Originally made for QFC47, with a 340bhp 4.2L NA V8 driving all four wheels via either a 6-speed manual or, as shown here, 5-speed advanced automatic gearbox.
In the early 80s, ARVA started to face some challenges. Not only was the Chernaya starting to look dated even by Archanan standards. The fact that some of the people being “more equal than the others” went for the Mara Kavaler was kind of a prestige loss for them.
The 1982 Kondor was an attempt to show that ARVA still were a notch above Maras on the prestige ladder. Larger than the Chernaya, but smaller than the limos used by government officials, the Kondor was the largest ARVA that had ever been offered to the general (cough…) public.
The attempt by ARVA to build an all aluminium 90 degree V6 was maybe not their brightest moment, it was seen as shaky and unreliable, and the ancient 3 speed auto that the top of the line cars got ate a fair bit into the power. 4, or later 5 speed manuals were offered too, though, and got a somewhat better reputation.
By western standards, the Kondor was a rather hopeless case of a car, but it was still exported in small numbers. It should also be said that the two facelifts in 1990 and then in 1998 to some extent improved the car, that was in production until 2002.
