Today they are generally referred to as the Lada Classic series,[7] being derived from the original Fiat 124 platform which has been the now-iconic mainstay of the AvtoVAZ lineup since the company's foundation in the late 1960s.

In Russia, VAZ-2105, VAZ-2104, and VAZ-2107 are considered to be different cars rather than variants but nonetheless all of them are part of a single "Klassika" ("Classic") family along with older models such as the VAZ-2101.

The smaller-engined variant, the 66 PS (48 kW; 65 hp) 1,294 cc (79.0 cu in) version (VAZ-2105)[21] had a revamp of its inline four-cylinder compared to the original VAZ-2101 (Lada 1200).

In the West, Rivas had limited presence in such countries as the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, New Zealand (where it served as a taxi), and Canada.

[25] Tightening safety and emissions legislation combined with the economic instability in the former Soviet Union during the 1990s led to the Riva being withdrawn from most Western European markets by 1997, although it remained in production at the AvtoVAZ factory in the Russian Federation and was sold as the Lada Classic.

[27] In 2002, production of the wagon model was taken over by Izh,[28] before assembly was also started at the Bogdan Group's LuAZ plant, and later in Cherkasy, Ukraine.

[30] British imports of the older VAZ-2101/2102/2106 ended soon after the Riva's introduction, although they remained available in the Soviet Union and much of the old Eastern Bloc for several years afterwards.

In a review of the new economy car, the British automobile magazine Autocar noted its low price of only £3,158 (£10,736.82 in 2020), improved road performance and an "impressive list of standard equipment", which included "height-adjustable headlamps, internally adjustable driver's door mirror, velour-covered seats, heated rear window, illumination lights for bonnet and boot", and a 21-piece toolkit.

[31] However, its spartan interiors and ageing design meant that it was never aimed at buyers of market leaders' similar-sized but more expensive products, such as the Ford Sierra, Vauxhall Cavalier and Austin Montego.

Despite Lada's withdrawal in 1997 from the British market, most of the surviving Rivas on UK roads were not scrapped; rather the vast majority were re-exported back to Russia due to a shortage of used examples in their homeland and the export specification was considered superior to those that were available domestically.

The Dairy Board received the cars in lieu of cash payments for deliveries of mutton and butter to the Soviet Union.

Small numbers of Lada rally cars were built with 150 PS (110 kW) Wankel engines, fitted with a pair of Weber DCOE twin-choke carburettors.

[37] In 2001, the 2107 version of the Riva scored 0 points out of 16 in a frontal crash test conducted by the modern Russian ARCAP safety assessment program, and was awarded zero stars out of four.