Samara + Niva = Tarzan
In the 1990s, a craving for a modern crossover pushed designers to experiment. The term itself didn’t exist yet, but tuning studios sought to craft cars that combined practicality with a fresh, rugged feel. The most affordable base remained the familiar Niva and UAZ platforms, which then became the chalk for various bold hybrids.
Samara, best known in the industry as Tarzan under the Lada-Consul workshop, began small-scale production in 1998. Beneath the shells of the VAZ-2108 or VAZ-2109, frames and Niva components were adapted. The result was a rear-drive, independent-suspension vehicle with discs on the brakes, a curious blend of sedan-like comfort and off-road readiness.
VAZ-210834 Tarzan emerged as a fusion of Samara and Niva, offering a fully independent suspension and disc brakes. The design boasted a comfortable body, a ground clearance of 220 mm, and longitudinal engines of 1.7 and 1.8 liters, delivering around 80 and 88.5 horsepower respectively. Top speeds hovered around 157–160 km/h, with 0–100 km/h sprint times in the 16–17 second range.
The Tarzan line adopted the longitudinal VAZ-21213 engine under the hood, paralleling the Niva’s layout. Later, the concept shifted to a wagon form with the VAZ-2111-90, earning the name Tarzan-2. This all-wheel drive wagon, Tarzan-2, featured independent suspension as well.
Izhevsk Fabula
Izhevsk also witnessed a surge of innovations thanks to Norma-Avto. Early in the nineties, designers experimented with a drive system that could couple the rear, front, or all-wheel drive to the IZH-2126 body. A unique transfer case, without a reduction gear, was paired with UZAM or VAZ engines and the standard Omsk gearbox. A robust tunnel linked to the gearbox helped manage vibrations reminiscent of the Niva. Front and rear gear sets shared the same primary ratios, with front-drive hinges adapted from the VAZ-2108 for cross-country versatility.
Several domestic engines were tested for this platform, including a 1.6-liter VAZ-2106, a 1.7-liter Niva carbureted unit, a 1.8-liter VAZ-2130, and even a 1.6-liter 84-hp VAZ-21084 from the Samara family mounted longitudinally. The drive pairs were standardized at 3.9, enabling both road and off-road use. Although a four-by-four Fabula was never released for sale, similar hatchbacks did surface in limited runs.
In the late 1990s, the factory did push small-scale production of IZH-2126 4×4 variants. The entry-level IZH-2126-060 kept the transfer case without downshifting and engines from UMPO-331 or VAZ-21213. The 2126-062 version used a VAZ-2106 engine with a reduction-gear transfer case. Announced later was the 2126-063, designed for 14-inch wheels with independent rear suspension and a 1.8-liter VAZ injection engine, producing about 84 hp. Yet, this version and other four-wheel-drive wagons or pickups, including some with VAZ-21213 engines or a 63-horsepower VAZ-343 diesel, never reached mass production at Barnaultransmash. The 2126-060 and 2126-062 remained available into the early 2000s. Tests showed these models handled slightly better than the Niva VAZ-21214 but offered similar cross-country performance.
And Volga!
A rugged variant even appeared on the Volga platform. In Soviet days, the authorities, including General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev, reportedly saw off-road, highly capable versions built on UAZ-469 components. A similar concept, based on the GAZ-310221 wagon, appeared from the Nizhny Novgorod-based Technoservice. For all-wheel drive Volgas, the lineup included the Zavolzhsky 130-horsepower 16-valve engine and a selection of Toyota gasoline and diesel powerhouses. Other smaller studios, like the Vishnyaki design center, produced comparable machines, though not all received formal certification. The Technoservice version with both imported and domestic engines stood out as a noteworthy option.
Muscovite Pickups
Among Moscow-based tuners, the Moskvich-2141 family wasn’t as widespread as some other makes, yet it sparked off-road experiments. In 1997, the Spektr project at NAMI Grenadier created a Moskvich pickup built on a UAZ chassis with a 105 hp ZMZ engine, delivering a load capacity around 750 kg. The Moskvich-2335 Grenadier joined the ranks as a pickup built from UAZ-3151 components. A striking—though ultimately impractical—design was the T-134 Tachanka, a Moskvich-based pickup with a Zavolzhsky V8 engine borrowed from a GAZ platform. In that era, several bold ideas were floated, but none secured investors.
The romance of off-road tuning faded as the 2000s arrived. Market demand shrank, costs rose, and bureaucratic hurdles piled up. Enthusiasts remained, but the bright spell of peculiar, eye-catching designs subsided. It’s a pity, many would say, yet the story endures in memory.
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