Pony Concept Recreated: The Car That Made Hyundai

Hyundai’s recreated Pony Coupe Concept had its glamourous reveal almost 50 years after its original debut in Lake Como, Italy. After the Turin Motor Show, the Pony Coupe Concept was a little overlooked, until now.

Hyundai took the covers off the rebuilt Pony Coupe Concept at the inaugural Hyundai Reunion. The event takes a fond look at Hyundai’s past, as well as celebrating its future direction. Guests included designer Giorgetto Giugiaro and his son Fabrizio Giugiaro. The story starts with the previously announced restoration which was completed by GFG Style, a centre whoich draws on the creative juices of Fabrizio and Giorgetto,

It is hard to under-stress the importance of the Pony Concept, which is the car that led to the creation of the brand’s Pony line-up, Korea’s first independently developed mass-production models. This was Hyundai’s concept car of all concept cars.

It might be hard to believe now, but South Korea’s economy was in complete ruins and struggled to recover after the war. Hyundai’s Pony Coupe Concept restoration project brought the original 1974 Turin Motor Show Pony Coupe Concept shown back to life. This is the car credited with turning Hyundai into a global industrial giant.

“Despite the poor industrial environment in the 1970s, my grandfather and Hyundai’s Founding Chairman Ju-young Chung poured his heart and soul into rebuilding Korea’s economy and improving the lives of its people after the devastating Korean War. He finally realised his vision of making Korea a country capable of developing its own vehicles with perfection,” said Euisun Chung, Executive Chair of Hyundai Motor Group. “I express my sincere gratitude to everyone from both Italy and Korea who played a critical role in the success of Pony.”

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ABOVE: Hyundai 1973 Pony Concept from Turin Motor Show Recreated

Sadly, although Pony Coupe Concept was a ground breaking model in its time, global economic conditions in the late 1970s were unfavourable in the extreme. What could have been Hyundai’s very first sports car was never produced and was lost to history.

Although it might not be obvious, this retro-futuristic classic inspired the recent Hyundais. If you squint just the right way, you’ll see the Pony Concept like the N Vision 74 hydrogen-hybrid electric ‘Rolling Lab’ development vehicle and the ‘45’ EV concept car that directly influenced the IONIQ 5 all-electric vehicle.

“In the age of electrification, a key condition for Hyundai Motor Company to become a leader in future mobility will be our ability to remain faithful to the unshakable values we inherited,” said Jaehoon Chang, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company. “Moving forward, through Hyundai Reunion and other heritage communication initiatives, we will continue to leverage our past as a unique vector for our future innovation.”

The Pony Coupe Concept’s origami-like exterior features flowing geometric lines, a sleek roofline, pure unadorned surfaces, dynamic proportions, a uniquely shaped B pillar. It boasts an extremely graphic surface treatment with bumpers painted in body color. Its wedge-shaped snout and circular headlamps distinguished it in 1974 and still look ultra-stylish today. Its coda tronca (‘cut-off tail’) has a slim hatch to provide access to the back of the car.

The minimalist interior showcases an iconic sensibility highlighting the monocoque design and driver-centred floating architecture. A single-spoke steering wheel and two-toned slim-line bucket seats reinforce what was in the 1970s a futuristic aesthetic.

Giugiaro was asked about his first interaction with Hyundai on the development of the 1973 Pony Coupe Concept more than fifty years prior to the reunion. He replied, “Hyundai approached us to start a complete redesign of a model, without much experience. I was sceptical at first because I didn’t know Hyundai Motor at that time. We were all impressed by the passion and commitment of the Hyundai engineers. They were sharp, curious, open and extremely eager to learn. They immediately embraced the working methods that were new to them. They sacrificed themselves to make a good impression – for company and their partners. I’m proud and honored to witness how this company has evolved since we first met.”

Luc Donckerwolke, President and Chief Creative Officer of Hyundai Motor Group, added, “The restoration of this unique vehicle is a milestone in Hyundai’s history. It represents our beginnings and our commitment to the future. It serves as a legacy for generations to come. It virtually symbolises the mobile relay baton we are passing from the past to the future of the company.”

“The Pony Coupe Concept reflects the company’s gratitude and dedication to the challenging spirits that people at Hyundai Motor had back in 1974,” said SangYup Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Hyundai Design Center. “The rebirth of the Pony Coupe Concept is a meaningful milestone in the history of Hyundai Motor because it signifies not only our beginnings but also our commitment to the future with our new dreams.”

“It is very special to have significant people from the company’s early days meet those who are leading the company into the future,” said Sungwon Jee, Senior Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer at Hyundai Motor Company. “It also marks the launch of Hyundai Reunion, our platform for showcasing the brand’s heritage. This is where one can see how our past success still serves as a basis for our daring attitude today. This spirit of innovation can be seen in these two models as well as the people who made them possible.”

As part of the global heritage project, Hyundai Motor will expand its new brand platform, Hyundai Reunion to further spread its brand vision and direction.

Hyundai’s restored Pony Coupe Concept dimensions:

Item	Restored Pony Coupe Concept
Length	4080mm
Width	1560mm
Height	1210mm
Wheelbase	2340m
Engine displacement	1238cc, 4 in line, 82 HP at 6000 rpm
Engine layout	Front longitudinal, RWD (rear-wheel drive)

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