On April 5th, the Lada Niva turned 45 years old. Originally dubbed VAZ-2121, the Russian off-road utility vehicle is the world’s first series-production overlander with unibody construction. Essentially the predecessor of modern crossovers like the Suzuki Vitara, the reassuringly simple Niva sold approximately 2.5 million examples in over 100 markets.
Developed independently by engineers at the Volga Automotive Plant, hence the VAZ in VAZ-2121 and AvtoVAZ, this fellow combines monocoque construction with independent suspension and permanent four-wheel drive for proper off-road capability, as expected of a Russian SUV.
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