Agat Lada 2101 (1:43, Agat)

This model is made by Agat after the fall of The Soviet Union in scale 1:43. It is a driving school model. On the model only the hood and the trunk opens.
In 1966, an agreement was signed between the Soviet Union and the Italian company Fiat on the joint construction of an automobile plant and the production of the Fiat 124 model on it. A year later, the construction of a new enterprise began in Togliatti, and in 1970 the first cars rolled off the plant's conveyor.

First of all there was a cooperation between Fiat and Avtovaz which began in the 1970s. Fiat not only gave the right to build cars, they supplied everything, including bodywork and tooling for the factory. That way, the Soviet Union got everything supplied and was very little involved in product development. Secondly there was an agreement on the production of especially 3 Lada cars called "The Classics", Lada 2104, 2105, 2107. Today they are generally referred to as the Lada Classics series , derived from the original Fiat 124. Generally Lada 2101 – 2107. In total, over 800 changes were made to the design of the Italian source. The VAZ-2101 differed from the FIAT-124 in a new engine with an overhead camshaft and an increased distance between the cylinders, which in the future made it possible to repeatedly increase the engine displacement. In the clutch, the outer diameter of the friction linings was increased, and more reliable synchronizers were used in the gearbox. The front suspension was also redesigned: its kinematics were changed, many parts were strengthened, including springs and ball joints. The three-link rear suspension gave way to a more progressive five-bar design. Based on the results of severe tests of the Italian model at the test site and on ordinary roads of the Soviet Union, the designers reinforced the body and increased ground clearance.

The assembly of the first VAZ 2101 was carried out from the night of April 18 to April 19, 1970. The first Zhiguli were assembled for a special date, which was celebrated by the whole country on April 22, 1970 - the centenary of V.I. Lenin. In total, six cars were assembled in April, and in August the Volga Automobile Plant began selling the VAZ-2101 through the distribution network. Mass production of "Zhiguli" was established quite quickly. Already in 1970, more than 23 thousand cars were assembled. Different engines were installed on the "unity", with a volume of 1.2 liters and 1.3 liters. And the most powerful - 120 hp. - was a rotary piston engine. A pilot batch of such machines was produced for the Soviet special services. From 1970 to 1988, 4.8 million LADA of the first model were manufactured, including modifications, to be exact, 4,846,900 cars. And it was the most massive model in the history of AVTOVAZ, moreover, in the history of the Russian automobile industry. The first Zhiguli received the well-known logo with a silver boat. In this emblem there is a stylized letter “V” (VAZ), and also a boat is a symbol of movement. The name for the new Russian car was chosen by voting - the name "Zhiguli" won, after the name of the mountain system located near the city of Togliatti. There were also popular nicknames - “one”, “zero first”, “Zhigulyonok”. The word "penny" began to be used much later, in the 90s. The word "Zhiguli" was not suitable for export (not very euphonious in a number of languages), so the name LADA was used for deliveries abroad.

The first batch of cars was exported already in 1971 - to Yugoslavia, Belgium, Holland and Finland. Abroad, LADA was loved for its durability and low price. In 1971, more than 57 thousand LADA cars were exported - this is more than a third of the entire annual export of passenger cars in the USSR. In 1972, LADA cars already accounted for half of the total number of Soviet export deliveries of passenger cars. In 2017, Czech enthusiasts Filip Vogel and Petr Javurek circumnavigated the world in a LADA 2101. In 10 months, they drove 50,000 kilometers. Their 1975 car is now kept in the AvtoVAZ museum.
Before Zhiguli, The Soviet Union did not have a full-fledged system of branded car service. It was the Volga Automobile Company that was the first in the USSR to implement the principle of “produce-sell-serve”. In 1969, an order “On the organization of a car maintenance department” was signed. At first they planned to build huge auto centers for 55 posts, but then they created projects for 15, 10, and 6-post stations. This brought the service closer to customers and allowed to increase the number of service stations. In 1975, there were 30 special auto centers, 130 stationary and 100 mobile service stations. In the same period, about 150,000 cars a year were sold through special centers - about half of the total sales.

1967 - The construction of the Volga Automobile Plant began.
1968 - Car prototype tests started. 1969 - Installation of the main VAZ conveyor began.
1970 - The first VAZ-2101 was released.
1970 - The 10,000th VAZ-2101 was assembled.
1971 - Plant capacity increased to 220,000 vehicles per year.
1974 - The millionth VAZ-2101 was assembled.
1975 - The 2 millionth car (VAZ-21011) rolled off the assembly line of the automobile plant.
1979 - The 5 millionth car was produced, it was the VAZ-2101.
1984 - The last VAZ-2101 was assembled.
1988 - The last VAZ-21011 was assembled.
In total for the period 1970-1988. 4,846,900 VAZ-2101 and its modifications were produced. Today, about 400,000 such vehicles are registered in Russia.