The Lada Legend: The Maiden Century

We originally purchased the Colonel because we wanted to be able to head out of town at a moment’s notice. Well, that and because owning a Soviet-made car that is older than you are is about the coolest thing you can do in this part of the world. Until now, we hadn’t really had the chance to go down the street, let along out of the city.

With registration documents, stamps, and stickers in hand, we decided finally to take the Colonel out of the city for a little spin around the Absheron peninsula. It would be the first true test of durability and style. We decided that the destination would be the beach for the 1st annual “Hittin’ the Beach with the Colonel” photo shoot.

Our departure came with much uncertainty. Would we be spending the night in the car because it broke down? How many times would the police stop us? How photogenic was the Colonel on this day?

The weather was glorious when we set out. Traffic was a bit heavier than normal due to Flower Day festivities, so it took us quite a while to get to the airport road—a 12 lane highway with an average speed of 100 km/h. You know you’ve made it in Azerbaijan when you can cruise down such a road at 50 km/h in an old Lada without a single person honking at you.

Once off the main road, we headed towards the sea. A couple of times, people on the side of the road tried to flag us down like we were in a taxi. (Note to self: by a taxi sign and try to make a little extra money driving people around. I even have a hat that would make me look the part.) Some cops standing on the side of the road tried to get us to pull over, but we just kept going. Such is an effective policy in this part of the world.

At last we reached the beach. The Colonel just looked so natural on the sand. No doubt we’ll be coming back out here again for more photo shoots.

On our way back, we stopped by the famed “Fire Mountain” which isn’t so much a mountain, but a small hill that has been burning perpetually for hundreds of years. The security guards couldn’t believe it when they saw three foreigners step out of a 1980 Lada. That alone is worth the price of the car.

Just before reaching home, the trip odometer clicked over the 100 km barrier. A successful trip to say the least.