Category Archives: Lada

My Collecting Month #1

By Eugen Pedersen

Text and photographs copyright of the Author(s) unless otherwise stated.

These new articles share images and information about models as they join my collection. This first article covers the models which have arrived over the last two months. Some of the models are versions of the vehicles which I have already written about in articles but these new to my collection versions are rarer due to things like, colour, year of manufacture, model number beginning with the letter A and a number for example.

Some of my models have been bought from a seller in Estonia who allows me to pay in instalments for the rarer and more expensive pieces.


GAZ Volga 3102

This Gaz Volga 3102 is rare mainly because of the colour if I am not mistaken and also because it only has the fact the model was made in the Soviet Union in Cyrillic letters and with no English lettering. This indicates that the model was made in the 1980´s. Doors, bonnet and boot all open.


Lada 2101 Soviet Police

The second model Lada 2101 Soviet police is rare because of the A number on the undercarriage which is A17 and also because the production in the Soviet Union is only shown in Russian script and not in English. This model with the A number is very hard to find today so even without the original box it still has a high value. The bonnet and the boot open.


Maz 503

The third model MAZ 503 is also rare today. I do not know who made this model but the cool part is that it is entirely made from metal being a heavy model. The driver’s cab tilts forward and the loading part in the back goes up and down. Under the drivers cab there is also a simple imitation of the engine. Sadly, another thing making this model rare is that some of these model also suffered from zinc pest which slowly destroys the model. Mine however does not have that and it is very well preserved with a high value today.


Gaz Volga 22 – 02

The Volga 24 – 02 model is mainly rare because of the colour, also because of the A number which is A13. The absence of English script on the base indicates that it is an early made model from the 1970´s or beginning of the 1980´s.


Moskvitch 403 A7

The Moskvich 403 is rare because of the model number which is A7. English script is not present on the base. An additional difference between this early Soviet made model boot, bonnet and doors open. On later Russian ones the doors did not open.


UAZ 462

I bought the UAZ 462 mainly because of the colour and because I like that it has opening parts. I would like to collect this Soviet model in all the colours it was produced in. It is quite scarce.


This month’s purchases were limited by the cost of the Lada 2101 model shown below. They are all to 1:43 scale.



GAZ 69

The GAZ 69 model is made by Hongwell in China in their ‘Our Auto Industry‘ series to 1:43 scale. Nothing opens.


Lada 2101

The Lada 2101 model is rare because of the colour and the A number on the base which is A9. There is only Cyrillic script on the base. I found this model on eBay from a seller from Germany and I had to have it despite the fact that it was quite expensive. Both the model and the original box are in very good condition and it is scarce in that condition today. I have a second Lada 2101 A9 model in my collection in the same colour, but that model is play worn and has no original box. From the date stamped on the inside of the box the model was made in 1983. The bonnet and boot open.


The next group of models added to my collection are to 1:24 scale and feature cars from America and Europe. They are all Hachette part works cover mounts. I think that Hachette models are very good value in both 1:43 and 1:24 scale. They are of good quality though sadly nothing opens. But, the detail is excellent and they are affordable.


1974 Ford Maverick

The 1974 Ford Maverick model is I guess from a Ford Collection from Hachette, but I am not sure. Underneath the blister it is written that it is a Ford Official Licenced Product made in Bangladesh. Which suggests that PCT Industries made this for Hachette


1965 Ford Galaxie 500

This model is also from Hachette and is probably from the same part work series as the Maverick


Citroën Rosalie

The Citroën Rosalie model is, I guess, from a French Citroên collection from Hachette. There are other models from this collection which I am interested in buying in the future. Underneath the blister pack it states that it is a Citroën licensed product and that it too is made in Bangladesh.


Next month I am looking forward to a very interesting event which takes place during the first weekend in February. The event is the biggest hobby event in Denmark. Luckily I have vacation the week after and do not have to work that weekend. Which means that I will be there to take pictures of the event, to display a big part of my Eastern Bloc collection and also hopefully to find some interesting models to add to my collection.


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Ixo Q1 2023

By Maz Woolley

Announcements of models for the first quarter of 2023 are being made by Wholesalers who must be confident that the goods were made and made it to a container ship before the Chinese New Year shutdown started recently. We will no doubt hear of many more proposed releases next week when the Nuremberg Trade Toyfair opens.

PCT Industries continues to release models under its Ixo brand. Many of the models are based on castings that have already been seen in various partwork series, but when released under the Ixo brand they are generally in new colours and often incorporate a little more detail. This is appropriate as the UK suggested retail price of an Ixo model is often twice the price of a partwork issue.

PCT models are made in China, and in Bangladesh, for Macau and are generally sealed diecast models in various scales.

This article looks at just a few of the many models Ixo intend to ship. Please note that these are pre-production colour test models so there may be some changes before they went into production.

1:43 Scale

February Scheduled Releases


GMC General Beige 1980

One of the few producers of trucks to 1:43 scale. This GMC is in period colours and should be popular with collectors of US vehicles. At this scale it will be an impressive model.


BMW Alpina B6 3.5S Metallic Red 1989

Some nice detailed printing and flush glazing but it still has a hint of partwork about it.


Jaguar XJ 8 (X 308) Green 1998

I believe that this casting was used in the Atlas Jaguar Collection several years ago when it was produced in British Racing Green. It is a nice model and is RHD which will please UK buyers.


Saab 99 EMS Metallic Silver 1972

Ixo already sells this in rally livery and as a red saloon car. This casting would appear to be derived from the casting used to produce several models in the Atlas Saab Collection.


Lada 1500 Green 1980

This casting has been used in several partworks made for former Comecon bloc countries. Here it is badged as a Lada , a brand used mainly on export cars at this time, rather than as a Soviet market Vaz.

Although nicely finished this model may struggle to sell as ex-part work models abound on eBay at a considerably lower cost.


March Scheduled Releases


Scania 142 M Blue 1981

These Ixo trucks model a cab that is already popular with collectors of 1:48 scale models from Tekno and others. It is nicely detailed and made and is very much cheaper than the 1:48 scale models.

Scania 142 M Green 1981

MAN F 2000 Red 1994

MAN F 2000 Blue 1994

This nicely detailed model is again of a popular subject as modelled by Italieri to 1:24 scale and Model Car Garage to 1:18. Given the size and detail included these models are a very reasonable price here in the UK.


Mercedes 280 SE 3.5 (W111) Metallic Grey 1969

This looks to be the same casting used to produce the Greenlight model based on the car seen in the movie ‘The Hangover‘. Considerable printed detail is used which includes US specification separate front lights and side amber lights. A neat model of an impressive car.


Volvo 240 GL Red 1989

Again I think this is derived from the 240GLT casting produced for the Atlas Volvo Collection. Though here there are a few changes with a set of roof bars fitted. It is a good model capturing the boxy shape of the original car and sure to be popular as the Atlas Volvo Collection only sold in a limited range of countries so models are not easy to come by.


Simca 1301 Special Metallic Green 1972

The 1301/1501 casting has been seen in several different French market partworks from the Route Bleu series to the Hachette Simca Collection. Here the windscreen wipers look finer than on the partwork cars but the finish is otherwise similar. The side chrome stripe seems rather crude by current standards.


Renault 5 Alpine Gr. 2 Silver 1978

Models of the Renault 5 abound in part work and rally series. This model seems to be fairly basic despite the abundance of extra lights. The wide wheel arches seem to have rather small wheels within them too. It is a shame this is so basic perhaps in full Group 2 rally livery it would be more impressive. Personally, I would much prefer the lovely Ixo Renault 5 GT Turbo previously released which looks really good.


1:24 Scale Releases February


Talbot Sunbeam Lotus #16 Rallye WM Rally Monte Carlo 1981 G.Frequelin/J.Todt

Talbot Sunbeam Lotus #8 Rallye WM Rally Monte Carlo 1981 H.Toivonen/F.Gallagher

This model was originally expected late in 2022 but has slipped to 2023. The Talbot Sunbeam was a successful rally car which was a surprise as the Sunbeam had been created as a stop gap in the Chrysler range. It used a shortened Avenger chassis and part bin fittings from other Chrysler models. Once taken over by Peugeot-Citroën the Sunbeam was soon dropped as it overlapped the new Horizon and was made in Linwood in Scotland which was shut in 1981.

The Ixo model as appeared before in various rally ranges and is quite a nice representation of the rally car but the front lights seem to be too small and flat to me when compared with pictures of the real cars at Monte Carlo.


1:18 Scale


Fiat 131 Abarth Blue 1980

Another homologation special here. 400 were built to allow the car to qualify for group four rallying. It took the combined efforts of Fiat, Bertone, and Abarth to produce them. The simple badging shows it as an Abarth as do the body modifications. Ixo have already released this in yellow.

The Ixo model is a bit stark in it’s civilian finish and it will look much better in rallying livery.


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A view of the Toyroom Shelves – Part 15

By Eugen Pedersen

Text and photographs copyright of the Author(s) unless otherwise stated.

The latest look in the Toyroom continues to look at models placed on top of cupboards awaiting the arrival of new cupboards and shelving at a later date. Today’s models are all made to 1:24 scale in diecast metal and are made in China for Hachette. All the models are of Russian or Ukrainian made vehicles, some of which were made in the Soviet era and some after.

IZH 2126 “Orbita”

Moskvitch 412

Moskvitch 400 – 422

Zaz 966

Zaz 968M

Lada Niva

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A view of the Toyroom Shelves – Part 13

By Eugen Pedersen

Text and photographs copyright of the Author(s) unless otherwise stated.

We now reach some models which are arranged on cabinets rather than in them. Another trip to buy some more shelving units is needed soon.

As usual these are Soviet, Russian and Chinese made models of vehicles which were made in the Soviet Union, Russia or other former Soviet Countries.

1:43 scale from Soviet Arsenal Factory:  ZIL 4431 model with trailer

1:24 scale from Hachette: GAZ Volga M 21 third series

1:24 scale from Hachette: Lada 2102

1:24 scale from Hachette: Lada 2107

1;24 scale from Hachette: RAF 22038 “Latvija”

1:24 scale from Hachette: Vaz 2109 “Sputnik”

1:24 scale from Hachette: GAZ 69A

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A View of the Toyroom Shelves – Part 9 (Corrected Captions)

By Eugen Pedersen

Text and photographs copyright of the Author(s) unless otherwise stated.

This is the ninth visit to my cabinets recently acquired from IKEA and filled with my collection of Russian/Soviet models. The collection includes older models made in the Soviet Union and in Russia after the dissolution of the USSR, and newer ones made in China for DeAgostini or Ist.

I have tried to arrange the models on the shelves to show particular themes.

The shelves above show a display of 1:43 scale formal cars generally reserved for senior state officials and party members. The rear row features a variety of Gaz, Zil, Zim, Zis and other Limousines with Zil and Chaika hearse/ambulance cars with a Zim Ambulance. These are made in China for DeAgostini and Ist.
The front row is a collection of Chaika and Zil models made in the Soviet Union and Russia. All are formal state cars seldom used by ordinary citizens, though in later years the Chaika could be hired as a wedding car in Moscow.

From right to left the first model is Lada 2106 in scale 1:43 from Hongwell. The next model in scale 1:18 Lada 2103 East German Police is from Triple 9. The same is also true with the next model, the blue Lada 2106 from Triple 9 in the same scale. The following 2 Lada Niva models are from Solido in scale 1:18. The next model, the UAZ 469 is from Premium Classixxs in scale 1:18. The last models after the UAZ are in scale 1:43. The models in the front are from The Soviet Union. The Aeroflot model is a conversion from a soviet model. The blue UAZ in the rear is a rally version made by Agat in Russia. And the black UAZ is UAZ Hunter from Hongwell.

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A view of the Toyroom shelves – Part 4

By Eugen Pedersen

Text and photographs copyright of the Author(s) unless otherwise stated.

This is the fourth look at my collection which is now housed in, and on, a set of recently acquired cabinets from IKEA. Regular readers will be familiar with my interest in models of Soviet Union, and then Russian, made vehicles, which comprise most of my collection.

Each short article will show the contents of a couple of shelves which I have tried to arrange thematically.

Soviet/Russian Police Vehicles

Militsiya (Russian: милиция) was the name of the police forces in the Soviet Union (until 1991) and in several Eastern Bloc countries between (1945–1992). The cars above are large scale models made in China and marked in Police Colours. The motorcycle is also in police colours but is to a smaller scale.


A shelf full of Gaz Volgas

From the Gaz Volga M22 estate on the left to the millennial Gaz Volga 3110 or 31105 to the right rear. The bulk of the models are Soviet/Russian made and are of the long-lived Gaz 24 Volga in estate and saloon versions. Some are in emergency services liveries, one in East German Volkspolizei colours.


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A view of the Toyroom Shelves – Part 3

By Eugen Pedersen

Text and photographs copyright of the Author(s) unless otherwise stated.

This is a third look at my collection housed in, and on, a set of recently acquired cabinets from IKEA. Regular readers will be familiar with my interest in models of Soviet Union, and then Russian, made vehicles which comprise most of my collection.

Each short article will show the contents of a couple of shelves which I have tried to arrange thematically.

A mixture of Moskvitch cars of multiple generations as well as some LADA/AvtoVaz cars too including the Niva in various versions.

More Moskvitches as well as Volgas, and the GAZ-M20. From Soviet/Russian made ranges as well as more recent Chinese produced models.

We welcome your comments and questions.   Please go to our Model Auto Review Facebook page or email the Editors at maronlineeditor at gmail.com.

A View of the Toyroom Shelves – Part 2

By Eugen Pedersen

Text and photographs copyright of the Author(s) unless otherwise stated.

This is a second look at my collection housed in, and on, a set of recently acquired cabinets from IKEA. Regular readers will be familiar with my interest in models of Soviet Union, and then Russian, made vehicles which comprise most of my collection.

Each short article will show the contents of a couple of shelves which I have tried to arrange thematically.

ZIS/ZIL/ZIM models as used by senior party figures

AvtoVaz/Lada models with military trucks behind

That’s it for todays glimpse of what lives on the shelves.

We welcome your comments and questions.   Please go to our Model Auto Review Facebook page or email the Editors at maronlineeditor at gmail.com.

Creating a Lada Natasha

By Matt Beaumont

Text and photographs copyright of the Author(s) unless otherwise stated.

The Vehicle

The Lada Samara, as it was called in much of Western Europe (codenamed and later officially badged as the Lada Sputnik in its native Russia), know internally as the VAZ-2108 was a series of small family cars produced by Soviet/Russian vehicle manufacturer AvtoVAZ under the Lada brand between 1984 and 2013. The model name Samara was originally used only on exported models, in the Soviet Union the same car was called Sputnik “fellow traveller”  until 1991, when the saloon version of the Samara entered in production using the export name. It was the first front-wheel drive production car built in the Soviet Union. The Samara was modified and restyled before it was finally discontinued in December 2013.

In the mid-1980s Lada developed its first ever convertible car which was put into production and exported to most European countries. It was called the Lada Natasha Cabriolet, a four-seater convertible that was based on the popular Samara 1300/1500 models with a manual opening and closing canvas roof. More information on the car can be found in Eugen Pedersen’s article in MAR Online from October 2021. After reading this it re-sparked an interest in this car (my brother had a 3 door 1500glx back in the day) and to be fair to it, it was a pretty good car and built like a tank ( an accident with a low loader recovery slide and tilt would show this) but that’s another story.

Photograph credit as shown on photograph

Photograph credit as shown on the photograph

The Model

The is based upon my own personal conversion of a KK Scale Lada Samara 3 door police car which I had purchased to use the roof lights for another project, This is sealed diecast model to 1:18 scale.

Photograph from the internet believed to be a KK Scale publicity picture

Early plans

Having removed the light bar this left me with a model to tinker with. Originally, I was going to do a wide body hot hatch affair but after seeing the Natasha I was rather hooked,

The first thing I did (after stripping down the model and sandblasting the paint off) was to make a full set of extended wheel arch panels out of Milliput superfine white, this was done on some masking tape I put on the shell so I could remove the panels for fine tuning and also to allow any modification to the metal shell to be done without damaging the Milliput panels this was repeated on the removable plastic bumpers as well.

The Base

The model has real sprung suspension so with the use of some small packing washers I “lowered” the ride height. This meant cutting back the body shell to accommodate the wheels and tyres when the model was re-assembled later.

The Interior

I repainted this as it was a rather unflattering mid-brown colour. I elected to go for a cream interior which I think gave it a touch more modern, maybe even sportier appearance. The upper B pillar and C pillar mouldings were removed as they were no longer required. A replacement steering wheel was donated by a damaged Ottomobile Renault 11 turbo. At this time I also made a folded hood complete with tonneau cover from the same type of Milliput I used for the body kit.

The Plan Evolves

Whilst the modifications continued I decided to make further changes. Firstly I added some side skirts to link the wheel arch extensions, these were donated by the scrap Ottomoblie Renault 11 turbo and were cut to length and filed down to suit the Lada. I also used the head lamp backings from the Renault again filed down to fit. This gave the headlights a more sporting appearance. The front grille area was also modified to echo the later style of Samara with the slot intake. I also gave the front bumper a deeper air dam.

I tried a lot of different wheel and tyre combinations out of my spares box and came across a set of Ottomobile Renault Alpine GTA V6 Turbo rims that suited the car and its new sporting pretentions. These were painted white and later the body coloured insert on the fan blades was added.

The day of the ‘big’ cuts

It got to the point where major body modification could no longer be put off. First the B pillars were cut at the window line and then a cut was made across the roof to create the convertible header rail. Finally, cuts were made to both C pillars at the base of the window line. This left a large hole in the top of the body. So, first of all I created the new boot lid and tonneau area using plastic card and added the raised side mouldings that the Natascha features leading from the back of the doors to the boot lid area.

Next, I cut out the metal wheel arches so the wheels and tyres did not hit the metal of the original wings which allowed it to sit lower to the ground. And then the custom body kit was fitted so things were starting to come together nicely.

Colour choice

Whilst modifying the model I was continually trying to decide what colour to paint it. I went through everything in my mind from bright and garish summer colours to dark and sombre ones . Whilst studying the shelves of my local Halfords (a U.K motorist shop) I found a Vauxhall metallic green on the reduced price rack (the frugal part of my brain kicked in and the purchase was made).

So after much masking, painting and assembly Natasha was nearly complete. I cut down the side windows, first by making a cut down the front of the B pillars to give me the front door glasses, then I measured the length required between the tonneau and the front door glass and cut the rear quarter glasses to suit.

With a little bit of final assembly here and there and a couple of paint work touch ups including colour coding the door mirror caps she was done.

In Summary

Whilst I appreciate this model, or conversion, is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea – and yes there are places that are a bit on the rough side – I am very happy with the outcome and in the end I guess that is the main thing. I do hope that some of you will like it too!


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Lada Samara 115

By Eugen Pedersen

Text and photographs copyright of the Author(s) unless otherwise stated.

The History

With the production of a four-door sedan VAZ-21099 in 1990, the Lada Samara could rightfully be considered a family of vehicles. Yes, there was a lack of an estate car in the range, but both USSR and overseas markets consumed the output of the three and five door cars. But time is relentless, five years after the start of production of the original Samara all versions looked dated, despite attempts to smarten it up with minor bodywork changes, and a new more powerful 1.5 litre engine. By the 1990s the fashion was turning from angular shapes and sharp lines to a smoother and more curved design. When compared to the Volkswagen Golf III, Opel Astra F, Ford Escort V or Peugeot 306, the angular “chiselled” look of the Samara looked out of date.

By this time, VAZ had experience in updating other cars that they produced and it was natural to do the same for the Samara as the car had only been in production for five years. Plans for a replacement for the Samara, the VAZ 2110, were already being worked on at Togliatti but its launch was still some time away. The challenge was to refresh the Samara to keep sales brisk until the 2110 was brought into production.

Work was completed with overseas dealers and with Valmet in Finland, but all the suggestions depended upon lots of body kit components as well as front and rear end changes and in many cases failed to significantly update the model anyway.

The designers at VAZ were briefed to retain the roof, floor, sides and doors and could only modify the front and rear. A pattern of updates seen already on Fiat derived Vaz cars as well as Volga and Moskvich cars. More modern wider and slimmer headlights were fitted, though these were also less efficient than the previous lights, and indicators buried in the front of the front wing. This was accompanied by a longer and steeper sloping bonnet that curved round to almost the front bumper. The bumper was body coloured, and nowhere near as durable as its heavy black plastic predecessor. It gave the car a lower and more modern look from the front. Reminiscent perhaps of the original Ford Scorpio.

At the rear the engineers wanted to use the need to restyle to try to improve aerodynamics. The original Samara was not noticeably better in fuel consumption than the square Fiat derived Ladas. The engineers had already identified the fact that a 2 degree change to the slope of the rear window would help keep it clear of water and reduce the drag too, but this would need new parts: a slightly raised roof panel and a modified rear door as well as the rear lights and the bumper too. Leaving nothing to chance the car was tested in 1993 in a wind tunnel moulding new components from plasticine and measuring the effect. As far as can be determined these changes may have been made to the five door hatchback (114) model. However, the three door hatchback (113) was originally due to be dropped and so when it appeared, due to dealer demand, it only got a new bumper and a new spoiler on the tailgate whilst retaining the same tail lights, rear door, and rear panel thus keeping the high loading height from the original Samara.

Photograph taken by the author in Moldova

Photograph taken by the author in Moldova

The inside of the Samara-2 four door had many changes, and whilst cost constraints meant that the front seats could not be changed a brand new dashboard was fitted modelled on the new style on European cars where the drivers instrumentation sits in a curved panel oriented to the driver. This housed a VDO instrument cluster with internal illumination and liquid crystal displays. In addition, new door trims appeared in the cabin, which were stylistically linked to the new dashboard. Another innovation is the electrically operated front windows. Sadly, the three door car had fewer upgrades to its interior with the VAZ-2113 getting the new instrument panel, but no new door fittings. All cars had steering column adjustment. The steering column continued to be long with the steering wheel extended closer to the driver than on many European competitors.

Whilst working on the Samara-2 engineers ran a project to turn the three door hatchback into a ‘boy racer’ modelled on the popular ‘hot hatches’ from Volkswagen and Peugeot. It would have been fitted with a 16 valve version of the 1.6 litre engine. Like many other engineering exercises in Eastern bloc factories this was destined to never see production.

Mechanically the Samara-2 was the same as the later versions of the original Samara, some early cars even had a carburettor rather than fuel injection, and all had a 1.6 litre eight valve four cylinder engine. The four door saloon (2115) was launched first with the five door hatch (2114) and three door hatch (2113) following later. The intended production launch of the facelift version coincided with the Russian financial crisis of August 1998 and the impact of this substantially delayed the launch of the cars.

The modernized Samara-2 was liked by the motorists of the CIS and
quickly found a wide of buyers from the young family to elderly couples. It was produced until the end of 2012/2013. It was seen less often abroad outside the Russia and ex-Soviet states as the lack of Euro standards compliance and the loss of the Comecon sphere of influence removed many of the traditional export markets for Russian made cars.

The Models

I have so far only one Lada 115 Samara model in my collection. The
model is made by Hongwell and sold under the Autobahn from
Bauer branding. The model is in 1:43 scale and has opening doors and suspension. Unfortunately, my model is missing the rear view mirror on the right. In the future I want to find a new one as a replacement for this model with both rear view mirrors intact!

Even though this model was marketed as a toy rather than as a model it has a vey good level of detail for a toy. So for some collectors like me this is not a toy.


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