Russian Auto Industry Hit So Hard It's Reviving an 11-Year-Old Lada with 1990s Tech
Russia has been hard hit by sanctions rolled out after its invasion of Ukraine and the automotive industry has been hit particularly hard, The Guardian reports.
Many auto suppliers shut down Russian operations, and along with sanctions, it's impacting the availability of used parts. The Guardian spoke to Eldar Gadzhiev, a Russian citizen who leases out a small fleet of four taxicabs in Moscow. When his Skoda broke down in April, Gadzhiev was despondent. "I understood that I was in a bad situation. I thought: the repairs are going to cost as much as the car," he said.
Shedding light on the current state of the Russian market, Gadzhiev noted that dealerships were useless. Other shops supplying car parts had monthslong waiting lists. Eager to get his car back on the road, he posted about his issues on public chats. He was quickly contacted by a range of underground parts dealers offering what he sought.
Suspecting many of the dealers are trafficking stolen parts, Gadzhiev was reticent to get involved: "It's the return of banditry," he said. He spent eight times more than usual to get his Skoda back on the road, according to The Guardian.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/russian-auto-industry-hit-so-hard-its-reviving-an-11-year-old-lada-with-1990s-tech/ar-AAYrZcN
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