Early prototypes, conceived in the late 1980s, implemented the base of Moskvitch Aleko, with notable borrowings in the body style, while the powertrain featured an upgraded 2125 Kombi engine and transmission.

[1] In the wake of the dissolution of the USSR, AZLK (effectively IZH's parent factory at the time) began losing significant revenue before being privatised, resulting in the decision for IZH to convert the production of about half its lines to other industries (such as the production of firearms) in order to keep its automotive market running.

The merger allowed the Oda to be updated with VAZ-derived features, such as the Lada 110's interior design and front-wheel drive, as well as the Samara's 2106 engine.

[2] This led to a boost in consumer demand, and in 1997, all of the previous Moskvitch-based models were discontinued, while the main line switched to production of both the 2126 and the 2717 only.

In 2001 the aging car, with its design dating back to 1977, was awarded zero stars out of a possible four by the Russian ARCAP safety assessment program.