At the beginning of the years '60 if the car spread in all the Western countries, it remains not very present in the USSR because of course of the communist protectionism which prevents the importation of European or American models but especially with the absence of local production worthy of this name. At that time indeed only Volga-Gases and Moskvich build cars in Russia but their production is weak and too expensive compared to the means of the population. In 1965 the government decides to create an official automobile mark aiming at in the long term allowing each household to offer a car .

To face the incapacity of the Russian engineers to quickly set up a program of this type, call is made to the Italian government in which the Communist Party is then very influential. Very quickly an agreement is found with FIAT for the construction of an ultramodern factory to which the Italian mark brings know-how and tools. After long studies of incidence the Supreme Soviet decides into 1966 to establish this factory in a vast area timbered at the edge of the Volga, on the territory of the small town of Stavropol, not far from Kouybitchev (today Samara) to a few 1100 km in the south of Moscow.

Work begins since 1966 to be completed at the end of 1969 , date which first Lada leaves the chains. On April 19, 1970 the factory is officially inaugurated and the mass production starts. The factory is single in its kind with 3 assembly lines of 1,8 km each , one but also an immense electric station, a foundry, a center of stamping, a workshop of plasturgie and various chemical industries, it produces on the same factory all that is necessary to the assembly of a car .First Lada 2101 is produced in 1970 and so far more than 23 million cars left the chains Togliatti at a rate of a vehicle assembled every 20 seconds. Row, the day labourer production is equivalent to a file of 10km! Thus in 2002 are nearly 780.000 Lada which left the immense lines of assembly is the 3rd most productive factory in the world and 1st of the European continent! This level of production is reached and maintained since the middle of the years '70. The 21/12/73 had to be awaited to see leaving millionth Vaz (one 2103). 5 million 30/10/79 (one 2101), 10 million the 11/10/86 (Samara ) : 20 million 08/06/01 (a station-wagon 111). As of 1971 of the cars are dispatched everywhere in the world; in the communist countries of course (Lada becomes official mark in Cuba or in Egypt for example)

As for Niva, launched in '76, it is quite simply the popular first 4x4. But Avtovaz will make even more extremely in 1986. Helped by Porsche and Kawasaki (which robotizes the factory of Togliatti) the group launches Lada Samara which

on January 5, 1993 Vaz is privatisé.

On January 1, 1997 the debt borders the billion euros, Lada is virtually in bankruptcy but the Russian government “arranges” a law which saves a vital industry for the country by cancelling part of tax arrears and by granting a long spread of the payments for the remainder. Moreover General Motors is interested in this mastodon and decides to invest there by creating a common company: Held GM-AVTOVAZ with 41% by GM, 41% by VAZ and the remainder by Russia and the European Investment Bank.

Initially and to deal with the disorganization reigning with Togliatti, Lada decides to produce a new car in the Valmet factory in Finland: Lada Baltic (makes Samara of it modernized). During this time Delphi Automotive (a subsidiary company of GM) sees itself entrusting the task to put the project 2110 (which vegetates since 1992) in conformity with the standards Iso 9000 European. It is thing made in 1999: Lada 110 unloads finally in Europe and is immediately a relatively important commercial success thanks in particular to its tariffs very low made possible by the crumbling of the course of the rouble. The same year the GM-Avtovaz company begins finally its activities by construction from a new ultramodern factory. The purpose of this one is finally inaugurated the 23/09/2002 and is to produce the substitute of Niva as well as a new family of compact trucks on the basis of former Opel Astra .

First stage of this revival: Kalina which entered in production the 18/11/2004 and with it, the beginning, which of a new era which will continue in 2006 by the exit of the Priora project (replacing of the 110) which will offer the services of a European average truck, the price in less, then it will be the arrival of an ambitious “top-of-the-range” truck. With terms Lada envisages to launch a new model every 5 years, that is to say twice more often than currently! Meanwhile name VAZ commercially disappeared since from now on in Russia all the models carry like elsewhere the only name of Lada .

Beyond these aspects, Lada is also modernized by adopting “Western” methods of communication. Thus the mark multiplies publicities, launches promotional offers, proposes financings with credit and publishes a quarterly magazine. If all that seems to us banal, it is an innovation in Russia (http://blegs.online.fr/Ladastory2.htm)