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Lada is a marque of car manufactured by Russian car manufacturer AvtoVAZ based in Tolyatti, Samara Oblast. It was originally the export brand for models sold under the Zhiguli name in the domestic Soviet market after June 1970. Lada cars became popular in Russia and Eastern Europe during the last two decades of the Soviet era, particularly in former Soviet bloc countries. The original Lada was widely exported in sedan and station-wagon versions, and with over 20 million units sold before production ended in mid-2012, it had become the highest-selling automobile to be produced without a major design change. The Lada badge depicts a shallow-draft river sailing ship (a form of Viking longship) known as a ''lad'ya'' in Russian. == Overview == Lada made its name in Western Europe selling large volumes of the Fiat 124-based VAZ-2101 and its many derivatives as an economy car during the 1980s, but later models were less successful. The common Lada sedan and estate, sometimes known as the "Classic" in the West (VAZ 2104/2105/2107 were known as Signet in Canada, Riva in the UK, and Nova in Germany), was based on the 1966 Fiat 124 sedan and became a successful export car. The keys to its success were: competitive price, reliability, simple DIY-friendly mechanics and unpretentious functionality. After 1980, over 15 million Ladas badged as Rivas (UK), Signets (Canada), and Novas (Germany), added to some five million made from 1970 to 1979, badged as the 2101 (Lada 1200 sedan), 2102 (Lada 1200 estate), Lada 2103 (quad headlights, more luxurious interior than the Lada 1200, known as Lada 1500s in Canada), Lada 2106 (improved Lada 2103, known as the Lada 1600 in Canada) totaling over 20 million. The car was built under licence in several other countries. In 1974, VAZ was given permission to begin producing Wankel engines under licence from NSU.〔Thompson, p.209.〕 Work began in 1976, with a single-rotor Lada appearing in 1978; the first 250 of these went on sale in the summer of 1980.〔 The model range expanded in 1984 with the introduction of the front wheel drive generation of Lada Samara (Lada 2108 a 3-door hatchback, Lada 2109 a 5-door hatchback and Lada 21099 a standard sedan). Exported worldwide in the 1980s and 1990s, Lada was a big foreign currency earner for the hard-pressed Soviet Union and was used in barter arrangements in some countries. For example, Coca-Cola traded its drinks in exchange for Lada cars which were then shipped to the United Kingdom and sold. Over 60% of production was exported, mainly to Western countries (the US was the only large market not to have imported Ladas). The rugged design of the Lada Classic, built with heavier-gauge steel bodywork to cope with extreme Siberian climates, poor roads and few service facilities in many parts of Russia, made heavy usage, such as mileage possible. Competitive pricing and ease of service made Ladas common as police cars, taxis and a range of public service and civil defence vehicles in many parts of Europe, Africa and the Caribbean. In March 2008, Renault purchased a 25% stake in AvtoVAZ in a US$1 billion deal. This was expected to result in new Lada models on existing Russian assembly lines. The remaining 75% of AvtoVAZ continued to be owned by the Russian state-owned Rostekhnologia Corporation. On 12 December 2012, the Renault–Nissan Alliance formed a joint venture with Rostekhnologia (Alliance Rostec Auto BV) with the aim of becoming the long-term controlling shareholder of AvtoVAZ. The takeover was completed in June 2014, and the two companies of the Renault-Nissan Alliance took a combined 67.1% stake of Alliance Rostec, which in turn acquired a 74.5% of AvtoVAZ, thereby giving Renault and Nissan indirect control over the Russian manufacturer. Lada is now part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance, the world's fourth-largest automobile manufacturer by sales revenue (after Toyota, Volkswagen Group and General Motors). In spite of a flood of Western models into the Russian market in recent years, Lada has maintained its dominant market share. 2011 was to be a watershed year for the brand, with production of the classic Fiat 124-based 2105 and 2107 series models being completely moved from the Togliatti plant to the IzhAvto plant near Izhevsk, to make space for the company's forthcoming 2016 model. In April 2012, AvtoVAZ confirmed the end of the model 2107 (Lada Riva or Lada Nova), after more than forty years. Production of the rest of the Lada model lineup which included the Kalina, Priora and Granta continued.〔 In August 2012, the Lada XRAY concept car was launched at the Moscow International Automobile Salon. The XRAY was designed by chief designer Steve Mattin, formerly of Volvo and Mercedes-Benz. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Lada」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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