Here we are!
Parked by the cafe "Old New". City of Kobe. Country of
Japan.
Toyama-san (right) is the Lada Master - the propulsion force of the club and its superintendent and supplier. By his job's specifics his frequent destination is Italy (NB - that's where Niva's wheels grow from).
Higashi-san (middle) is a graphic designer. For those who is still uncertain as for what's Niva? - why Niva? isn't there any worth thing around there? here is a professional opinion: she likes the design. Which is, put in the language of the situation, Niva ga ii wa!
...And me on the left - your editor and Schtirlitz of SovAvtoProm as I like to call myself. My dear spouse is of course with us, and I can't say I took this picture myself.
At the elevation of some 900 meters Kobe is at our feet. The building of the upper cable car terminal is topping Mount Rokko. While ascending by the serpentine of the road Toyama-san pulled left letting muscle cars like Toyota Tercel ahead. "We have all-time four-wheel drive, what we need is more power" - he acknowledges. - "Niva was at a time one of the three world's only models with the permanent full drive - along with Rover and Wagoneer - that's what started the fun."
There were about 500 Nivas altogether sold in Japan.
About 150 of them at their times participated in the Niva Club. We would
say, "not bad for a model to turn its every third or fourth owner into
a fan". Right-steering ones were usually reimported from Great Britain,
but this one is not such. Interestingly, with all Lada-native parts, it has
airconditioning system - something I would never expect to see on Nivas
simply because they did not have ducts. And here it is - a factory-made duct
assembly fitting as if it was always there, under the dash. Toyama-san says,
the duct is made by VAZ - the Niva manufacturer, and the mechanics of a/c was
shipped from Japan.
Higashi-san owns the last Niva that entered the land of american
whining about unfair car trade. That was in 1995, and is not going to happen
again. Her Niva is "dieseling" after the ignition is turned
off, and might need some parts from Italy. Some other members' cars
are no longer afoot and are awaiting recycling which is a pity for all.
Japanese strict car regulations require parts certification and some other
unthinkable measures like additional fender flares for wheels that just
barely show out of the sockets.
And yet it is rolling...