The factory producing the cars is called VAZ. On the domestic market Lada is called Zhiguli. They also produce cars called Oka, Tarzan and Nadezhda, in addition to the Samara and Niva.
While the vehicle's basic designs were OK - indeed, at the time the Niva had superior mechanicals and suspension setup to comparably-priced small Japanese SUVs - the quality of manufacture was typically below-par. Whilst sanctions banned their export to the United States, they were available in several Western countries, including Canada, where they became the butt of jokes, for example:
Q: How do you double the resale value of a Lada?
A: Fill the tank with petrol.
Q: What happened to Lada? Probably disappeared with the USSR?
A: Lada still exists, nowdays they have a co-operation with General Motors.
