VAZ-2104 - the most stylish "Zhiguli" station wagon

Those who lived in Soviet times remember well that private traders from the Caucasus (and not only them) preferred Volgas or station wagons. The reason for this was very simple: more goods are placed there. Yes, representatives of the sunny region brought citrus fruits and other fruits to the European part of the country. And, of course, the more you bring, the more you earn.


But, if we are talking about the Volga, Moskvich with station wagon or VAZ-2102 bodies, then excellent capacity was adjacent to a not very catchy design. The "Zhiguli" "four" looked a little better in this respect. A more modern shape of the headlights, a stylish radiator grill, in general, it was no worse than its “sister” - the “five”.

Station wagon from VAZ, which endowed with a pleasant design

Soviet officials from the automotive industry were well aware that a roomy car was needed not only for the inhabitants of the Caucasus. Such equipment was in demand in rural areas and large families who often moved or liked to travel and go on vacation. Many avid fishermen and hunters also dreamed of a car with just such a body. In short, it was necessary to satisfy the constant demand of the population.



Therefore, it is not surprising that the second model of the new plant on the Volga had this type of body. VAZ-2102 was produced for 15 years (from 1971 to 1986). It was produced under license as a Soviet variant of the FIAT 124 Familiare. The very name of the original indicated that we were dealing with a family car.

The level of demand for such equipment can be judged by the fact that almost 667 thousand famous "twos" were produced during the release. Moreover, in the last year, only 156 cars rolled off the assembly line, because its successor, the Quartet, was already gaining strength with might and main. After the "troika" with a sedan body, the Volga designers proposed a new nice and roomy car, the base for which was another sedan - the "five".



Manufacturers adhered to the principle of maximum unification with other VAZ cars. Therefore, a number of parts and assemblies migrated here from the “two”, and the appearance (with the exception of the rear) was completely from the “five”. In fact, if you look at the car strictly straight and from the front, it was impossible to determine which model we are dealing with. Of course, without some alterations, too, could not do:

✅ elongated and reinforced roof rigidity
✅ tailgate connector is made along the floor line
✅ rear door glass heating installed
✅ fuel tank increased to 45 liters

There were also pleasant innovations that did not immediately affect everyone. For example, only export versions were equipped with a rear door wiper. But, 10 years later, it still became public. The design changes also made it possible to install a longer roof rack. True, this was a plus for overall, not heavy loads. After all, the station wagon body structure has more glass and, accordingly, a smaller margin of rigidity than that of a sedan.

Features of the layout and equipment of the cabin

In those days, the trademark "Zhiguli" was still in use, and the index "2104" was added to it. The car belonged to the III group of a small class. The designers made sure that the "four" is most suitable for tourist or commercial use. This was facilitated by a folding rear sofa, which increases the volume of the luggage compartment from 375 to 1340 liters. Such a convenient mechanism made it possible to transport long loads. Sometimes for this they did not even completely close the tailgate, but covered it.



The low landing of the rear door contributed to the convenience of loading and unloading. Therefore, the car was often used to transport small consignments of goods to small retail outlets. The maximum load of the station wagon was close to half a ton (455 kg). Although, our people, of course, managed to load much more into it.

In general, the interior design was identical to the base sedan, with the exception of the folding rear sofa. There were two options for its configuration, which today would be classified as economy and luxury. In the first case: a minimalist dashboard, faux leather headrests and rubber floor mats. In the second - brushed knit upholstery, floor mats from a similar material and a stylistic steering wheel design. Of course, luxurious design did not appear from the very beginning of the release of the model, and such a modification cost much more.

Various modifications and engine sizes

Unification with the base model concerned not only external indicators and interior design. The "Four" also received an identical power unit with a working volume of 1,3 liters. But, very soon, the plant began producing modifications that differed from the original in engine size and some design improvements.



Their total number for the entire period of production of the VAZ-2104 model reached ten. For example, a car with the index "041" had a less powerful engine from a "penny", but it did not go into the series, limiting itself to small batches. The "forty-second" and "forty-third" modifications, on the contrary, received one of the most powerful "VAZ" engines at that time from the "six", with a working volume of 1,5 liters. Moreover, the first of them was prepared for export to countries with left-hand traffic, so it had a right-hand drive. But the VAZ-21043 became one of the centenarians, which was produced until the very end of the history of the "Zhiguli" Soviet classics.

Also, the "forty-fourth" and "forty-fifth" modifications were exported. They were distinguished by engines with a large volume (1,7-1,8 liters), a 5-speed gearbox and mono-fuel injection. Experiments with the installation of diesel engines began with the index "21045D". It seemed that the relative cheapness of diesel fuel at that time would bring economic benefits during operation.

Although they tried to try again with a diesel engine in the 048 modification, it did not bring the expected result. Indeed, in addition to positive aspects, there was also a lower diesel engine power and a high production cost. Therefore, in 2004, production was curtailed, and the remaining diesel engines were equipped with “zero fifty-fifths”.



Starting with the index "047", more and more interior details and load-bearing units were used from the "seven". The VAZ-21041VF even had a radiator grille from this model, because the production of "fives" was gradually phased out. By the way, the named modification, like the "21041i", had an injector in its arsenal.

End of a long story

Including numerous variations, the "four" stood on the assembly line for about 28 years. True, since 2003, its production was transferred to Izh-Avto. VAZ-21043 at that time was produced in three versions: "standard", "norm" and "luxury". The last of them was distinguished by a more comfortable interior, taken from the "seven". This modification was the only one of the "fours" presented in the model range of JSC "AvtoVAZ".



Izhevsk assembly shops have become the last refuge of the model. All these years, except for the crisis of 2009/10, the car was regularly supplied to the market of the country and neighboring countries. The last "heart of the four" was a fuel-injected engine with a displacement of 1,6 liters and a power of 73 hp. With. For all the years of production, 1,142 million cars of this model were assembled.