Oasis Rally Team will enter the 2026 Dakar Classic with a Lada Niva T3.

Ladas were used as early as the inaugural Paris–Dakar Rally in 1979, when five Nivas took part with Pierre Minonzio finishing the best in 28th. The 1982 and 1983 runners-up, Jean-Claude Briavoien and André Trossat, also raced a Niva. Even Jacky Ickx drove Ladas in 1987, 1988, and 1990.

Ick’s cars in those three starts were among the purpose-built prototypes from the Lada family. French distributor Poch developed the one he raced in 1987 and 1988. In 1990, he drove the Lada Samara T3, which used an engine from a Porsche 959.

Not to be confused with the Samara, Oasis’ car is the Lada Niva T3. Six of these were built starting in 1991, with which Alexander Lakeev and Valery Kolchugin finished 41st in the 1994 Dakar Rally. It is a front-wheel-drive vehicle that features a four-cylinder VAZ-2121 engine, a five-speed manual transmission, and single-disc clutch.

“Our goal is to honor the history and spirit of the first Dakar Rally,” reads a joint statement from the team’s drivers Sladjan Miljic and Marcel Adelmann. “By competing in a Lada Niva, we pay tribute to the pioneers who paved the way for future generations of rally drivers.

“We are not just racing to compete. We’re racing to carry on a story—the story of those who never gave up. In a Lada Niva built with respect, love, and a clear mission.”

Ladas continue to appear in domestic series today like the Russian Rally-Raid Championship. When Renault Group revived its rally raid division, Lada was considered until the Russian invasion of Ukraine prompted the parent company to sell its stake. Renault would ultimately go with Dacia for the program.