Don’t know how to quote a post so here we go; Bandit wrote “I’d be well up for a Niva (provided it was auto which I think they’re now finally doing). Brilliant utilitarian 4×4!”
When my husband first joined the scheme in the 1990s, as well as the option to lease a car there was the option to use ones DLA to buy a vehicle over 5 years. The AP was effectively your deposit (like with HP). The lease was as we know it now, so you pay your AP (on most cars that had more than 3 doors and rubber mats) and all is included (less miles and tyres though). After 3 years you hand it back. With the other option you get to keep the car after 5 years, but had to pay for servicing, insurance, etc. You couldn’t lease a Lada (I wonder why), but you could buy one. Nearly got a Niva, but in the end leased a Rover 100.
Part of the reason he did not buy was because he was told he allways be able to lease (PIP was not even a twinkle in Tory eyes then). In hindsight he wishes he had got the Niva (it was the “luxury” Cossack variant), as he lost his HRM. Chances are the Niva would still be going strong. Thinking about it, not sure if the Riva and Niva were available or only the Samara. But the Cossack would have been fun.