VAZ-2121 celebrated 49 years since its first serial production

The first production VAZ-2121 rolled off the assembly line on April 5, 1977. From this day on, the history of the legendary model has been going on, which won the love of drivers both in Russia and far beyond its borders. AvtoVAZ reports this on its Telegram channel.

“After the success of the first Zhiguli cars, the country’s leadership began to think: Soviet townspeople had already received a mass-produced passenger car, but what about the villagers? Then there was a request for a light and maneuverable SUV with a reliable chassis,” the publication says.

A whole team of talented engineers worked on the creation of the VAZ-2121 under the leadership of Vladimir Sergeevich Solovyov, who then served as chief designer of the Volga Automobile Plant. Only five years passed from the first prototype to serial production of the Niva. And the first to accept the new product was Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev himself.

In 1978, the VAZ-2121 received recognition abroad: at an exhibition in Brno it was named the best in its class. The SUV was successfully sold not only in socialist countries, but also in Western Europe and the USA. The USSR supplied Niva to more than 100 countries, and these cars can still be seen all over the world.

Over 49 years, Niva has been modernized several times, but the classic design has not been touched. Engines, interior, suspension, options (from air conditioning to ERA-GLONASS) – everything has changed. Recently they added a new instrument panel with climate control and an on-board computer. Today Niva is still the queen of off-road vehicles and a link between generations.

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