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Signs that you are reaching old age – a) realising that The Young Ones first aired 38 years ago and b) that there are just 41 Rivas believed to remain on the road in this country -https://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/?q=lada+riva.

The latter is quite a shock, given how familiar a sight they once were, and so a celebration is more than timely - not least because “Lada Jokes” ceased to be even vaguely amusing when Hale and Pace were last on ITV.

In essence, the Riva was an updated version of the VAZ 2101. The 1965 agreement brokered by the Italian Communist Party between Fiat and AutoVaz resulted in an extensively re-engineered 124, which made its bow in 1969.

Construction was from metal that was 30% thicker, and there was a starting handle in case of battery failure while the suspension was two inches higher – at that time 200,000 km of dirt tracks traversed the USSR.

British imports commenced five years later and in 1980 the Lada – as it was badged in export markets – was revised as the Riva.

The decadent Western motorist has to wait until 1983 before they could enjoy the delights of the ‘handsome newcomer’.

Alas, William Woollard was less than enamoured, and his 1986 Top Gear assessment referred to how ‘the drivability reflects this generally second-rate appearance’. Instead of a Lada, FSO, Skoda or Yugo, he recommended purchasing a used Vauxhall Astra Mk. I 

Autocar tested the 1500 Estate in that same year and they rather rudely suggested that a second-hand Ford Cortina offered greater refinement. The writer did, somewhat grudgingly, admit that ‘As a source of A to B motoring in no particular style, the Lada Riva would appear to fit the bill’. However, ‘anyone remotely interested in driving might do better to look further afield’.

But this was the point of the Lada, for it cleverly targeted Britons who merely wished for reliable and spacious transport that offered excellent value for money. 

For £4,225 you gained a car equipped with front head restraints, a cigarette lighter, clock, remote control driver’s door mirror and headlamp washer and wipers. In the previous year Car evaluated the 1500 GLS saloon and mused ‘does this car really cost £350 less than a Metro City’.

The test concluded with ‘The Lada is honest and boring. It will soldier on for years and it deserves to. The price is right; the market is sure, the appeal to enthusiasts is minimal’. This was music to the ears of the nation’s mini-cab operators, fleet buyers and private motorists on a limited budget.

A new Riva belonged to the realm of a weekly trip to a Sainsbury in a badly-constructed shopping centre to stock up on Bird’s Dream Topping, and That’s Life! on a Sunday evening.  Mike Humble noted in https://www.aronline.co.uk/:

As the 1980s progressed, the popularity of Lada’s were at its height with 33500 being sold in 1988 alone, an amazing feat for an imported vehicle from the Soviet Union which made up for just over 2% of the total registrations of that that year. But from that year onwards, sales of the Riva slowly started to decline.

The reasons were various, from more up-to-the-minute rivals from Daewoo, Hyundai and Proton, to Lada’s difficulties in complying with the 1993 emissions regulation.  Riva imports ceased in 1997, and their ranks soon began to diminish, not least because the Lada was regarded as a disposable consumer good in the same manner as an old microwave oven.

Yet the Riva deserves to be remembered as it reflects the often staid and boring reality of the 1980s. The dream was Miami Vice – the truth was often a Wimpy Bar patronised by three ageing punk rockers, a 50-year-old Teddy Boy and a gang of Sixth Formers all desperately trying to resemble Robert Smith. And parked outside in the rain – a line of reassuringly beige Ladas.

Why choose Lancaster Insurance?

Here at Lancaster, we love classic cars as much as you do and we understand what it takes to protect them for future generations.

We have links with some of the top classic car clubs around the country and some of our policies even offer discounts of up to 25% for club members.

Other benefits of classic car insurance through Lancaster can include:

• Historic rally cover
• Static show cover
• Limited mileage discounts
• Choice of repairer
• 24-hour claims helpline

Give your classic the protection it deserves and get a quote for your classic today.