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AvtoVAZ is the Russian car producer formerly referred to as VAZ: Volzhsky Avtomobilny Zavod, but better-known for the world below the trade-name Lada. The business was set up within the late sixties in collaboration with Fiat. The present company name includes the semantic pleonasm "AvtoVAZ", which means "Avtomobilniy Volzhsky Avtomobilny Zavod". AvtoVAZ is the greatest business within the Russian automotive market. It's 25% possessed by French carmaker Renault.

It makes almost one illion automobiles annually, like the Niva offroad car, Lada 110 and the Kalina. But, the first Fiat 124-based VAZ2101, and its derivatives, stay the versions most connected with its Lada brand. Previously, the most well-known versions were also Lada Samara and Lada Nova. Now, however instead of Lada Nova, the factory produces exactly the same model VAZ2107 for the national market; and instead of Lada Samara, exactly the same model VAZ-2114/VAZ-2115. From April, 2012, VAZ will begin to make Lada Largus: DACIA Logan MCV, which is on-sale in July, 2012.

The VAZ factory is really one of the largest on the planet, with more than 90 miles of assembly lines, and it is unique because all the parts for the automobiles are manufactured inhouse.

The first Lada was meant as a "folks's car" for customers of the Eastern Bloc - without most luxuries expected in Westernmade vehicles of its own age. Ladas were sold for a budget 'no frills' automobile in a number of Western countries throughout the 1970s and '80s, including Canada, the Uk, France, Belgium, Luxembourg as well as the Netherlands, though commerce sanctions prohibited their export to america. Sales to Italy were forbidden by the contract between the Fiat and Soviet authorities, to protect Fiat from inexpensive imports in its home market.