The Lada Niva. Some call it the best Soviet vehicle ever made. It’s so good, that they still make it. It’s so good that my father, who lives in Poland, is on his second one. I spent a full day driving it and I wasn’t so smitten by it; manual steering, not enough power, and overall just not up to par to western vehicles produced in the 1990s. It was tiresome, but for communist Soviet times, it was great, and it sure would make a great novelty car in the U.S.
I once toyed with the idea of bringing an Eastern Bloc car from Poland to the United States. Back then they were still dirt cheap, but lately a wave of patriotism and cult following has developed for these cars, bringing sales prices up with it. Add $2000-$3000 for import fees and I’d be lucky to break even on an eventual sale, not calculating the time and stress needed to legally register such vehicle.
From the ad:
1998 Lada Niva 4×4 For Sale! – $9500 (Glendale)
The moment many people have been waiting for. For those that don’t know what car this is, definitely do not waste your time reading this. One of only 3 Lada Niva 4×4 in the United States (to the best of my knowledge) is for SALE! So here is the deal. Don’t waste our time or your time. No “test drives”, I know how eager many people are to drive this car, but ours is definitely not a “test drive” vehicle.
The car was imported. I have all the paperwork needed. The car is not registered, but indeed we can introduce you to a person that can help with the process.
The car doesn’t NEED a paint job, but it would definitely look better with one. The battery probably has to be replaced, but nothing major needed. After all it is a Niva.
People look at this car in such a way they look at Lamborghinis and Ferraris. It is absolutely hilarious and you will enjoy every second of it.
To buy the car AS IS, the price is $9,500 firm. Good price to not waste our time with the negotiation process. You think you can get a better price somewhere else? Please go ahead and find one. For the car to be painted, fixed up fully, we are asking $14,000 OBO (Obviously don’t offer $9,500). This will require a deposit as well.
Contact me before we change our mind. Car like this is a once in a lifetime thing to find. Feel free to text or call with any questions, but serious inquiries only (Armenian, English and Russian). Thank you.
I contacted my man from zlomnik.pl, Poland’s most respected automotive journalist (at least in my opinion) and I asked him how much a Niva like this costs in Poland. His answer was approximately $1000. He said that this one looks a bit tired (note that the ad does not state the odometer reading) and that the newer vertical taillight models do not have the youngtimer classic appeal. He also said that there are two in his Warsaw neighborhood rotting away.
That said, this is North America. Despite what the ad says, there are certainly more than three in the United States because they were sold in Canada, and I know that one of our readers from Michigan owns one. It’s still a rare vehicle, no doubt about it, but it’s neither a classic nor is this one in concours winning condition like this VAZ 21033 or the Zil that I recently drove. Furthermore, due to its year of production, registering it in the U.S. maybe very difficult. I am very curious to know what it actually sells for.
Source: Los Angeles Craigslist
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