40 years of Zhiguli in Hungary

Dear Fiat Fan!

At 14th July 1971 the first Lada (or as it was referred at the time: Zhiguli) was handed over to its happy owner in Hungary. To commemorate this historical moment 40 years ago at the largest Hungarian classic car event this spring, Old Timer Expo the main topic will be the Zhiguli, and the Lada subculture in Hungary. Our club the Classic Zhiguli Association (Veterán Zsiguli Egyesület) has undertaken the role to organize a fitting car show and programs. Besides the authentic factory state classic cars we intend to show you various service cars (cabs, police cars), homologue rally cars still dominating Hungarian rally in 2011, and naturally the barely street legal tuned Ladas and offroad Nivas. There will be some rare western edition model on the show as well. To compile the car show we are assisted the Niva 4x4 club, the Lada Club Nederland, members of various Hungarian Lada clubs and the editors of totalcar.hu.

You can read about our plans and later about the detailed schedule on this part of our homepage and in the the news section, but we would like to invite you now visit the Expo and take part with your car on its sister event on the 15th April, the Old Timer Sokadalom (Classic Car Crowd).

For further information and assistance on how to get there, where to book accommodation, or any other arrangements you can approach us in English, German, Russian and Hungarian in a response to this email, or you can write to our forum in any of the languages

We ask you to distribute this information via your homepage to the Fiat and Lada fans of your country.

Best regards,

Vukmann Attila (vukmann.attila@veteranzsiguli.hu,+36 20 9271 331) Baranyi Lajos (baranyi.lajos@veteranzsiguli.hu, +36 30 9998 999)

dr. Meleg Norbert (meleg.norbert@veteranzsiguli.hu, +36 30 300 1415) Rónai Márton (ronai.marton@veteranzsiguli.hu, +36 30 2116 331)

P.S.: As I wrote in my topic (about the Fiat 124 Familiare in Hungary), we search a Fiat 124 and a Seat 124 owner, who would be able to join us at the exhibitions to show his/her car. If you, or you know someone who wants to participate in this event, please let us know. You can contact us via e-mail, via this forum, or via www.veteranzsiguli.hu.

What a coincidence! have you got read, in the middle of the site ("THE PASSION") the date of purchasing of our "Big Grey" (my family's Fiat 124)? is just the same! that far, mythic, lucky July 14, 1971!
It will be a very great event, the one you are going to build up! did you know about our affiliation with your country's great LADA BARATI KOR site? we are all very happy for and interested to your beautiful event: could you keep in touch with us, please?
Thank you very much for your kind invitation, unfortunately I was out for a holiday and I' just have seen this message only this evening! ; I'm sorry, perhaps one day we can meet
I'd like you to know that my car, at a time (1985) went to Praga vai Brema and Berlin, and came back via Paris!
THANK YOU VERY MUCH for your very welcomed friendship, if you want to write everything about Ladas and want it to be published here, both in English than Italian versionyou can write to:

Paolo De Sanctis, paolodesan@gmail.com.

and it'll be promptly published with your sign, of course! the same if you would like to show your beatiful cars (the red Zhiguli is very fine ).

Hear you soon!

sincerely, Paolo


p.s. this site is available in English also, please click on the Union Jack flag

Hi Paolo!

It's really interesting, and what a date!!!

The first Zsiguli owner in Hungary was Mrs. Ottó Zsadányi Dr. (in Hungarian form its: Dr. Zsadányi Ottóné - where the order of first and last name is swapped, and the Mrs. is at the end, as "né"). Of course, Ottó is a male name.

We found the daughter of hers (sadly, both her and her husband already died), and she is invited to the exhibition for a little conversation, accompanied by former servicemen, and others, who were related to Zsiguli marketing in Hungary.

But back to the Fiats. I don't know, if I have already mentioned, that I have to sell a flat before I could invest into restorating, but I hope, in the autumn there will be nothing against visiting Imola or other places. But I don't think that there will be any improvement in the condition of my Familiare just will be prepared for the long journey. As the restoration of the "you called" red Zsiguli will immediately start after getting the money for the flat, the Fiat is judged to wait until I gain money for him. I'm sad, that I won't be able to restorate it simultaneously, but the financial background is not really optimal...

But to turn towards much brighter things, we had a photo-session last weekend at a small chateau near Budapest. It was organized to have a promotional photo shoot for our association, and it was also a photo shoot for some Old Timer related magazines.
The few pictures I've made are available at this link:
2011-03-20 Nagykovácsi Photo Session

You mentioned LADA BARATI KOR, we are also in good relationship with them, as a few of our members are also participating in that club. But they are not really about veteran cars, they just a club, with Lada enthusiasts. So there are serial, sport and tuning cars as well.

So, that's it for now, but I will keep you all updated about our events, and will link all the photos for your satisfaction.

Have a nice weekend, and follow the "at last it's started" Formula-1 season. Forza Ferrari!
(But my favourite drivers are Barrichello and Button). You probably noticed the Lada logo on the side of the Renaults... I'll try to force some co-operation between Renault dealers and our Association to have something interesting at the Hungarian Grand Prix...

[quote="Jozeph"]

Hi Joseph! your photo session about your Ladas is simply fantastic!! is very fine and I' like it very much! thank you, it was much appreciated!
All those Ladas are in pristine conditions, very well preserved and is evident your love for those cars.
I' noticed there are virtually all versions there: the 2101, the 21011, the 2102, 2103 and 2106! are you among those peoples in the pictures?
However I' congratulate with you and your friends for that beautiful show that delighted my eyes!
I' just read that Lada BARATI KOR are Ladas, sports and tuning enthusiast from your last answer. And I'd like just to know you association. To this purpose I'd pray you to include the main photos directly into your posts: I' m sure they'll delighted all the peoples in this forum!
Sometime the fate jokes with us and our fate! It's really interesting, and what a date!!!
and what have said Mr. Zsadàny's daughter about her father's Zsiguli? was her glad of this invitation? I'hope her remembering are all good.
When you said you must sell your flat for invest the money in the 124's restoration I' supposed you were joking... but you are serious with this mind! but then where are you going to live??
And more, I' would advert you to come to Imola by air or by train and not to travel with a so ancient car like your Fiat 124 (Familiare): do you think is a waist of money and a risk, don't you?
At that purpose we can made an agreement some days before (e.g. I' can come to the arriving airport or railway station and bring you with me in my car).
I' think the cars are a hobby and we can the relate restorations with calm, not hurryng: so you can restore the red Zsiguli, perhaps the white one and then the 124 Familiare: very few people had so much money to do anything simultaneously!
And - unfortunately - we are not among these! Thank you for your acclaim to our beloved Ferrari! but unluckily the last race gone wrong!

Till the next session my friend! have a nice week!

Sincerely,

Paolo

Hello Paolo!

I'm really happy, that you liked the photos. You suggested to place photos directly into the post, but as you saw, there's much more photos than it could be placed here. But I promise, in the future I will place a few here, as well.
So, have a look:



(I tried the hosting a few times with different sizes, but unfortunately the left side of the claret (I just found this word in the dictionary - means that purple-dark red colour) is vanished...

But the whole photo shoot is here:
My pride

So we finished the exhibition, it was more then succesfull. All amongst those shining classic cars (Bugatti, Mercedes Benz, Lotus, BMW, Volkswagen etc.) our Lada and Zhiguli exhibition stand was marvellous. We showd an engine disassembly and assembly, sampled a serial transmission and a tuning sport-transmission with five gears without synchronization, we did an engine start with an engine on an engine-stand, we had a symphonic orchestra of a 2000 ccm Havassy-tuning engine (the main organizators from the another end of the building warned us that we are a bit loud... )

The pictures of the exhibiton are here (first the preparations, our cars and also the others...)
Oldtimer Expo 2011

I hope you'll enjoy it.
And also like to inform you that I suggested the invitation of your circle of friends to Hungary next year, with all your Fiats, Seats, if it's possible.
On this exhibition we had some guys and three Zhigulis from the Netherlands, from their Lada Club.
They enjoyed everything, as they had a sightseeing in Budapest, they came to the Oldtimer Crowd Car Parade on Saturday (I was the leader of the pack - nearly 30 Zhigulis and Ladas were there), and on Sunday they were present at the exhibition all day long.
I suggested to show the big family of Fiat 124. All types (Berlina, Familiare, Specials), Seat 124 family, Tofas Murat, Pirin Fiat, Kia 124, and the Zhigulis (2101, 2102, 2103).

But there's a lot of time until then, so we could discuss every aspect of the above things.

By for now, I wish you all a very good week, and a joyful Easter Holiday!

Hello Joseph!
what a great event is your beautiful "The Oldtimer Expo"! and how many cars are there! I' give you my sincere compliments. I' was amazed by the very great number of our old Fiats are there: I' didn' t know that and this make me very happy.
O.K. please continue to post your very welcomed photos as much as you like! and you really can be pride of your great job and your marvellous Ladas!
Certainly I'd like to come to your Great Event, the think I' fear mostly is the rain and the hail above all; and I' would fulfill the trip with my old car bounded on a train... is a little and great headache ...
I' ll have some time to think about...
During the last two weeks I' had done quite a job to dismantle the entire dashboard of my 124 in order to fix the fresh-air door in the air conditioning plant, put some soundproofing panels that were missed (above the passenger's foot), to change the hot water tap of that plant and many more bits.
I' just have finished all that but I' must to go to my mechanic for a carburettor overhaul and the change of the brake's regulator.
If you are interested to some pictures of this work I'll be happy to send some at your private e-mail address.
And should you like to see an article about your Great Event I'll be glad to publish in this site!

Thank you one more time, we think your Country is among the best and the cleverer of the entire Europe!

with friendship,


Paolo