MOSCOW (AP) — Vladimir Putin drives a Lada Niva to support Russia’s domestic car industry. Never mind that it has a German engine.
The prime minister admitted Monday to outfitting his Russian-made SUV with a German engine made by Opel, regaling students with accounts of the car’s performance.
The Lada has been the butt of jokes since Soviet times, and Putin’s candid admission is hardly likely to do much for the car’s reputation.
Sales of domestically produced cars have faltered in recent years, with Russians preferring European and Japanese models.
