Лада: народная машина

Lada: The People's Car

B1 · Intermediate · non-fiction · 10 scenes · Premium story

A light non-fiction reader about the most Soviet of cars. From the Fiat contract and a city with an Italian name, through seven-year waiting lists and the tool kit in every boot, to the Niva in Antarctica and the kopeyka as a collector's item — told the way Russians actually talk about the Lada: teasing it, and loving it.

Read Лада: народная машина in Russian

Characters

The Kopeyka («Копейка») — VAZ-2101, the first Lada
The Niva («Нива») — The off-roader
The Owner (Владелец) — Driver and mechanic
The Factory (Завод) — VAZ, Tolyatti

Vocabulary from this story

машина — car
двигатель — engine
кузов — body
багажник — boot
аккумулятор — battery
ручка — handle
свеча — spark plug
седан — saloon
внедорожник — off-roader
чехол — cover
инструмент — tool
модель — model