Few people have heard of it, yet many consider John Blankenbaker's KENBAK-1 to be the first commercial personal computer.
Russian Chevrolet Niva 4x4
By James Grahame
Imagine a world in which the best selling 4x4 in Russia is a Chevy. Sounds far-fetched until you discover it's been that way for several years. A GM-AvtoVAZ joint venture produces a stylish 8,500 euro ($10,600) vehicle that's an update to the classic LADA Niva. By the time production started in 2002, more than 800 improvements had been made to the prototype design.
The result? A smashing success. The Niva was joined in 2004 by the Chevrolet Viva, both manufactured in Togliatti, Russia. The 100,000th GM-AvtoVAZ vehicle rolled off the assembly line in late May, 2005. One sign of the Niva's amazing popularity is the rate at which they're stolen -- they were the most popular target for Russian car thieves in 2004. In fact, over 6% of the Nivas produced since 2002 have been stolen. A good alarm appears to be mandatory. As does a rottweiler.
By the way, the original Niva (right) is still manufactured.
Chevy Niva 4x4 (GM - AvtoVAZ)
