Huh! That's the first car I learned to drive growing up, my uncle had one. The only car I liked in the boring more than modest Soviet car lineup.
It was early for its time, and it has been exported to all over the world, often under other brands:
http://www.geocities.com/vernr_au/others_gallery.htm

Originally posted by Andrey
Niva is also available in 4 door (extended weelbase) formfactor. It was the first consumer oriented 4 weel drive car (note my wording here - not SUV but 4 weel drive) available in the USSR to a consumer powered by 1.6 L engine (the most you can get at the time). It was very popular in rural places and for hunting/fishing.

You still can find them today in Canada. They were imported under "Cossack" logo.


http://members.optusnet.com.au/~lada...ges/PROTO3.jpg