VAZ-21099 Sputnik USSR Auto Legends

The VAZ-21099 was developed in the USSR to take over the market position of the ‘sixth’ model and become the most expensive and prestigious Soviet car. The ‘ninety-nine’ was produced from 1990 to 2004, with 953,000 examples built. Notably, the VAZ-21099 was also produced at LuAZ from 2001 and at ZAZ from 2003.

When the saloon entered series production, its planned VAZ-2110 designation was changed to 21099, turning it from a separate model into a derivative of the ‘nine’. This allowed it to undergo a shortened state acceptance programme, since acceptance testing of VAZ's first front-wheel-drive cars, the VAZ-2108/09, had already been completed in 1983.