Dans les années 80, Lada était un acteur important du marché français. Le constructeur russe écoulait bon an mal an 15000 voitures, et en 1986, place à une traction 100% nouvelle : la Samara (2108). Cette compacte dispose d’un moteur transversal à arbre à cames en tête, un 1.3 de 65 ch en France.
   A l’époque, les Lada étaient reconstruites à Strasbourg car elles arrivaient d’URSS en piètre état. Elle disposait de qualités routières décentes, d’un confort honorable et d’un moteur solide, le tout pour un prix défiant toute concurrence. Elle reçut des blocs 1.1 (60ch) et 1.5 (76 ch), fut déclinée en 5 portes, puis en 3 volumes, se renommant Sagona pour l’occasion.
   En 1995, elle reçut le 1.5 diesel de PSA, mais faute de modernisation, sa carrière s’effondra.
   En 1996, elle cède la place à la 110, d’un style beaucoup plus moderne, mais sur la même plate-forme.
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   Based on the success of the Niva, the design department prepared the new family of front wheel drive models by 1984, a completely domestic design; the body is not unsimilar to Fiat Regata though. Production started with VAZ-21083 ''Sputnik'' 3-door hatchback; the series were later renamed Samara . The Samara engine was mostly designed and produced in-house, had a new single overhead cam design and was driven by a more modern rubber belt. The combustion chambers were developed in collaboration with Porsche . The line-up features completely new body and interiors, front McPherson suspension and rear torsion bar , rack and pinion steering and updated 5-speed gearshift . 5-door VAZ-21093 hatchback followed in 1987, and 4-door 1.5L sedan, VAZ-21099, was introduced in 1990. The same year, the front sides and radiator grille were restyled on the whole Samara range.
   The 2108-2109 models were in production until 2001, when they were restyled with new side panels, interiors and 1.5L fuel injection engines (though fuel injection was available as early as 1995). The Lada 2109 hatchback was rebadged as Lada 2114, and Lada 21099 sedan was rebadged as the Lada 2115. The 2104-21099 model range was transferred to IzhMash and ZAZ and is still being manufactured. In 2004 VAZ also introduced Lada 2113, a restyled version of Lada 2108.
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