More cars are being manufactured today than at any other time in history. In 2017, more than 80 million cars were produced around the world and the China auto market alone accounts for 29% of the car produced. China is successfully maintaining its leading position among global car production since 2008 but still struggling in terms of popularity level. Talking about popularity, one cannot ignore the rage of American car companies. The futuristic designs, features, and technologies have made their cars unbeatable and more admirable.
In the US, owning a car is not a big deal but there are few countries where a Car symbolizes Wealth and one of them is Russia. Since the system of public transport in Russia is well-developed and transportation service covers even the remote areas, having a Car signifies Opulence. Although Russian car companies are nothing compared to American ones, they still play a notable role in the global automotive industry. In 2016, Russia produced 1,303,989 vehicles making it ranking 16th among car-producing nations of the world.
This unconquerable automobile business in Russia was started post-World War II when Russia’s struggle to prove the supremacy of their Communist political system went far beyond the boundaries of an ideological fight and reached startling levels. In order to back up Stalin’s vision, the communist engineers were forced to deliver the absolute best automobiles possible. However, for some years, the Russian automobile market finds itself in a slump, but this doesn’t mean that Russian cars aren’t worthy to be mentioned among the best cars in the world.
Let’s talk about some of the well-known Russian car brands and look at their logos:
LADA
Introduced: 1970
Current Status: Running
Headquarters: Togliatti, Samara Oblast
Founder/Parent Company: JSC AvtoVAZ
Website: http://www.lada.ru/
Lada is manufactured by AvtoVAZ, which was formed from a collaboration between Fiat and the Soviet Vneshtorg (Department of Foreign Trade). AvtoVAZ produces over 400,000 cars a year under its Lada brand as well as the cars of Renault-Nissan alliance brands: Renault, Nissan, and Datsun. Cars manufactured by AvtoVAZ were initially marketed as Zhiguli brand but since 1973 they are popularly known as ‘Lada.’
This Russian brand has a long history and embraced western design ever since its beginnings. It is not one of those Russian luxury cars, but it definitely offers basic comfort and maneuverability. Its competitive price, reliability, simple DIY-friendly mechanics and unpretentious functionality have made it a well-known Russian car manufacturer in post-soviet countries.
In 1970, the company started producing its first car ‘VAZ-210’ which was a sturdier version of the ‘Fiat 124 sedan.’ The VAZ-2101 was sold under the brand ‘Zhiguli’ in the Soviet Union and branded as ‘Lada’ for export. At the moment newer models are in production and becoming more popular among Russian car buyers.
GAZ
Introduced: 1932
Current Status: Running
Headquarters: Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
Founder/Parent Company: GAZ Groupare
Website: http://azgaz.ru/
Originated as NAZ (Nizhegorodsky Avtomobilny Zavod) in 1932 and changed to GAZ (Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod) in 1933. In 1932, it was started as a cooperative enterprise between the Soviet Union and the Ford Motor Company. The first manufactured vehicle was ‘Ford Model A (NAZ-A)’ and the ‘Ford Model AA (NAZ-AA)’, which were further changed into ‘GAZ-A’ and GAZ-AA’.
It is now one of the leading manufacturers of commercial vehicles in Russia. In Feb 2011, GAZ Group and General Motors signed an agreement on contract assembly of the new Chevrolet Aveo car, and in June, this Russian car manufacturer company signed a long-term agreement on contract manufacturing with Volkswagen Group.
UAZ
Introduced: 1941
Current Status: Running
Headquarters: Ulyanovsk, Russia
Founder/Parent Company: Sollers JSC
Website: http://www.uaz.ru/
This Russian automobile manufacturer mainly specializes in the production of off-road vehicles, SUVs, buses, and trucks. UAZ is well-known for military vehicles, the most popular being the ‘UAZ-469.0020.’ The company began manufacturing vehicles as a part of the Soviet War effort and began its growth away from being a mere assembler in 1954. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, UAZ became a joint-stock company and contributed a significant volume of sales to the Russian economy in the 1990s.
There are many well-liked Russian vehicles that are manufactured by UAZ, such as, UAZ-31514, UAZ-31519, UAZ-3153, UAZ-3160, UAZ Bars (UAZ-3159), UAZ Hunter and UAZ Simbir.
KAMAZ
Introduced: 1969
Current Status: Running
Headquarters: Naberezhnye Chelny, Tatarstan, Russia
Founder/Parent Company: Kamaz Group
Website: http://www.kamaz.ru/en/
The company is recognized as the largest car manufacturer that ensures transport and safety in Russia. This Russian brand is mainly a trucks and engines manufacturer, but also popular for its Cab over trucks. Today, it is used to export heavy-duty models to many areas of the world and reinforced KAMAZ trucks are also used by the Russian army.
The factory is responsible for producing more than 43,000 trucks per year. It is the largest truck producer in Russia and the CIS and these trucks have won the Dakar Rally a record fourteen times.
DERWAYS AUTOMOBILE COMPANY
Introduced: 2003
Current Status: Running
Headquarters: Cherkessk, Russia
Founder/Parent Company: Mercury Group
Website: http://www.derways.ru/
Deraways Automobile was the first private Russian car manufacturer with the vision of producing cars meeting the modern requirements of comfort and safety standards. This Russian car brand is known for assembling the most reliable, fuel-efficient and contemporary vehicles. In 2003, the brand introduced Cowboy cars of its own design and sold 800 in just two years.
After forming a joint venture with the China-based firms Liaoning and Lifan Group, the company began producing SUVs and pick-up trucks. It manufactures more than 100,000 cars per year and manufacturing is equipped with a modern line for testing and quality control of assembled vehicles. Today, it is one of the most dynamically Russian car manufacturers.
SPETSTEH LLC
Introduced: 1967 – Present
Current Status: Running
Headquarters: Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
Founder/Parent Company: Not Available
Website: http://www.spetsteh-mir.ru/
It is a Russian automobile manufacturer specialized in tracked and wheeled all-terrain vehicles. Its vehicles are operated by oil and gas companies, geologists, energy, hunters, herders, search and rescue services. Also, this Russian car brand is a big player in the military vehicle manufacturing industry and has manufactured a number of tracked, tracked two-part, and Wheeled Military ATV’s with the source of the well-known automobile manufacturer UAZ’s parts, components, and bodies.
DRAGON MOTORS
Introduced: 1985
Current Status: Running
Headquarters: Ulyanovsk, Russia
Founder/Parent Company: Gennady Hainovym Yevgenyevich
Website: http://www.rcom.ru/dragon-motor/
This Russian car brand achieved fame for its off-road SUVs and tuning cars. In 1985, the brand introduced its first car ‘Laura’ followed by ‘Ohta’ in 1986, which was a minivan based on VAZ-2108. It is well-known for its vehicles with exceptional styling, reliability, safety, and fuel economy. Now, there are only two current models in the market, the ‘Dragon Jump’ and the ‘Dragon Astero’. Both the models are made from UAZ, GAZ, and VAZ components and assemblies.
Let’s talk about some popular discontinued Russian car brands:
VOLGA
Introduced: 1946
Current Status: Discontinued in 2010
Headquarters: Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
Founder/Parent Company: GAZ
Website: http://volga21.com/
Originated in the Soviet Union to replace the venerated ‘GAZ Pobeda’, this Russian car brand was meant to supply the demand for luxury cars that were gradually emerging in Western Europe. Recognized as highly different from the basic Lada, the Volga became a symbol of wealth, which was only purchased by highly rich people, doctors, lawyers, and political representatives.
The first Volga model was initially developed as a replacement for the remarkably successful ‘GAZ-M20 Pobeda’ mid-size car. Despite the continuous modernizations, Volga found it difficult to compete in the market and so the CEO decided to discontinue the Volga range in 2010. In total 639,478 Volga were built from 1956 until 1970.
ZIL
Introduced: 1916
Current Status: Production ended in 2012
Headquarters: Moscow, Russia
Founder/Parent Company: Igor Zakharov
Website: http://www.amo-zil.ru/
The company was founded in 1916 with the purpose of manufacturing F-15 1.5 ton trucks under license. Regrettably, the plans were not implemented because of the October Revolution and the Russian civil war. ZiL produces its first vehicle, the ‘AMO-F-15’ in November 1924. The most famous model of this last Russian Limousine was the ‘Zil-11’, an armored vehicle used for transporting government officials and dignitaries during their official trips.
During the 1960s, some road lanes in Moscow that were dedicated to Russian vehicles carrying high ranking government and military functionaries of the Soviet Union were named after this Russian car brand, the Zil lanes. Presently, this Russian car company exists only as a real-estate development site, on which a new urban district will be built by the LSR Group construction company.
MOSKVITCH
Introduced: 1929
Current Status: Bankrupt since 2002 and Dissolved in 2006
Headquarters: Moscow, Russia
Founder/Parent Company: AZLK
Website: http://www.azlk.ru/
Rugged, reliable, affordable, and comfortable are some of the terms that perfectly describe this Russian car company. Regardless of having dull exterior looks, Moskvitch was claimed as the real Russian car by definition, carrying traditional Russian spirit.
This Russian car brand began with an initial production of 24,000 vehicles but further in 1941, the entire production was ceased after the Hitler invasion during World War II in favor of military vehicle manufacturing. After the war, the Soviet Union acquired an entire production line from Opel, in Brandenburg to manufacture the modified ‘Opel Kadett’ under the name Moskvitch-400 in December 1946.
During the 1960s and early 1970s, cars were exported to many countries throughout the world. Until the 1980s, this Russian car brand introduced cars with compact rear-wheel-drive saloons and estates with solid rear axles suspended by leaf springs. However, in 2002 Moskvitch was filed for bankruptcy and ceased production. After that, several unsuccessful efforts were made to resume the production, and the brand was officially dissolved in 2006. Since 2009, the Moskvitch has been owned by German automotive company Volkswagen.
AZLK
Introduced: 1929
Current Status: Closed in 2010
Headquarters: Moscow, Russia
Founder/Parent Company: The Government of the Russian Federation
Website: http://www.azlk.ru/
It was a Russian automobile company that was owned by the government. Azlk was the maker of a well-renowned car brand, Moskvitch, and specialized in manufacturing small cars which could be classified anywhere from compact to mid-size. Unfortunately, it was stopped in 2001 and abolished in 2010.
AVTOKAM
Introduced: 1989
Current Status: Production discontinued in 1997
Headquarters: Naberezhnye Chelny, Russia
Founder/Parent Company: Grigory Rysin
Website: Not Available
This Russian car company was a joint association of 37 enterprises including Karpov Chemical Plant, Tatneftekhimmontage, Ivanovo Machine Tool Association, and Intertap. Avtokam produced quite interesting utilitarian off-road vehicles Autokam-Ranger and Avtokam-Velta. However, in 1997, the company was told to cease production due to some unknown reasons.
MARUSSIA MOTORS
Introduced: 2007
Current Status: Dissolved in 2014
Headquarters: Moscow, Russia
Founder/Parent Company: Nikolai Fomenko, Andrei Tsheglakov, Jefim Ostrovskiy
Website: Not Available
It was the first Russian sports car manufacturer company and designed both the B1 and the B2 sports cars. In April 2014, the company was dispersed, with employees leaving to join other institutes and finally in November, the company ceased trading.
Most of the population is not optimistic about the future of Russian Cars. According to some, Russian cars simply do not compete with foreign brands but others say this increased competition will benefit consumers as the manufacturers will work even harder to beat the foreign minds. We can’t predict the future, but we tried to cover the entire top Russian car brands on our list.