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What goes around comes around

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It was funny to see this image from the 1980s.  It was after the Soviet Union had invaded Afghanistan and it seemed many were peeved that Canadians had bought Ladas.  The Soviet car was seen as an inexpensive alternative to Hondas and other small cars now in demand when gas prices soared in the late 70s.  Sales took off in Canada but not the US.  I don't know if this was because of a natural antipathy toward all things Soviet or if Americans just couldn't handle a stick shift.  The Yugo did much better, although it didn't have a very good reputation either.   

I toyed with buying a Niva when I first came to Vilnius in 1997 as a new one sold for under $5000.   I liked the look of it, as it reminded me a bit of old GMC Jimmy, but my friends cautioned me against it.  Lithuania was turning away from Soviet cars not just for ideological reasons but because they were so clunky.  They all said it was better to buy a good used European car or truck than it was one of these outdated automobiles.  

The same was true in Russia.  Everyone wanted American, European and Japanese cars. Lada struggled greatly in the post-Soviet world.  GM tried to revive the company, updating its AvtoVAZ in the early 2000s.  The joint company even introduced an electric model in 2011, the Ellada, no pun intended.  GM still had a working relationship with AvtoVAZ up to 2020.  It didn't alter perceptions much.  The Lada still struggled to find a market.  

However, old Ladas retain a niche market.  There are Lada clubs in Lithuania, as enthusiasts like to race the little cars and trucks in road rallies around the country.  If you have one from the 1980s or before, you might be able to fetch a pretty decent price for it if it is in good shape.

The sanctions have resulted in some interesting changes.  Russia recently nationalized a Renault plant in Moscow and symbolically sold it to AvtoVAZ, which still produces the upgraded Lada and Niva.  This might lead to a significant revival of the old Soviet car, as Russia finds itself more and more isolated from the Western world.  I assume they will convert the Renault into a Lada plant, as they don't have a license to produce Renaults anymore.  Not that it probably matters to them.

Who knows, maybe Russian gas stations will take the same attitude toward American and European cars the way Canadian gas stations did to Ladas in the 80s?  I don't think so, judging by all the fancy SUV's rumbling around Moscow.  

Maybe AvtoVAZ will resurrect the Chaika with a new SUV model? They were seen at one time as the premier car in the Soviet Union, initially modeled upon the old Packard then revamped in the late 70s to look more like a Cadillac.  

Whatever the case, Russia will have to turn inward as auto shops will have a harder time finding parts for sanctioned models in the months and years ahead.  Russia could very will become like Cuba from the Castro era.  At least in some cases they still have access to the plants that were set up in Russia so that they can manufacture some parts.  Mostly, they will rely on the black market.

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