The story of the smallest VAZ car called "Oka" is similar to the scenario of an adventure film. A group of enthusiasts from the ITR plant for the production of wheelchairs in the city of Serpukhov set out to shift production from single motorcycle to a four-seater vehicle for the disabled. But since the capacities at the stroller factory were insufficient for such transformations, the engineers turned to AvtoVAZ management, having previously agreed on the issue with the ministry of the automotive industry.
The call of enthusiasts from Serpukhov was heard, and the project to create a microcar was launched. The future car received the working name "VAZ 1111". The work was not easy, since there was no ready chassis and engine, wheels of a suitable size, too. A strip of compromises has gone. Tires decided to apply 13 inches instead of the estimated 12-inch. This immediately removed many problems, because all VAZ subcompacts run on 13-inch tires. The issue of the engine was also resolved in a radical way: they took a full-time
VAZ 2108 motor and cut off half. After refinement, it turned out to be a two-cylinder, four-valve, not too reliable, but still the VAZ 1111 engine. Although later they began to install an air-conditioned Chinese-made 3-cylinder engine with a volume of 1.0 liter, 33 hp, with injector injection.
While the issue of the power plant of the future car was being decided, at the same time body parts were being developed. It immediately became apparent that the thresholds were not strong enough due to the very wide
doorway. But since the VAZ 1111 was being prepared for the disabled, the reduction in the opening was in contrast to the main tasks and could significantly
limit the freedom of boarding and disembarking a person with disabilities.
The doorway had yet to be reduced by a minimum amount. Further development of the project suddenly revealed a tendency for the microcar to move from
a wheelchair category to a full-fledged vehicle. The laws of the market were inexorable, and the new car began to be designated everywhere as the next AvtoVAZ model called the Vaz 1111 Oka. Funding opened, the plans of the factory management featured completely different numbers on top of the previous ones, and the production of Oka began to unfold in a different capacity. Nobody remembered the option of a microcar for disabled people.
The Vaz 1111 Oka was produced for almost 20 years, and since the car was cheap, it quickly became a “people's” car. The increased demand for the Oka lasted quite a long time, but in the end the excitement began to subside a little, and by 2006 they ceased to be interested in the machine. Retail sales froze, and after a while the production of a
people's car had to be stopped. Nevertheless, over the years of production of the Oka, two significant modifications were made to the main model, an open-body pickup truck and a van. But both developments were left without application, there was no demand. In 2008, the production of the VAZ 1111 Oka microcar was finally phased out. And in January 2013, the management of AvtoVAZ OJSC made a statement on the resumption of the production of the national car in full by 2020. Of course, in an updated, modernized version, using the latest technology.