The Lada Samara was a family of small front-wheel-drive cars built by AvtoVAZ from 1984 to 2013. At home it was called Sputnik until 1991, when the sedan joined the range and the export name Samara was adopted. It was the second autonomous design from VAZ after the Niva and the first model not based on the Fiat 124 mechanicals.
Lada Samara at a glance
| Maker | AvtoVAZ, Tolyatti |
|---|---|
| Production | 1984–2013 |
| Domestic name | Sputnik until 1991 |
| Export name | Lada Samara |
| Bodies | 3-door and 5-door hatchback, 4-door saloon |
| Engines | 1,099 cc, 1,288 cc and 1,499 cc petrol |
| Drive | front-wheel drive |
| First cars | 18 December 1984 |
| Gearboxes | 4-speed, 5-speed from 1987 |
| 2109 five-door | introduced 1987 |
| 21099 saloon | 1989, full production from December 1990 |
| Engineering help | Porsche for the engine, safety and ergonomics; Solex for carburettors |
History of the Lada Samara
Development
The Samara was the first front-wheel-drive serial car built in the Soviet Union since the LuAZ-969V. The decision to build it was taken on 16 September 1978, with the intention of creating a car with strong sales potential in Western Europe. Proposals for a distinctive saloon, a four-door and both three- and five-door hatchbacks were considered; it was decided that the saloon should share the three-door’s sheetmetal forward of the C-pillar, while design work on the four-door went toward the VAZ-2110 instead. VAZ designers studied the Renault 9, Volkswagen Golf, Ford Escort Mark III, Opel Kadett and Volvo 340 as the new car’s main competitors. The front suspension used MacPherson struts, the rear a torsion bar, and the steering was rack and pinion, another Soviet first. The first prototype was completed on 31 December 1979. At home the car was called Sputnik and commonly Vos’merka, the eighth, while the export version was named after the Samara River.
Launch and range
The first cars left the production line on 18 December 1984. These were three-door hatchbacks, the only model available at first, powered by a belt-driven SOHC 1,288 cc inline-four with 65 hp and fitted with a four-speed gearbox. The three-door was soon joined by a five-door and by models with 1,099 cc or 1,499 cc engines. The cylinder head was developed in co-operation with Porsche and the carburettors with Solex, and the German consultants also helped with passive safety, controllability, gear shifting and interior ergonomics. In 1987 the range gained the 21083 with a 72 hp 1,499 cc engine and a five-speed gearbox, and the 21081 with a 53 hp 1,099 cc engine; the 1.1 was an export-only variant. Top speeds were 140 km/h for the 1.1, 148 km/h for the 1.3 and 156 km/h for the 1.5. VAZ also debuted the 2109 five-door hatchback that year with the same choice of engines.
The 21099 saloon
In 1989 the 21099 saloon followed, with a new bonnet, grille and wings, a rear overhang 200 mm longer and an improved dashboard. Its front-end styling was adopted on the 2109 in 1992 and on the 2108 in 1994. On the earlier Samaras the front clip was a separate piece surrounding the headlights; on the sedan the fenders went all the way up to the headlights and the lip of the bonnet dipped between them to meet a slimmer grille. Full production of the 21099 began in December 1990 with the 210993 (1,288 cc) and the 21099 (1,499 cc). The saloon, intended as a premium model, was branded Diva in Belgium, Sagona in France and Forma in Germany, and Belgium also offered a locally built convertible. Fuel injection was added later to meet export emissions rules, and the 1.1 and 1.3 were eventually withdrawn while the 1.5 grew to 75 hp.
Special models
A Wankel-engined three-door, the 2108-91, used a two-rotor VAZ-415 of two 654 cc rotors and was sold in Russia in very small numbers with a five-speed gearbox at 56,000 rubles. Its poor reliability kept it rare, but its 200 km/h top speed and 0–100 km/h time of eight seconds attracted police and other agencies; a five-door 2109-91 used the same engine. There was also a rear-engined Samara 4×4 rally car, the NAMI 0290, built for the 1985 Soyuz Rally with permanent four-wheel drive, a 150 hp 1,568 cc Zhiguli-based engine over the rear axle, a mostly fibreglass body of 960 kg and ZAZ-1102 doors. It was nicknamed Appelsin, orange, for its paint.
Design and features
- Front-wheel drive: the first mass-market Soviet car of this layout, with MacPherson struts and rack-and-pinion steering.
- Porsche input: the engine head, passive safety, gear shift and ergonomics were developed with German help.
- Modern body range: three-door and five-door hatchbacks plus the 21099 saloon with a longer rear overhang.
- Export branding: sold as Diva, Sagona and Forma in some Western markets.
- Special versions: Wankel-engined cars and a four-wheel-drive rally prototype.
Lada Samara versions
- VAZ-2108 (from 1984): three-door hatchback with 1.1, 1.3 or 1.5-litre engines.
- VAZ-2109 (from 1987): five-door hatchback.
- VAZ-21099 (from 1989): four-door saloon with a new front end.
- VAZ-21081 and 21083: 1.1-litre and 1.5-litre versions added in 1987.
- VAZ-2108-91 and 2109-91: rare Wankel-engined models.
The Samara replaced the rear-wheel-drive Lada Riva at the top of the range and shared its front-wheel-drive layout with the tiny Lada Oka. More models are in the VAZ collection.
Video: ВАЗ 2108 АТМ
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Lada Samara, English Wikipedia: development, launch, body styles, special models
