Helsinki Weekend Edition – Lada 2105 1200S

Antti Kautonen

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So yeah, while last weekend Finland beat Austria with a nice 7-2 score and I was full of hockey-induced vigour, this weekend it all went down the toilet. We (or the team, however you look at it) lost to Sweden and USA, which means Finland didn’t even get the bronze medal. To commemorate the Finnish spirit of damn-it-all, here’s a good old Lada 2105.

This is what you drive, when you’re a cantankerous old coot, who doesn’t trust any neighbouring country but still shelled out the least amount of money that got you a four-door RWD saloon with a four-stroke engine. This thing cost 32 900 FIM new, or 7700 eur / $9900 in today’s money.

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The registration date for this 60-horsepower 1200S was Aug 20, 1990, and you could get a 2105 as late as 1996. By then, you could’ve gotten a fuel-injected 1700i, with a more substantial amount of power: 84 horsepower. The fuel injection on the 1700i was provided by General Motors.

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“Solid Lada Quality”, declares the window sticker. The bumpers look federal-worthy, don’t they? The seat covers have probably been on since 1990.

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With some knocks here and there, a little rust in the door corners and a mismatched hue of the door, the Lada is the exact kind of Lada you can still see driving around any small town in Finland. One like this can be gotten for 600-700, or less if you’ve got the money right at hand.

[Images: Copyright 2013 Hooniverse/Antti Kautonen]

 

About

Antti Kautonen

Antti Kautonen

The resident Finn of Hooniverse. Owns old Peugeots and whatnot, writes long thinkpieces on unloved cars. These two facts might be related.

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18 responses to “Helsinki Weekend Edition – Lada 2105 1200S”

  1. TurboBrick Avatar
    TurboBrick

    50 thousand marks brand new, or 5000 marks after 2 years. Lada's were great second hand cars, but the first owners ended up taking a real bath on the resale values after the Soviet Union collapsed.
    I did cheer for USA winning the bronze, since their hockey program is a real midget compared to any other sport. I am bummed about Sweden winning, those cuckoo clock makers deserved the gold. Yes, I said that, and I'll gladly trade all my Volvos for Monteverdis. If they chip in $500 cash on top of the trade.

    Reply
    1. julkinen Avatar
      julkinen

      My sentiments:
      <img src="http://abload.de/img/vittu2xu04.gif"&gt;
      🙂

      Reply
    2. ˏ♂ˊ mzs zsm msz esq Avatar
      ˏ♂ˊ mzs zsm msz esq

      For me the underdog team sport in USA is men's indoor volleyball. It sometimes makes me upset even – like in my son's school they may make lacross, rugby, or ultimate frisbee sports before that (there is even no soccer but there are plenty of leagues outside of the schools at least!), so I try not to think about it. Table tennis is the biggest individual offender for me, also a great sport, but even ridiculed here in the USA.

      Reply
  2. lilpoindexter Avatar
    lilpoindexter

    This car would look cool lowered, on some BBS mesh wheels.

    Reply
  3. buzzboy7 Avatar
    buzzboy7

    Whenever I see Eastern Bloc cars I always think of this one and how much I dearly want it
    [youtube ewwLuMHz_nQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewwLuMHz_nQ youtube]

    Reply
  4. mseoul Avatar
    mseoul

    The bumpers do look odd. There may have been a plan for US export as the USSR collapsed. In fact, weren't these exported to Canada? Canada got the original rear engine Skoda and original Dacias as well, right? Any Canadians to report on current sightings of those original East Bloc cars in Canada today?

    Reply
    1. faberferrum Avatar
      faberferrum

      Yup, these were imported to Canada, along with those Skodas and Dacias, but not to the states. All are pretty rare now. Sightings? I've got a pair of Skoda Rapid coupes, never seen any others on Saskatchewan roads lol.

      Reply
      1. Jay_Ramey Avatar
        Jay_Ramey

        A couple 2108s is all I've seen, in BC. The 2109s and 2108s are all that's really left among daily drivers from what I hear.

        Reply
      2. mseoul Avatar
        mseoul

        You say you have TWO Skoda coupes? Have you ever posted on them? It sounds like an interesting story there. Somehow the rear engine Skoda is the only East Bloc mainstream car I have never driven. I always enjoyed riding in them as taxis. They seemed very rattle free compared with other cars of that era in Poland. Are your coupes original Canada imports?

        Reply
  5. stigshift Avatar
    stigshift

    I don't understand the fascination with Eastern Bloc cars. Obviously including my own, because I really want one.

    Reply
    1. ptschett Avatar
      ptschett

      I'm guessing it's a forbidden-fruit thing, kind of like JDM enthusiasm. While the USA has a pretty diverse range of cars available, sometimes (especially for an enthusiast) there's a niche left open which could be filled by something available elsewhere if only it was homologated and imported. (I must admit my personal fascination for things like the alleged-global (i.e. except NAFTA) T6 Ford Ranger, and Australian coupe-utilities…)

      Reply
      1. mseoul Avatar
        mseoul

        I think a big part of the fascination is as you say: forbidden fruit. On the other hand what I personally like is the "ultimate version" aspect of many of the East Bloc hand-me-down cars, like the Lada, based from a 1960's Fiat or the Dacia, from a similar era Renault. The Skoda was different as it was an original, so all the more forbidden and unique. The Fiat was morphed up to the last Lada ever made. It was also morphed into many Polish cars, up to the Polonez Caro, for example. The Dacia too was the ultimate 1960's car by the time they stopped making it in the 90's. [its Turkish version, I forget the name, is also worthy of mention)

        Reply
      2. ˏ♂ˊ mzs zsm msz esq Avatar
        ˏ♂ˊ mzs zsm msz esq

        The other things mentioned below as well as 'the little engine that could' 😉 My mind has come around over the years. I used to really dislike for example the Syrena. It was a horrible terrible no good car that my god father had. In every objective and measurable way, it was just hopeless really. But then it got from the nursery to the shop and churches and cemeteries day in and day out against the odds. It's sort of like the USA vs USSR olympic hockey stories, where the underdog comes out okay, and every once in a while really shines.

        Reply
        1. mseoul Avatar
          mseoul

          A Syrena was never comfortable, for sure, for any driver over 5' something. For 6'+, 1.9M drivers it was sure not "arms out". The suspension seemed like all sping (tight) and little shock. Syrenas bobbed a bit, end to end, in rapid tempo going down the road. Frankly even a Trabant felt sensitive and responsive after a Syrena, but as said above, they did get you down the road and kept on going.

          Reply
          1. ˏ♂ˊ mzs zsm msz esq Avatar
            ˏ♂ˊ mzs zsm msz esq

            It's funny you mention trabant, once years ago someone here said it was worst car ever, and I replied that having driven syrena and ridden in trabant, syrena was worse 😉 But that made me think about it, and thinking back it really was pretty good in that under dog fashion. My godfather's was delivery version, bosto, though we just called it the syrenka to be funny.

          2. mseoul Avatar
            mseoul

            My brother in law stepped up from a Syrena to a Wartburg and that felt well and truly like an Audi by comparision. It was at least as good as an old Saab and more roomy anyway, so not bad at all. The last Wartburgs with the VW engines must have been wild although the two strokes moved well enough anyway. I don't recall the price points but I could never see why anyone would choose a 125p over a Wartburg.

    2. Manic_King Avatar
      Manic_King

      I am from ex USSR so for me these could have some nostalgic value (the car I learned to drive in etc.), but honestly these were POS then and are the same now. Maybe Niva has some redeeming qualities but all the others….pfff.
      And I don't understand Ural love, that's nearly 100 yo German bike technology made worse by Soviets and now spruced up marginally. Actually, that Ural thing looks very similar to what VW bus/bug tribe does. Kinda hair shirt hobby if you ask me.

      Reply
  6. Synchromesh Avatar
    Synchromesh

    I didn't know the 2105 was available with 1200cc engine. I always thought the smallest was 1300.
    My dad had a beige 2104 station wagon version of this car with a 1300 engine back in the old country over 20 years ago. That car never saw snow and he took care of it meticulously. It was about 7 years old when he sold it in '92 before we left but it had 40K kilometers on it and looked brand new.

    Reply