The Lada Samara Cipher on display in the Lier museum is literally a unique specimen. There is only one in existenceGuy Moerenhout discovered the car through a book about the Lithuanian rally driver Stasys Brundza, who is perhaps even better known as the inspiration behind the development of the Lada VFTS rally cars. VFTS stands for Vilniusskaja Fabrika Transportnych Sredstv, which was based in Vilnius and had close ties to Lada. Shortly after Guy Moerenhout first learned about the existence of the Lada Samara Cipher, the car miraculously appeared for sale in the United Kingdom — though the asking price was rather steep. Eventually, the seller agreed to a trade for a Fiat Spider, and that’s how this unique Lada ended up in Lier. |
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An Unknown Roadster: The Fascinating Story of the Lada Samara CipherThe Lada Samara Cipher is relatively unknown, yet it has a compelling backstory. This roadster was designed by British designer Tony Stevens, who began his career with the Rootes Group. He was closely involved in the development of the Hillman Hunter and the derived Sunbeam Rapier. However, the Rootes Group encountered financial troubles due to the poorly received launch of the Hillman Imp. The company was eventually sold to Chrysler and, after a stint with glass manufacturer Pilkingtons, Tony Stevens started his own company. Among other things, he developed a convertible version of the Jaguar XJC. |
Stevens Cipher: From British Roadster Concept to Lada CollaborationStevens’ ultimate goal was to create an open two-seater in the tradition of British roadsters such as the Triumph Spitfire and MG Midget. At the 1980 Birmingham Motor Show, that moment arrived when he presented the Stevens Cipher — a prototype of an open two-seater based on the rear-wheel-drive Reliant Kitten. The Cipher was well received by both the public and the press, but due to a lack of financial and industrial support, production never began. Eventually, a new opportunity arose — this time through Lada and international distributor TKM. |
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Cipher Roadster: From Reliant Kitten to Lada SamaraThe Cipher was modified to accommodate the suspension, transverse-mounted engine, and transmission from the front-wheel-drive, wider Lada Samara. Production was to be handled by VFTS in Vilnius, while the prototype was developed and built in Stratford-upon-Avon, UK. There was talk of an annual production target of 80,000 units. |
The Loss of the Lada Cipher: The End of an Ambitious ProjectBut those plans also came to nothing. Due to ‘glasnost’ and the collapse of the Soviet Union, a rift formed between Moscow and Vilnius, resulting in the breakdown of the Lithuanian Lada connection — and with it, the Cipher project. The unique Lada Cipher on display in Lier is a running prototype with a fibreglass-reinforced plastic body. The VIN plate on the car clearly bears the Lada name. The engine is a 1.3-litre unit producing 65 hp. |
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