“I brought the Lada Niva back to the Dakar after 34 years of absence”
En resumen
S.M.
- Sladjan Miljic’s passion for racing goes back to childhood. He grew up fascinated by mechanical things, adventure, and the mythology of the early Dakar Rally. Over the years, he competed in events such as Swiss hill climbs and the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique. The creation of the Dakar Classic finally gave him the opportunity to realize one of his lifelong dreams.
- Together with his friend Mario Jocober, Sladjan brought back from Novosibirsk a 1984 VAZ-212 -what later became the Niva. Bought and restored in Siberia, the car then completed the 2022 Dakar Classic edition. The community reacted strongly, with media outlets and Dakar groups celebrating the return of this small but iconic car. The project even attracted the attention of the Tolyatti’s factory, which supported them.
- His second Dakar appearance, in 2026, will be with the “Lada Niva Prototipo T3”. When Sladjan saw the original Lada Niva T3 in a museum in 2021, he felt deeply motivated to build his own T3-inspired prototype from zero. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Lada T3 prototypes surprised much larger teams. His car is a tribute to that golden era, keeping the historical silhouette and spirit while everything underneath is new: reinforced chassis, upgraded drivetrain, improved suspension, a full safety structure, and a navigation-focused cockpit.
- Jacky Ickx once raced the Dakar with a Lada Niva and later with a Lada Samara. He will be present in 2026 and meet Wolf-Hendrik Unger, Sladjan’s friend, Dakar mentor, and rally hero. The German played a central role in Porsche’s first Dakar programme and in the success of the Porsche 959, finishing 6 th overall in 1986, exactly 40 years ago. Now aged 77, Hendrik has always expressed the desire to return to the Dakar. The Oasis Rally Team will make that wish come true.
M.A.
- Motorsport runs through the Adelmann family’s veins. Marcel’s great-uncle was one of the first to import Lamborghinis into Germany in the 1960s and 1970s. His father loved cars and passed that passion on to his son. Marcel was inspired by the legendary cars produced in his country, such as Porsche, but also by the drivers who came from there, like his idol Michael Schumacher.
- After studying mechanical engineering, Marcel ended up working on optimizing the Porsche 911 assembly line at the Stuttgart’s headquarters. Today, he runs a company in the information technology services sector, but cars remain his main occupation. One of his first dreams was to own his own sports car. He then began collecting them, while traveling from event to event. One of his favorites? Goodwood, of course.
- Eager to take part in historic racing, Marcel competed in numerous events such as Monte-Carlo Historique and Arosa Classic. It was during a private rally near Zurich that he met Sladjan Miljic, and from race to race, he began to develop a friendship with him. He then joined him in his project to compete in the 2026 Dakar Classic with a vehicle entirely built from scratch and inspired by the legendary Lada Niva T3.
Ambición
S.M.: The numerous events I competed in shaped my driving, my discipline, and my love for historic competition cars. But the Dakar always remained the ultimate dream. One day I told myself, ‘Stop dreaming, go and live it.’ The 2022 edition with a Lada Niva was one of the most powerful experiences of my life. Mario Jacober and I brought the Lada Niva back to the Dakar after 34 years of absence. The atmosphere, the endless landscapes, the camaraderie in the bivouac, it all stays with you. It is emotional, exhausting, overwhelming, and beautiful. It left a mark on me that never faded. Then, I had the opportunity to build a brand-new Lada Niva Prototipo T3, inspired by the legendary Lada T3 prototypes of the early 1990s. It was obvious that Marcel Adelmann should be part of the team. His calm, analytical nature perfectly complements my instinctive style. Our primary goal is to finish the race, but we also want to honor the legacy of the original Lada T3 prototypes by competing with a car we built ourselves. Of course, we aim to be competitive, but the true victory is to experience the Dakar deeply and to be on the final podium in Yanbu with our small, passionate team. There is one more beautiful connection: we invited Wolf-Hendrik Unger, and he has already contacted Jacky Ickx to arrange a meeting. Bringing a true Dakar legend back to the rally, especially in the anniversary year of his 959 finish, makes Dakar 2026 even more meaningful for us.”
M.A.: “I come from a family passionate about motorsports, and ‘car’ was the first word I said in German. Cars have been the main motivation and inspiration in whatever I did in my life, and realizing my dreams has always pushed me forward. I participated in a lot of classic races, but before Sladjan did Dakar Classic, I never imagined it would be possible to pull off this kind of project. When he asked me if I would like to join him, I immediately said yes! I think it will be the most challenging thing I have ever done in my life, mentally and physically. I expect beautiful landscapes, and I’m also curious about Saudi Arabian culture. I know it’s a tough rally for both people and machinery, and we are humble people. So for us, the victory is to finish. We did a shakedown when the car was built in Baja Poland, it was our first experience, and there will be a lot to learn.”
