And The REAL Lamest Day LeMons Winner Is... Gasmask's Lada Signet!

Yeah yeah, the car that gets the highest lap total gets the overall win at a 24 Hours Of LeMons race, but the insiders know who deserves the real respect! More »

Three Hours In, 21 To Go At The Lamest Day: E30 Leads, Lada Still Running

Internet access is difficult at best here at Nelson Ledges, so live updates are going to be few and short. At the moment, the Charlie Foxtrot Racing BMW 325i leads. More »

Capitalism Takes On Communism In Ohio: 1961 Cadillac Versus Lada Signet!

The Lamest Day takes place at Nelson Ledges next weekend, and it will feature the best all-time Index Of Effluency matchup in 24 Hours Of LeMons history: a Soviet car taking on a finned Caddy! More »

Vladimir Putin's Lada Niva Is Totally Bad-Ass

The Lada Niva is the coolest Soviet-era vehicle still in production. Given that, it makes sense Russia's alpha-male "not-president" Vladimir Putin has purchased a totally awesome camouflaged and off-road-ready version. More »

Yes, There Was Plenty Of Paint-Tradin' Race Action Behind The Iron Curtain

Have we ever mentioned that we love English Russia? It's like they knew we were going to review Cars Of The Soviet Union and put up this collection of vintage Soviet racing photos for us! More »

Cars Of The Soviet Union: The Definitive History, by Andy Thompson

Whether you're wrenching on a flying Spitfire or a leaking Spitfire, Haynes has a shop manual for you. Very useful, but hardly the sort of thing you'd keep on your coffee table. More »

Even More Old Cars Down On The Cuban Street

It turns out that many Jalopnik readers have been to Cuba, and now we're adding another set of Cuban car photos to the ones shot by AcaciaBogdan and Fantasygoat. More »

¡Abajo En La Calle De Cuba!

The ghost of Fulgencio Batista won't allow Americans to visit Cuba, but those commie-lovin' Canadians are free to doff their tuques and enjoy the presence of the world's largest concentration of pre-1960 Detroit iron. More »

Comrades! All Hail The First-Ever Soviet 24 Hours Of LeMons Car!

You know what's been missing from all the 24 Hours Of LeMons races so far? That's right- Soviet-made cars! It's been tough watching all those races without the accomplishments of Lenin, Stalin, and Trotsky being represented on the track, but that's all going to change at the Detroit event next year, because Teargas has braved the wilds of Canada to bring back a genuine, made-in-the-USSR 1987 Lada Signet! You may remember this car from Project Car Hell Cold War Edition a while back, and making the jump will get you the rest of the story. More »

Lada Niva Transformed With Martini Livery

Call it amusing, call it ridiculous, but whatever you call it, reader James has applied the classic Martini livery to his Lada Niva weekend toy, and we call it awesome. The little Ruskie brute wears the vinyl graphics with all the class and sophistication of the rally and race cars of yore. Check out the complete application process in the gallery below, and sit back imagining a weekend bombing around the rugged countryside in this pocket-sized beast. More »

What's The Worst Car Name?

Perhaps out of a fear of naming confusions or reinterpretations, a la the BMW Gina and Pontiac Aztek, many companies seem to be going towards alphanumericism (though that presents trouble in China, where the number "4" conjures up the sound of "death"). People fault the Chevy Nova for its Spanish translation, but we still like the name. The Japanese have all sorts of strange and awful naming conventions, aka the Mitsubishi Delica Space Gear and Daihatsu Naked. The Russians created the Lada brand because the original name, Zhiguli, sounded too much like "gigolo." More »

Save The Princess In A Lada Zhiguli

Found over yonder in Russia-land is this variant of the Fiat 124, presumably the Lada Zhiguli. What makes this Lada stand out among the millions of them is the matte black rims—not really, it's the amazingly accurate and detailed Mario paint job. The mural contains Goombas, pipes, coins, blocks, red-shelled Koopas and of course, Mario-himself. More »

Astroturf-Covered Lada Niva Brings New Meaning To Driving Range

We're not so sure how we feel about grass-covered cars. Sure you can make the argument that they're eco-friendly or whatever, but it just seems like so much upkeep. We would much rather have to wash and wax our car than fertilize and mow it. But what if you covered your ride with grass-like astroturf? And what if your ride was an old Lada Niva? More »

Lada Takes To The Track, Beware The Bears Of May

When we told you about the Lada WTCC entrant we wondered if someone wasn't trying to play with our love of all things Russian. Would someone really square a Lada against Bimmers, SEATs, Hondas and Chevys? The answer is yes. And we have the video above to prove it. SEAT is currently leading the Manufacturer Championship, but they better watch their back as these two Ladas will be on their tail and sporting Opel power. More »

Lada To Race In World Touring Car Championship, We're Too Stunned To Make Russian Jokes

Normally, when you see a Lada on these pages it's because it is driving in the subway or has been transformed into a monster. But this time we've got a full fledged race version of the tough Lada 110 that's hoping to compete in the WTCC series opposite 3-series bimmers and Euro-spec Accords. If this is a joke we're biting down hard because we want to believe. More »

Underground Street Racing Taken Too Literally In Russia

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In Russia, Wagons Maximize Your Day

Who needs a Subaru Outback or a Suzuki SX4 when you could have a... well... whatever these are. At least two of them seem to be variations of the Lada/AvtoVAZ 2100 series wagons set up for some serious on-roading (on-roading on Russian roads is equivalent to off-roading anywhere else). These unique wagons all appear to be stylish enough, in the Russian sense, to cruise the strada in St. Petersburg one day and then camp along the pristine shores of Lake Baikal the next. More »

Lada, Like You Have Never Seen Before

Our love for EnglishRussia is well established, but sometimes you miss solid gold during the occasional auto show mad house. Yes, that is a Lada in the above photo, there is no attached information other than that. We're not sure what the best part is; all that custom body work, the stick on hood scoop, the home fabbed side windows, or the white walled spare tire strapped to the back of the car. Sometimes Russian weirdness has it's moments of greatness. More »

In Mother Russia, Lada Stops Concrete Walls!

The post on Russian satellite navigation standards earlier this morning made us remember to check out our favorite site filled with all sorts of borscht. How could we forget to head over to English Russia, the only web site where we're able to find pictures of a Lada going straight through a brick wall with the only explanation for why being: More »

Engine Swap of the Day: Fiat DOHC Into a Lada 2101

Say you're a young hoon in a former Iron Curtain nation chock full of old Russian cars, and you want to do a low-buck engine upgrade. What to do? Well, one easy route is to start with an old rear-wheel-drive Lada and then stuff a readily-available Fiat Twin-Cam engine in it. Since the Lada is based on the Fiat 124, it's reasonably close to a bolt-in deal (though a certain amount of bash-to-fit engineering is needed, due to the whole "based on" business). This Hungarian site has the swap pretty well documented, in case you're tired of the Soviet-style power in your Lada and want to upgrade. [zsiguli.hu]

In Russia, Fiat Ladas YOU!

The Fiat juggernaut of the 1960s rolled into the USSR mid-decade, in the form of a new factory built along the Volga river. An industrial city that sprang up around the plant was named Togliatti, in honor of an Italian communist exiled by the fascists. From there, Fiat's joint venture knocked out Lada 2101s by the score. They appeared to be clones of the Fiat 124 — a disposable crapbox produced in astounding number, sporting flawlessly modernist styling and a perky engine. Its construction wasn't quite fit for the harsh Russian landscape, however, and so the Lada version was reworked to include aluminum brake drums, an overhead-cam engine, higher ground clearance and more robust steel body. It also had a starting handle, which assumed the battery situation would be iffy at best in the Siberian cold. Owing to those reinforcements and a brisk market for spare parts, Lada 2101s have survived decades to become a cult classic — a kind of Datsun 510 for the vodka-slugging set. Exactly how they've survived has often been a matter for the sometimes, let's say, overzealous aftermarket suppliers, for better or worse. Enjoy. [Comedy.ru via Photofile.ru]

In Russia, Zen Is Going To Find You!

This turkey (spotted by the eagle-eyed Seth L) is based on the teeny Lada Niva 4x4. Don't know the Niva? Imagine a Honda 600 Coupe crossbred with a Yugo. The Niva was Soviet Russia's attempt at a bar bones Subaru. Of course we're hoping our yellow friend here is based off the Cossack model. Also, nice roof rack/brush guard, dork. Enjoy! Update: Another jacked up Niva! [englishrussia.com] More »

In Russia, Devil Runs With YOU!

Allegedly, this modified Lada 2108 is supposed to look like a Diablo, but to us, it carries a distinctly Espada vibe. Or maybe that of an Islero. Whatever the case, it's yet another wonderful depiction as to what can happen to a man when armed only with a Lada, too much time on his hands, a set of tools from Gorky's House of Discount Wrenches and a case of bathtub vodka. [English Russia]

Heavily Tweaked Lada

English Russia once again comes through with evidence of capitalism's impact on the former Soviet Union. East, meet west. West, meet East. Now add turbochargers and scissor doors. The yikes factor is strong with this one; it's even got a head-up display! We have to admit, we're not entirely sure about the styling but well, it does kinda grab you by the face and yank. Yes comrades, we'll give it that. [English Russia]

On Globe, Soviet Cars Span YOU!

More hosannas and praise are to be heaped upon the glorious celebration of state and culture formally known as English Russia. Here they've wrassled up a plethora of Soviet-era vehicles from around the planet. We're still bitter about not being able to pick up a Lada Niva in California, but we're gonna yell over to Andrei to fire up the jukebox and rock out to some Stravinsky. That and the vodka gimlets should ease the pain. [English Russia]

Mayday! Mayday! Drive To A Groovy Socialist Utopia In Your Lada 1500S

Dig, comrades, the mindblowing far-outness of the glorious workers' car: the Lada 1500S! – Murilee Martin More »

Hoon of the Day: Lada Versus Volvo Norwegian Jumpstravaganza

First of all, congratulations to the hoons who brought us Sprint Jumping, as they've won our first-ever Hoon of the Week award! The Eldorado Versus Camper hoons come in with a strong second place in our poll; looks like jumping hoonage outranks crashing hoonage. So, with that in mind, here's a video of some hoons in Norway pounding the crap out of a Lada and a Volvo in an appropriately leaden-skied frozen Scandinavian setting. They don't get much hang time with their cars, but they pick up 3 bonus points for the 80s Alice Cooper soundtrack (which complements rather than replaces the sound of screaming engines and rending metal- you paying attention, hoons?), 5 points for the idiotic positioning of the cameraman where he'll be splattered straight to Valhalla if a car loses control after a jump, and another 10 points just because a Lada is involved. Hoon-O-Meter reading: 34 points. – Murilee Martin More »

Geneva Showcase: Lada C

Lada, the venerable AutoVAZ brand that was once a Soviet-era clearinghouse for ten-year-old Fiats, is on the move. And by "the move," we mean they're building brand new cars of 1990s vintage. And to show off its new direction, Lada showed up in Geneva with the Lada C, a prototype of a car it probably has no intention to build, but that looks like a rally hatch version of Mitsubishi's Concept X. Sure, it's probably just a fiberglass body dropped over a Fiat 124 chassis. But dammit, it shows they've got pluck, like the crew of the Battleship Potemkin. Or those guys from "Weekend at Bernie's." – Mike Spinelli More »

Celtic Lada Dorifto Fun!

Man, it's times like this that we really, really, wish we had a Lada Riva. People tell us we don't really want one. But we really think we do. With a turbo. And Panasports. And a snorkel and a wheelie bar and a deployable oil slick that lights on fire. And a hammerhead shark to ride shotgun with us. Oh, and like 80 KC Daylighters mounted everywhere. – Davey G. Johnson More »

In Russia, Lada 2107 Updates YOU!

Ah, the wascally wags of AvtoVAZ. Hewing to some Marxist hangover dictate to give the people what they want, they've brought back an updated, all-new version of the dubiously-classic, yet highly symbolic Lada 2107. Now that you've done that, VAZzers, how 'bout a new Niva? Please? Pretty-as-you-please, please? – Davey G. Johnson More »

In Jordan, Lada Builds YOU!

Ivan looked over Jordan, and what did he see? A place to call a Lada plant home. Ol' King Abdullah was agreein' with he, a Lada plant will call Jordan home. Swing low, sweet AvtoVaz, you'll have a place to call a Lada plant home. Swing low, sweet AvtoVaz, you a place to call a Lada plant home. – Davey G. Johnson More »

Classic Top Gear: Lotus Pimps a Lada!

We figure this will provide you with a nice break in the Motown action wherein Hammond gets the Lotus boys to drop 100,000 worth of British Bruce on a lowly Lada owned by the world's geekiest dweeb. Of course, Clarkson the cruel does get the guy on his belly. Until tomorrow... [Mr. Gold, keep the tips coming] – Jonny Lieberman More »

Hoons of the Day: Lada Stunt Team

Oh man, not the old taking-off-the-rims-while-rolling-on-two-wheels trick again. [Thanks to Keith for the tip.] More »