The Lada Riva was the collective name for the VAZ-2105, 2104 and 2107 family, the last development of the Fiat 124-based Zhiguli line. Introduced in the Soviet Union in 1979, it was sold in right-hand-drive markets as the Riva and in Germany as the Lada Nova, and it remained in production until 2012.
Lada Riva at a glance
| Maker | AvtoVAZ, Tolyatti, Russia |
|---|---|
| Production | 1979–2012 |
| Models | VAZ-2105 saloon, 2104 estate, 2107 deluxe saloon |
| Export names | Lada Riva (UK, New Zealand), Lada Nova (Germany) |
| Based on | VAZ-2101 Zhiguli, itself a Fiat 124 licence |
| Engines | 1,198, 1,294, 1,452 and 1,569 cc fours |
| Power | 65 hp in the 1.3-litre VAZ-2105 |
| Drive | rear-wheel drive |
| Brakes | front discs, aluminium drum brakes at the rear |
| Also built in | Izh, LuAZ and Cherkasy (Ukraine), ZAZ, Egypt |
| Russian production ended | September 2012 |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Lada Riva.
History of the Lada Riva
The Riva was introduced in 1979 and first produced in quantity in 1980, but its origins are older: it was a modernised and restyled version of the original VAZ-2101 Zhiguli, introduced in 1970 as a modified licence copy of the Fiat 124. VAZ began development work on the facelift as early as 1975 and the first prototypes were built in 1977, although the car only reached Western European markets in 1983, three years after its Soviet release, and like its predecessors was aimed at the budget end of the market.
The family was officially designated VAZ-2105 for the base saloon, VAZ-2104 for the estate and VAZ-2107 for the deluxe saloon with a large chromed grille. In Russia they are still considered different cars rather than variants, but all belong to the single Klassika family together with older models such as the VAZ-2101; they are popularly known as Pyatyorka, Chetvyorka and Semyorka, the five, the four and the seven.
Mechanically the car was virtually identical to the first-generation VAZ-2101, with Fiat-derived manual transmissions, coil-spring suspension all round and aluminium alloy drum brakes with cast iron shoes on the rear wheels. The 1,294 cc VAZ-2105 engine of 66 PS had a toothed-belt camshaft drive instead of the original chain. Some VAZ-2107s carried the 1,452 cc chain-driven engine from the VAZ-2103, while others used the later 1,569 cc VAZ-2106/21067 unit. In 1992 single-point fuel injection and catalytic converters were specified to meet emissions legislation.
Saloon, estate and deluxe versions
The VAZ-2107 was announced in 1982 as the luxury version and the most expensive of the family, with an improved interior including front headrests, a new instrument panel and a chrome grille. It came with either the 1,294 cc engine as the 21072 or the 1,570 cc unit as the 21074; the 21079 was a Wankel-engined version. The first VAZ-2104 estate appeared in 1984 in three forms: the 2104 with 1,294 cc, the 21041 with 1,198 cc and the 21043 with the 1,452 cc VAZ-2103 engine.
Exports and the end
Western European exports had mostly dried up by 1997, but the car remained in production at AvtoVAZ and was sold as the Lada Classic; it was one of the cheapest cars on the Russian market and remains one of the most popular second-hand cars there. In 2002 production of the estate passed to Izh, with assembly also started at the Bogdan Group’s LuAZ plant and later in Cherkasy, Ukraine. The 2107 was also built at ZAZ in Ukraine and at Suzuki’s factory in Egypt. In August 2011 Russian production of the 2107 moved to Izh. After about thirty years the 2105 was discontinued in 2010, followed by the 2104 and 2107 in 2012.
Export sales were good in Eastern Europe. In the West the Riva had a limited presence in Britain, the Netherlands, New Zealand, where it served as a taxi, and Canada, while sales in Finland were much larger because of closer economic ties with the Soviet Union. Canada was the only market to offer whitewall tyres, and Canadian 2107s were briefly sold as the Dennis Signet after the importer. The Riva was also exported in large numbers to Jamaica, where it became a popular taxi, paid for in bauxite ore under a barter agreement. Tightening safety and emissions rules and economic instability withdrew it from most Western European markets by 1997, and Canadian sales ended on 4 July 1997. Britain first received the Riva as the 1300GL in July 1983; in 1986 more than 20,000 Ladas were sold there, almost all of them Rivas.
Design and features
- Fiat 124 heritage: the platform was the third best-selling single-generation automobile platform after the Volkswagen Beetle and Ford Model T.
- Three body styles: base saloon, deluxe saloon and estate.
- Simple mechanics: rear-wheel drive, coil springs and drum brakes at the rear.
- Low price: it was one of the cheapest cars on the Russian market.
Lada Riva versions
- VAZ-2105: the base 1.3-litre saloon, 65–66 hp.
- VAZ-2107: the deluxe saloon with chrome grille and a better interior.
- VAZ-2104: the estate, added in 1984.
- VAZ-21072 / 21074: 2107 with 1,294 cc and 1,570 cc engines.
- VAZ-21079: a Wankel-engined version.
- Export names: Lada Riva in Britain and New Zealand, Lada Nova in Germany, Dennis Signet in Canada.
The Riva was the last development of the line that began with the VAZ-2101 and continued with the VAZ-2103 and VAZ-2106. More models are in the Lada collection.
Sources
- Lada Riva, English Wikipedia: history, models, engines, exports
