Volga Automobile Plant is the leader of the domestic automobile industry

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:41

Volga Automobile Plant is the first name of AvtoVAZ, the leader of the domestic automobile industry. So the enterprise was called during the construction and production of the first cars, affectionately called "penny" among the people. In 1971, the plant was renamed and became officially known as the Volga Association for the Production of Passenger Cars AvtoVAZ, and the following year, the enterprise was additionally named after the 50th anniversary of the USSR. Before perestroika, the plant produced cars under the brands Zhiguli, Oka, Niva, Samara and Sputnik. After the reorganization, a new trademark appeared - "Lada". Nissan cars are also produced here, and brand new Renaults will soon roll off the assembly line. The headquarters both before and now is located in the city of Tolyatti. The enterprise is controlled by the industrial alliance Nissan-Renault.

History of the enterprise

In the late 60s, it became obvious to the leadership of the USSR that the products of AZLK and GAZ did not meet international engineering standards. After considering a number of sites, it was decided to build an enterprise for the production of cars in Togliatti. So the Volga Automobile Plant appeared in the project. Its history began with the specialists of the Italian concern Fiat. The construction of the Volga Automobile Plant began in 1967, and was declared an All-Union Komsomol construction site. Thousands of young people from all over the country gathered for such a significant event. The enterprise was rebuilt in 2 years. In 1969, still at the stage of equipment installation, the formation of a team began, mainly from those people who built the plant. More than 800 enterprises from all over the world supplied their products to equip the plant.

First penny

The first Zhiguli car was rolled off the assembly line by the company's chief instructor Benito Guido Savoini on April 19, 1970. This is how the Volga Automobile Plant in Togliatti began its life. Actually, the name "Lada" did not yet exist, the "penny" was officially called the VAZ-2101. And they called it “Russian Fiat”. Actually "penny" was already the second popular name and it appeared in the 90s, when the VAZ-2101 was already discontinued. The prototype of the car was the Fiat 124R, an export modification of the concern specifically for the USSR. In total, more than 8 hundred changes were made to the design, including the engine camshaft took the topposition, the piston stroke decreased, the ground clearance was increased, the front suspension was changed, the engine was converted to a short stroke and other upgrades were carried out. But do not think that the successful experience of Fiat was adopted only in the USSR. Licensed versions were produced in Bulgaria and Poland, on the basis of one of the models, the Spanish Seat and the Turkish Tofash were developed.

The most popular VAZ models

Over the years of its existence, the Volga Automobile Plant has produced many modifications of cars. Not all of them were successful, but some models were highly appreciated by consumers. "Kopeyka" quickly gained popularity due to good technical parameters and a relatively inexpensive price. The first station wagon of the VAZ-2102 enterprise was no less successful and occupied this niche in the market for a long time. The following models were not very popular, but the modification of the 76th year - the VAZ-2106 - became, perhaps, the best car from the entire Zhiguli line. It had technological units and ideal parameters for domestic roads. The next successful car was the Niva, which began to be produced at the enterprise from the beginning of the 80s. It is worth noting that this is the only machine massively exported by the USSR abroad. In 1984, the VAZ-2108 Samara with front-wheel drive rolled off the assembly line, which made a splash in the domestic market. In 1987, the Volga Automobile Plant produced the famous "nine", on the basis of which some domestic cars are still being made.

NewAvtoVAZ brand

After the Volga Automobile Plant became AvtoVAZ OJSC, a new brand of car was developed at the enterprise. Pilot production of Lada-110 began in 1995. It was the first to use such innovations as an airbag, an electronic injection system, glued glass and other achievements of the global automotive industry. Subsequently, she went through many modifications, including a model with an Opel engine. Lada production was initiated not by the market, but by consumers who were in dire need of cheap and simple cars.

Domestic cars with automatic transmission

In December 2013, the last Lada-Samara rolled off the assembly line. To date, JSC AvtoVAZ produces a new brand of Lada-Granta. Its main improvement was an automatic transmission. For the Russian automotive industry, this is a real innovation. What will be its fate is still unknown, since the model is released so far in only one version - “sedan”. But the car is already a success with domestic motorists and is selling well throughout the Russian Federation.