In its domestic market, the Zastava 101 was widely known by the nicknames "Stojadin" (pronounced [stoˈjǎdin], a male name, from the similarity with Serbo-Croatian for 101, "sto jedan") and (in Slovenia) "Stoenka" ("101-ette").

Due to its practicality and robustness, and thanks to its low price, the Skala 55 continued to sell well in Serbia until the end of production in 2008.

Arriving a full three years before Fiat's own 128 3P and Volkswagen's Golf, the 101 was among the first hatchbacks with engine and gearbox located astride each other.

Front-wheel-drive in an era when most manufacturers were still years away from making the switch, the 101 offered excellent space utilization.

Independent rear suspension coped well with challenging Eastern European roads, while engines designed by the legendary Aurelio Lampredi worked best at heady rpms.

The following year, Yugoslav driver J. Paliković was reportedly piloting his 101 faster than his Porsche competition over several stages.

Five brand-new, standard Zastava 101 cars and 11 crew members travelled African deserts and savanna, finishing their 45-day expedition on the top of Kilimanjaro.

In 1984, the range's entry-level model costs less than £2,400, roughly half the price of the equivalent Ford Escort.

In order to avoid rust caused by road gritting, hard PVC coating was used throughout the underside, sills and valances.

Behind the wheel was a new instrument cluster, complete with tachometer, glowing in blue and red nuances behind its curvaceous housing.

Optionally, the 101 Yugo Skala 55 can be equipped to run on natural gas, with a factory-installed Lovato 40-liter tank and feed.

In 1976, the 101L replaced the De Luxe model, featuring new bumpers with rubber trim, flat-folding seat backs, chrome-trimmed radiator grille, reverse light, electric windshield-washer pump, coolant-temperature gauge, cigarette lighter and servo brakes.

Zastava 101 L 1300 was the first model with an engine of 1290 cc and 73 hp (54 kW), with an original Italian gearbox (Fiat 128 Coupe).

The SC model used a two-barrel Weber 30/32 DMTR 90/250 carburetor and 4-2-1 exhaust, boosting power to 64 hp (48 kW).

Later in the year came the Special, with complete instrumentation including oil-pressure gauge and tachometer, and the most powerful engine ever installed in this car: a 73 horsepower (54 kW) version of the 1,290 cc motor, with Weber 32/32 DMTR 90/250 carburetor and 4-2-1 exhaust.

The Skala 65 used a new two-barrel Weber 7Y2M-RA carburetor with an electronic choke atop its 1,301 cc engine, mated to a 5-speed gearbox.

The Zastava Skala 55 (101) remains something of a legend in Serbia: a solid, inexpensive car which can still be seen in all its generations, across ex-Yugoslavian territory and Eastern Europe.