Lada has said it was ending production one of its classic 1982 models after sales shrank for a vehicle that was dated from the moment it was introduced.
“Demand for the ‘classic’ has dropped a lot. It is time to say goodbye,” company spokesman Igor Burenkov said in a statement released to news agency AFP.
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The 2107 – a trademark of the Soviet-era AvtoVAZ manufacturer that was sold in Europe under the Riva tag, and exported as far from Russia as New Zealand – was the Volga region manufacturer’s fastest and most sporty model at the time of production.
The car was an updated model of the 2101 first developed by the Soviet Union under agreement with Italy based on the 1966 Fiat 124.
Lada said the 2107’s sales had shrunk 76% over the first quarter as consumers turned to the maker’s newer models.
The boxy but ultimately much-loved vehicle with manual transmission had a top speed of 150 kilometres (about 95 miles) an hour and only the barest of essentials that included a simple radio and a fan on some models.
Lada cars are now manufactured by an alliance between AvtoVAZ, and Renault-Nissan.
This Franco-Japanese venture is in the process of acquiring a controlling stake in the Russian maker after Renault had initially bought a 25% stake in 2008.
The 2107 – known as “the seven” in Russia and produced in its heyday in countries stretching from Mexico to Brazil – had most recently been produced at AvtoVAZ’s Izhevsk plant.
The facility intends to switch production to Granta four-door sedans AvtoVAZ began manufacturing in conjunction with Renault-Nissan earlier this month.
