The legendary Niva is 45 years old, it is among the world’s longest-lived cars

Serial production of the domestic SUV VAZ-2121 “Niva” started in July 1977. However, on April 5, the first full-fledged car rolled off the assembly line as part of a pilot assembly. Since then, almost 2.5 million vehicles have been manufactured, many of which have been exported to more than a hundred countries around the world.

The design of the legendary Niva began in 1971 at the Volga Automobile Plant. Initially, it was supposed to be a cross-country vehicle for the countryside. It received its official name in 1976, and before that it was designated as E2121.

The Niva is the first mass-produced car independently developed by Soviet engineers. It used innovative technical solutions for that time regarding the design of off-road vehicles. Among them are a monocoque body, differential permanent four-wheel drive, a high-revving engine, independent front suspension and front disc brakes.

The first deliveries of Niva for export began in 1978. There were various variants of the Russian SUV, including a right-hand drive modification of the VAZ-21212. During this time, the car visited Antarctica and for the first time for wheeled vehicles rose to a height of 5726 m in the mountains of Tibet. An armored car and a swamp vehicle were created on the basis of the Niva, which was used during the expedition to the North Pole. The SUV is one of the longest-lived cars on the planet. He repeatedly participated in the Paris-Dakar rally and appeared in films, modernized and improved, but the classic, recognizable style remained unchanged. And last year, the name NIVA was returned to the car, and now it is called LADA Niva Legend.

Source: Trash Box

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