Have you ever driven Lada?

[Antonischte]

That very interesting to me, what do you know about Lada?

[Selectron]

Yes, I've driven Ladas, I drove them for ten years and I loved them. I'd still be driving one today but unfortunately they couldn't meet our emissions regulations (in the UK) so they stopped importing them back in the late 1990s.

I had a Riva 1.3 saloon and then a Riva 1.5 estate. Primitive technology to be sure - Kettering ignition system with a single ignition coil, distributor, rotor arm, contact breaker points, condenser etc. but easy to maintain and, provided they were well-maintained I always found them to be very reliable. Lots of space in the engine bay, so mostly things were easy to reach and easy to work on.

The noise level was high for a modern car, the steering was heavy, the heater's water flow control valve was prone to leak, and I recall having to replace the brake master cylinder fairly frequently. Despite their flaws though they're great cars and I'd love to be able to return to driving one.

Ten years after I sold my last one, I still have the workshop manual for it; actually it's right beside me on the sofa because I was reading it just a couple of nights ago. I miss my Ladas.