VAZ-2101 Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids VAZ-2101

Overview
Manufacturer	VAZ, now AvtoVAZ
Also called	Lada 1200/1200S Lada 1300 Lada 2101 VAZ-2101
Production	1970–1988
Assembly	Tolyatti, Samara Oblast, Russia
Body and chassis
Class	Compact car
Body style	4-door sedan 5-door estate
Layout	Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Related	Fiat 124 SEAT 124 Tofaş Murat 124 Premier 118NE VAZ-2103 VAZ-2106 VAZ-2107
Powertrain
Engine	petrol: 1.2 L VAZ-2101 I4 1.3 L VAZ-21011 I4 1.5 L VAZ-2103 I4
Transmission	4-speed Manual 3-speed Automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,424 mm (95.4 in)
Length	4,075 mm (160.4 in) (sedan) 4,060 mm (160 in) (estate)
Width	1,610 mm (63 in)
Height	1,382 mm (54.4 in)
Weight	955 kg (2,105 lb)
Chronology
Successor	VAZ-2103 Lada Riva

The VAZ-2101, often called "Zhiguli" or "Kopeyka" (meaning "little coin"), was a small, four-door car. It was the very first car made by the Soviet company AvtoVAZ, starting in 1970.

This car was a special version of the Fiat 124 from Italy. It was changed a lot to handle the tough roads and cold weather in the Soviet Union. The VAZ-2101 was also sold in other countries, especially in Western Europe, under the name Lada. There was also a station wagon version called the VAZ-2102.

How the VAZ-2101 Was Made
- Making it Stronger for Russian Roads
- Special Features for Cold Weather
History of the VAZ-2101
- Selling the Lada to the World
- Production and Popularity
Different VAZ-2101 Models
Technical Specifications
Images for kids
See also

How the VAZ-2101 Was Made

The original Italian Fiat 124 was a light car. It even won the "European Car of the Year" award in 1967. But it needed many changes to work well in Russia.

Making it Stronger for Russian Roads

Engineers at VAZ made over 800 changes to the Fiat 124. They used thicker, heavier steel for the car's body. This made the car stronger and less likely to crack on rough roads. The car's suspension was also raised. This gave it more ground clearance, so it wouldn't scrape on bumpy paths.

Instead of disc brakes at the back, they used drum brakes. The engine was also replaced with a new design. This new engine had a modern overhead camshaft, but Fiat never used it in their own cars.

Special Features for Cold Weather

The first Lada cars had a special starting handle. This was in case the battery died in very cold places like Siberia. They also added a manual fuel pump. This helped the car start in freezing conditions. Some of these improvements were later used by Fiat in their own 124 models.

The VAZ-2101 used a simple rear-wheel drive system. Its engine was an inline four with two valves per cylinder.

History of the VAZ-2101

The 2101 was built under a special agreement with Fiat. It was designed for countries in the Eastern Bloc. However, it became a popular economy car in Western countries too. Even after newer Lada models came out, the 2101 was still made until 1988 for the home market.

Selling the Lada to the World

The car was known as Zhiguli in the Soviet Union. Fiat did not allow VAZ to sell the car in Italy. This was to protect Fiat's own car sales. They also couldn't sell it in markets where the Fiat 124 was still sold.

But when Fiat stopped making the 124 in 1974, Lada started selling the 2101 in Western Europe. It was called the Lada 1200, Lada 1300, and Lada 1200S. The car first arrived in the United Kingdom in May 1974. It was the first Lada model sold there.

Production and Popularity

In its first year, 22,000 VAZ-2101 cars were made. By 1973, the factory could make 660,000 cars a year. On December 21, 1973, one million cars had been sold. By 1974, that number reached one and a half million.

The 2101 was built almost exactly the same from 1970 to 1982. A slightly updated version, the 21013, was made until 1988.

Different VAZ-2101 Models

VAZ-2101 Sedan Models

VAZ-2101 (1970–1982): This was the first version. It had a 1.2-liter engine with 60 horsepower. It could reach a top speed of 140 km/h (87 mph). It took about 20 seconds to go from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph). This model was very popular in the Soviet Union. People often waited years to buy one. Exports started in 1971 to countries like Yugoslavia, Finland, and Belgium.
VAZ-21011 (1974–1981): This model had a slightly bigger 1.3-liter engine with 67 horsepower. It also had some small changes to its look. For example, the front indicator lights were flat, and the bumpers had a rubber strip. The dashboard also looked different. This version was sold as the Lada 1300 in other countries.
VAZ-21012 (1973): This was a special version with the steering wheel on the right side. It was made for countries like Japan, Australia, and Britain.
VAZ-21013 (1977–1988): This model was similar to the 21011 but had the smaller 1.2-liter engine. It was exported as the Lada 1200S.
VAZ-21016 (1976–1981): This was a special car for the Soviet police. It had a more powerful 1.5-liter engine from the VAZ-2103 model.
VAZ-21018 (1978): This rare model had a special "rotary engine" (Wankel engine). Only about 250 were made, mostly for the police and KGB.
VAZ-21019 Arkan (1983?): Another rotary engine version, even more powerful, also for police and KGB.

VAZ-2102 Station Wagon Models

The VAZ-2102 was the estate version of the VAZ-2101. It was based on the Fiat 124 Familiare. It was made from 1971 until 1986. Over 660,000 of these wagons were built.

VAZ-2102 (1971–1986): Also known as Lada 1200 Combi.
VAZ-21021 (1974–1985): This version had the 1.3-liter engine. It was called the Lada 1300 Combi.
VAZ-21023 (1973–1985): This model had the 1.5-liter engine. It was known as the Lada 1500 Combi.

VAZ-2103 Model

The VAZ-2103 (known as Lada 1500 in other countries) was very similar to the 2101. It had four headlights and a different front grille. It also had a more comfortable interior. Some countries also received the VAZ-2106, or Lada 1600.

Technical Specifications

Type	VAZ-2101	VAZ-21011
Mass, dry	890 kg
Mass, roadworthy	955 kg	1010 kg
Max. permissible mass	1355 kg	1400 kg
Length	4073 mm
Width	1611 mm
Height	1440 mm
Wheelbase	2424 mm
Track width (front)	1349 mm
Track width (rear)	1305 mm
Ground clearance (fully laden)	170 mm
Turning raidus	5.6 m
Ramp angle (front)	36 °
Ramp angle (rear	17 °
Tyres	114-330 mm (4½-13 in)
Engine code	VAZ-2101	VAZ-21011
Engine type	Water-cooled, straight-four, Otto, counterflow cylinder head, duplex-chain driven overhead camshaft
Fuel system	Two-stage downdraught carburetter type 2101-1107010-02
Displacement	1198 cm³	1294 cm³
Bore × Stroke	76 mm × 66 mm	79 mm × 66 mm
Compression $\varepsilon$	8,5	8,8
Rated power (GOST–14846)	46 kW (62 PS) at 5600 min⁻¹	51 kW (69 PS) at 5600 min⁻¹
Rated power (DIN 70020)	44 kW (60 PS) at 5600 min⁻¹	48 kW (65 PS) at 5600 min⁻¹
Rated power (SAE J1349)	48 kW (65 PS) at 5600 min⁻¹
Max. torque (GOST–14846)	87 N·m (8.9 kp·m) at 3400 min⁻¹	93 N·m (9.5 kp·m) at 3400 min⁻¹
Fuel type	Petrol AI-93 GOST 2084-67
Top speed	140 km/h	145 km/h
Acceleration (0–100 km/h)	22 s	18 s
Stopping distance (at 80 km/h)	38 m
Fuel consumption (combined, l/100 km)	8.0 l	9.0 l
Gradeability (1st gear)	34 %
Fuel tank volume	39 l
Source