http://www.lada.de/index_e.php

They are on sale in Germany so it's not entirely out of the question that they might re-appear in the UK.

Very dated looking cars but they start from about

Just show's you how far Skoda have come over the past 15 years dosen't it?

Just show's you how far Skoda have come over the past 15 years dosen't it?

Yep , or just goes to show what millions/billions of investment can do

Hey I used to work at the Lada import centre in Bridlington - during the college holidays of Summer 1988 - just before the Samara 5 dr was launched.

Whatever you say about the cars - was a great place to work for.

If they started again, my C.V. would be in - I promise you.

Though I would still drive a VRS.

Problem is the cars are re hashed samara's and the old Niva faithful. And with a Kia Picanto new for less than £5k - £6k is seriously overpriced.

At £4500 they would sell though.

Yep , or just goes to show what millions/billions of investment can do

Its does, just imagine if VW had gone for Lada..... we'd now be on Bri(s)Lada.net !!!

Its does, just imagine if VW had gone for Lada..... we'd now be on Bri(s)Lada.net !!!

Hehehehe.

The difference between the two though was that Skoda introduced the Favorit which was quite a big improvement over their predecessors and showed the company had the ability to change for the better.

The Lada Samara was , quite frankly , still sh!te

At

A colleague of fine had a Lada Niva. He swore by it........and in it, on it, about it!!!

LADA are doing the WTCC this year....

The difference between the two though was that Skoda introduced the Favorit

Wasn't this the first model under VW ownership though ?? I.E the first to benefit from the VAG parts bin ??

I just saw the new Lada on there russian website, took a while to understand the language but saw some picsand a couple of videos and it dont look that bad!!! My Grandad use to have a Lada Riva Estate......... what a hugh hunk of ......cr&p, but he loved it!!! I dont think they will take on over here...well i cant say again cause they didnt in the first place..........:thumbdwn:

Wasn't this the first model under VW ownership though ?? I.E the first to benefit from the VAG parts bin ??

Nope , the Favorit was launched in 89 (I think) which was a year or so before VW bought Skoda.

It was still a pretty basic design but it was well assembled and from VW's point of view it was better to buy a company with good competent workers and give them better designed vehicles to make than start completely from scratch.

It wasn't long after the take over that the VW parts bin was thrown at the Favorit to improve what could easily be changed like some of the interior (and engines?) . The Felicia was the first car that was mostly VW designed but some of the skoda engines lived on into the Fabia

Nope ' date=' the Favorit was launched in 89 (I think) which was a year or so before VW bought Skoda.

It was still a pretty basic design but it was well assembled and from VW's point of view it was better to buy a company with good competent workers and give them better designed vehicles to make than start completely from scratch.

It wasn't long after the take over that the VW parts bin was thrown at the Favorit to improve what could easily be changed like some of the interior (and engines?) . The Felicia was the first car that was mostly VW designed but some of the skoda engines lived on into the Fabia[/quote']

:orb_not_w PHD in Skoda Studies beckons ???

You must be right, why else would VW have bought Skoda is they weren't showing come sort of potential ??

Wasn't this the first model under VW ownership though ?? I.E the first to benefit from the VAG parts bin ??

Favorit was launched in '89

VW took over around '90

With VW the Favorit got a quality and safety update in '93

The Felicia (which is in esscence an major update of the Favorit) came in '95 and was the first to use VW engines (1.6 & 1.9d).

First full VW Skoda was the Octavia in '96 (although it reached RHD markets in '98 with a interior redesign).

and so on.....

There is no way on this earth they would sell any of those,even at £3.5 k.

They look far far too dated and I don't believe the 'indestructible' bit either.

Its hard enough flogging a quality skoda to a badge obsessed UK citizen

There is no way on this earth they would sell any of those,even at

Nothing wrong with the ol' Niva (apart from the rust), but agree with all the above posts regarding the new model.

Mind you, what other manufacturer would only charge a EURO200 premium for a 16v over an 8v model? O reckon they'll sell loads in the former East Germany, but don't see them getting further west than that TBH...

Nothing wrong with the ol' Niva (apart from the rust)' date=' but agree with all the above posts regarding the new model.

Mind you, what other manufacturer would only charge a EURO200 premium for a 16v over an 8v model? O reckon they'll sell loads in the former East Germany, but don't see them getting further west than that TBH...[/quote']

Theat 2110 Thing is technically faster than my Fabia in both 8v and 16v varities,

Oh god that is so embarrasing,

My car is slower than a bunch of old Lada's :eek: :(

In other countries in Europe there seems to be a market for very basic cheapo cars using older technology.

People like the reassurance of driving something new with a proper warranty but can't necessarily afford to buy the latest designs.

Renault for example sell old megane technology badged as a Dacia which might be coming to the UK and this has apparently been on sale in some countries for about £4k

http://www.daciagroup.com/eKontentDaciaXFiles/home_en/home/index.html

Renault for example sell old megane technology badged as a Dacia which might be coming to the UK and this has apparently been on sale in some countries for about

I'd heard that Dacia coming into the UK hinges on them starting produtcion in India, due to the fact that all of the ones built there would be RHD, so it would be cheaper to import these rather than retooling the Romania factory to handle RHD production and import a few from there.

:rubchin: Obviously arranging to build RHD is going to cost something, which will then be reflected in an increase in the prices of the cars (either across all vehicles sold, or just on RHD vehicles).

So wonder if there would be anything to stop a manufacturer from not going to the trouble of building RHD, and just selling their existing LHD models over here - would then help keep their prices down...

Not sure whether it would be popular or not, though I'd happily go LHD to save a grand or two on the price of a car.

Rob.

So wonder if there would be anything to stop a manufacturer from not going to the trouble of building RHD' date=' and just selling their existing LHD models over here - would then help keep their prices down...

Not sure whether it would be popular or not, though I'd happily go LHD to save a grand or two on the price of a car.

[/quote']

Nope, there is nothing stopping them, as you well know the first Smarts were LHD, the Fiat Barchetta. You could even order your next car in LHD if you wished. The thing would be the target customers. The people the Dacia would be aimed at (people who just want A-B transport mainly) could well not consider a car unles it was RHD (that is one of the reasons no one brought the Fiat, and would the Smart have been as popular if it had a manual gearbox and LHD?)

If anyone solves the psyche of car buyers they will do well:) .

Question re:Two sorts of buyer

1.The person who doesn't care about cars.They get you from A-B

2.The person who knows nothing about cars and buys what Which magazine recommend or the neighbours drive

If you don't give two hoots about cars(buyer 1) would you just get any old second car instead of a new one?

These people are different to those who don't know about cars (very different to not 'caring'about cars) and they would buy a new small mainstream car from Ford,Peugot or Vauxhall (buyer 2).

The second group certainly wouldn't look for a manufacturer like Lada.

Just can't see where the Lada buyer would come from.

As for Taxis,Skoda have that sewn up:D savvy bunch Taxi drivers

The person who would buy would wouldn't be interested in badges, only cheap reliable motoring. At say

Renault for example sell old megane technology badged as a Dacia which might be coming to the UK and this has apparently been on sale in some countries for about