The Lada Riva is a restyled version of the Fiat 124-based Lada Type BA3-2101 / "Zhiguli" sedan, which was introduced in 1980. Tightening European safety and emissions legislation led to it being withdrawn from most Western European markets by 1997, although it is still in production at the AutoVAZ factory in Russia.

Some claim it's the car model that has sold the most, outselling both the VW Beetle and the Ford Model T.