A Look Back at Cars Created by a Legendary Late Russian Car Designer (PHOTOS)

Serving as AvtoVAZ's chief designer between 1976 and 1998, Mirzoyev was responsible for many innovations in the Soviet and Russian automotive industry, launching several entirely new categories of vehicle, and overseeing the creation of the USSR's first front-wheel drive car with electronic fuel injection, the VAZ-2108. Mirzoyev also took part in the creation of the legendary Lada Niva, whose off-roading capabilities have gained worldwide renown.

The list of vehicles developed with Mirzoyev's participation is remarkable, and includes the UAZ-452 off-road van, affectionately known as the 'Bread Loaf' for its distinctive shape, the UAZ-469 military jeep, the VAZ-2121 Niva, and the VAZ-2105 (known in export markets as the Lada Riva or Lada Nova).

Automotive historians consider the VAZ-2108 Sputnik (known in Europe as the Lada Samara), a family hatchback compact introduced in 1984, to have been Mirzoyev's biggest success, with the car's revolutionary design (by Soviet standards) allowing it to compete even in the mainstream European car market, behind which the Soviet car industry had long lagged. Mirzoyev also supervised the creation of the VAZ-2110, another revolutionary design whose aerodynamic molding was perfected with the help of engineers from Porsche, the VAZ-1111 Oka, a reliable, economical microcar, the VAZ-2123, better known as the Chevrolet Niva, and the VAZ-1119 Kalina supermini.