Travel, while the old model was renamed Lada Niva Legend in January 2021.

The Niva was VAZ's first model that was not based on Fiat, though many of its mechanics were carried over from the earlier Fiat 124- or 125-based Zhiguli models (mostly the VAZ-2103 and 2106); the body, four-wheel drive system, and front suspension were all designed by VAZ.

It was the only Soviet car that was ever regularly sold in Japan, starting in the early 1980s. Because of export demand and the higher priority given to exports, domestic customers faced long wait times, despite the car being developed primarily for Soviet citizens.

The original Niva has a naturally aspirated 1.6-L overhead-cam four-cylinder petrol engine producing 76 PS and 126 N⋅m at 5000 rpm, a four-speed manual transmission, and a full-time four-wheel drive.

The lengthened model of the Niva appeared in 1993. It was known as the VAZ-2129 and was produced very briefly, only for about a year, so it is very rare. It was also never exported. Although it has a longer wheelbase, it kept three doors like the basic hatchback model. The lengthened estate model with a longer wheelbase and five doors was made in 1995. It was originally known as the VAZ-2131 Niva, but commercially, it has no difference in name from the standard three-door model, and it is often referred as the Niva five-door.

GM-AvtoVAZ, a joint venture between AvtoVAZ and General Motors, presented in 1998 the VAZ-2123, a new sport utility vehicle (SUV) based on the old VAZ 2121 engine, transmission and most mechanicals; but with a modern exterior design.

The VAZ-2108, known as the Lada Samara in much of Western Europe (codenamed and later officially badged as the Lada Sputnik in its native Russia), is a series of small family cars produced by Soviet/Russian vehicle manufacturer AvtoVAZ under the Lada brand between 1984 and 2013.

The model name Samara originally was used only for exported models, in the Soviet Union the same model was called Sputnik ("fellow traveler", "satellite") until 1991, when the sedan version of the Samara entered in production, using the export name.

It was the first front-wheel drive serial car built in the Soviet Union since the LuAZ-969V. The Samara was repeatedly modified and restyled during the years of production before it was finally discontinued in December 2013.

The Samara was a car that combined a robust build and ease of maintenance with a modern style. It was produced in various three, four and five-door designs with 1.1, 1.3 and 1.5-litre petrol engines. VAZ had hoped that the Samara would enable it to compete for sales in the mainstream European car market, where the company's traditional Fiat 124-based "Zhiguli" models were looked upon as increasingly outmoded and out of date.

It was the second autonomous design from AvtoVAZ (the first was the Niva SUV), and the first Lada car not based on the Fiat-derived mechanicals. The Samara was sold all across the world, from Australia to Canada, in most European countries and throughout the COMECON sphere.

In 1987, the model range was joined by the 21083, with a 72 hp 1499 cc engine and five-speed gearbox, and the 21081, with a 53 hp, 1099 cc engine. The 1.1 was an export-only variant. Top speeds were 140 km/h (1.1), 148 km/h (1.3) and 156 km/h (1.5).

After 1997, the Samara was mostly sold in its homeland only, although it was still sold in some foreign markets with less strict emissions regulations. The Samara 2, a lightly facelifted version with a 77 hp, single-point fuel-injected version of the 1499 cc engine and a better gearbox, went on sale in limited numbers as the 2115 (four-door sedan) in 1997.

In late 2001, the 1500 engine was updated with multi-point fuel injection, enabling it to meet Euro 3 emissions regulations. The last first generation Samara rolled off the Togliatti production line in 2004, ending 20 years of production there. Production of the "classic" Samara 2109/21099 continued at ZAZ in Ukraine as of 2004, and from May 2007 in Kazakhstan by Azia Avto.

In January 2007, an upgraded Samara 2, using the modern 1.6-litre VAZ-11183-20 engine first seen in the VAZ 2110 went on sale. While the Lada 110 and the Lada Priora have taken much of the Samara's market share at home, the Samara retains a clear price advantage and steady demand. The production of sedan Lada Samara 2 was stopped in December 2012; hatchbacks were still assembled until the end of 2013.