Volga Automobile Plant was created in the 60s of the last century. This production was at that time simply necessary. The government with its construction sought to satisfy the need of Soviet citizens for a personal car. VAZ was originally planned as the largest production of the machine-building industry of the USSR. Over the years, the legendary enterprise has known ups and downs. His cars are still found in large numbers on the roads of our country.
New VAZ models have also been developed . The history of the auto giant is eventful and interesting for every motorist. Indeed, the power of this production was not equal throughout the Soviet Union.
Production Creation
The history of the creation of the auto giant begins in the mid 60-ies of the last century. In 1966, it was decided to build an engineering production in Togliatti. AvtoVAZ was created very quickly.
The equipment taking part in technological cycles was produced at factories not only in the USSR and its friendly countries, but also in enterprises in Europe and the USA.
In August 1966, the country's leadership concluded an agreement with the Italian Fiat. This concern helped build the legendary production in Togliatti. Italians not only took an active part in the construction process, but also trained personnel in the technology of the technological cycle.
At this stage, a small incident is known. The emblem invented by Soviet artists made a mistake. When it was issued, the Italians in the word "Tolyatti" instead of the letter "I" wrote the letter "R". The marriage was quickly eliminated.
Interesting Facts
The history of the creation of the VAZ would be incomplete if several interesting facts were not considered. During negotiations with representatives of the Italian Communist Party, the Soviet leadership was developing a plan for the construction of a huge machine-building enterprise in the city of Stavropol. In 1964 it was renamed Tolyatti.
This decision was not made by accident. The name of the city in which the plant was built was given in honor of the Secretary General of the Communist Party of Italy P. Tolyatti. He suffered a sudden death while visiting his delegation at the Artek pioneer camp. During this period, Soviet leaders discussed with their partners the details of the upcoming joint venture.
In order to honor the memory of the Secretary General, the city where the first AvtoVAZ plant was built was named after him.
Beginning of work
Since 1970, the work of the famous VAZ begins. The Volga Automobile Plant was being built at an accelerated pace, so the first batch of Kopeks was born very soon. This is the legendary model VAZ-2101. It was produced in the amount of 6 pieces. This car was named "Lada". In the first year of operation of the enterprise, 100 thousand machines were created, which were distributed among the workers of Soviet enterprises as rewards for hard work.
Demand for Zhiguli was limited only by the production capabilities of VAZ. The development history also speaks of the export direction of sales of auto giant products. Only for deliveries abroad, the name "Lada" was changed to Lada. The first name in French sounded like "burned", that is, a man dancing for money.
Model Development
After the start of production, new models appeared in AvtoVAZ in Togliatti. VAZ-2102 and VAZ-2103 entered the world market. These were modifications of the “Penny” already beloved by everyone.
From 1966 to 1991, production facilities were concentrated in 5 main plants. The first general director of AvtoVAZ Polyakov V. N. (photo is presented below) and the entire labor collective of the plant adapted the first model of cars to the conditions of domestic roads.
"Kopek" was created on the prototype of the Fiat 124 sedan. Only her designers increased the clearance to 175 mm and strengthened the suspension and brakes. The Troika was considered at that time a "luxury" model. It was distinguished from the “Penny” design. “Troika” had 4 headlights, an improved look of the dashboard, as well as chrome elements.
"Classic" models
In the following years, several more “classic” VAZ models were developed. History distinguishes them as the best-selling cars. These include the VAZ-2104, 2105, 2106, 2107. But the Six became the most popular. Over 30 years of its mass production (since 1976), more than 4.3 million cars of this brand were sold.
The Four and Five are known as economy class models. "Seven" has become an improved version of the VAZ-2105. Designers have developed a fashionable at that time rectangular shape of the headlights. The interior of each subsequent model was redone and modernized.
Improvements were also made in the engine area. All "classic" models sold well. And now you can meet representatives of this generation of cars on our roads.
Subsequent modernization
Subsequent AvtoVAZ models were developed in the 80s of the last century. The first representative of this generation of passenger cars was Sputnik. The people immediately began to call him "Eight." In the index, this car had a corresponding figure. VAZ-2108 was endowed with a wedge-shaped front end. For this he was also dubbed the “Chisel”.
This model has an improved gearbox and an updated engine. The company created all the internal components of the G8 together with Porsche. The chief director of AvtoVAZ Isakov V. I. entrusted the development of design to domestic artists. After some time, the five-door Eights with a sedan and hatchback type body went on sale.
The end of the 80s was marked by the publication of a small car called the Oka. The prototype of this car was Daihatsu Cuore.
The collapse of the USSR
The crisis affected almost all enterprises. The VAZ was no exception. The history of this enterprise has known a long crisis. The reason for this was a lot of internal and external reasons.
First of all, AvtoVAZ was faced with such a concept as competition. In those years, imported used cars flooded the market. Domestic cars against their background did not hold water. Demand for the products of the once prosperous enterprise has decreased significantly.
In the 90s, AvtoVAZ cars began to be produced in much smaller volumes. At this time, job cuts reached 25%. Despite government subsidies and increased customs duties on foreign cars, demand fell catastrophically.
Work during the crisis
AvtoVAZ OJSC during the crisis period worked on the creation of new models. In the early 90s, the world saw one of the few models of this period, the VAZ-2110. The Ten was an improved version of the Eight. This sedan model had a more sophisticated interior design and an original body shape.
In the next ten years, production did not know significant changes. Only in 2003, the Chevrolet Niva (VAZ-2121) entered mass production. This is the only domestic model that was sold in Japan.
There is an interesting statement by the chief designer of the “Niva” P. Prusov M. on assigning the name of this model. He said that this is an abbreviation of the first letters of the name of his daughters (Nina, Irina) and the sons of the chief designer of GM-AvtoVAZ (Vadim, Andrey).
Investment in production
AvtoVAZ OJSC enjoyed the support of the state budget, but this was not enough to awaken the enterprise from a long crisis state. The situation was exacerbated by the internal struggle for ownership of the company. Cases of theft of property on a very large scale were recorded. These amounts were equal to the annual revenue from the sale of the company. Therefore, all these events did not contribute to the exit from the loss-making state.
In 2009, the decrease in sales revenue reached a record level of 39%, compared with the previous period. The company has not known such a collapse in its entire history. So that the company did not stop its work, drastic measures were required. For this, huge investments poured into the assets.
In July 2009, the authorized capital of the company increased by 240 million euros. At the same time, Renault-Nissan owned 25% of the shares, and Russian Technologies - 44%. Steve Mattin was appointed to the position of chief designer. He previously held a similar position in the concerns of Mercedes, Volvo. From this time began a period of rebirth.
Museum of AvtoVAZ
Undoubtedly, the history of AvtoVAZ is rich in events. Its products have become a real symbol of that era. It is not surprising that there is a museum of AvtoVAZ. It is located in the city of Tolyatti. This institution is dedicated to the famous Lada brand not only in our country, but also abroad. After all, it was he who became known to the whole world as a machine made in our country.
There are many exhibits that are significant for the auto giant. Here you can find the first models released after the collapse of the USSR, and the oldest specimens. Some of the cars presented at the exposition are now no longer found on the roads. Not only have they not been let out for many years, but they have also been completely taken out of service.
The AvtoVAZ Museum is ready to show its visitors the first “Copeck” in cherry color, which was sold through a sales network. Its owner has operated his car for over 19 years. In 2000, he presented it to the museum. For this, AvtoVAZ presented to the patron a new machine that had just stepped off the assembly line of the plant. This largest car manufacturer deserves fame and recognition.
Enterprise today
After overcoming the protracted, deepest crisis, VAZ, whose history is speckled with a variety of events, is again increasing production. Back in 2004, universal hatchbacks and Kalina sedans saw the light. From that moment on, tireless development of a new design and components of Lada was ongoing.
In 2007, a new model was released called the Priora. Demand at this time was still falling. To stimulate it, a cheaper version of Kalina was developed. She was called the Grant. This time marks for AvtoVAZ a way out of the crisis. Production capacities are growing.
In 2012, on the basis of the Renault Logan car, the Lada of the Largus model was developed. For the prosperity of the legendary enterprise requires a competent approach, new, innovative ideas and sufficient investment. With the right approach, this company will again be able to bring huge profits to the state. For this, the modern AvtoVAZ has all the possibilities. This production can become not only profitable, but also return to the title of the legendary enterprise of domestic and world engineering.