Hyundai is resurrecting a 1974 concept car to commemorate its past. The original Pony and Pony Coupe concepts will be developed in collaboration with the renowned Italian Giugiaro. In the spring, Hyundai will reveal the idea that will capture everyone's attention.
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| [Hyundai Pony Coupe] |
Hyundai collaborated with the Italian design studio GFG Style to recreate Giorgetto Giugiaro's 1974 Pony Coupe concept. The design firm's proprietors, father and son Giorgetto and Fabrizio Giugiaro, are thrilled to be re-creating the vehicle they introduced to the automobile industry years ago. Hyundai Motor Group Global Design Center President SangYup Lee and Creative Director Luc Donckerwolke will work with Giorgetto and Fabrizio Giugiaro to contribute to Hyundai's brand identity and heritage.
"We are incredibly happy to welcome Giorgetto and Fabrizio to Seoul for this redesign project, and we look forward to working with them on this outstanding design project," said Luc Donckerwolke. This initiative not only has historical significance, but it is also multicultural, which may open the door for future collaboration. It also symbolizes solidarity," he added.
"The Pony and Pony Coupe Concept was one of the rare inventions that informed the designs of all of our production and concept cars, including the award-winning IONIQ 5 and the extraordinary N Vision 74," stated President SangYup Lee. It's been precisely 48 years since our first concept vehicle, and we've incorporated Giorgetto Giugiaro's design philosophy into ours. "Our goal with heritage is to shape the future," he stated.
Hyundai and Giugiaro began working together approximately 50 years ago on the design of the brand's first solo model, as well as Korea's first production automobile. Because there was no vehicle design and styling skill in Korea at the time, Hyundai hired the renowned Italian Giugiaro to create design blueprints and gave him the autonomy to develop five distinct prototypes, one of which was a coupe. The Pony Coupe, which had a wedge-style nose, circular headlights, and origami-like geometric lines at the time, was designed for the North American and European markets. However, due to the 1981 global economic crisis, it was unable to begin mass production.
While the concept was still a work in progress at the time, Hyundai especially helped restart the Korean automobile sector by producing the five-door Pony model from 1975 to 1990. The Pony Coupe Concept is still an essential element of Hyundai's heritage and represents the business vision of Hyundai Motor Company Founder and Chairman Ju-Yong Chung. The notion was also a big inspiration for Giugiaro's DeLorean DMC 12, which debuted in 1983 and was utilised in the 'Back to the Future' films.
Hyundai was impressed by this legendary model in its concept called "45," which it introduced in 2019, and it took this project to the mass production line under the name IONIQ 5. Furthermore, in 2021, Hyundai recreated the original Pony production car as a restomod electric vehicle idea. In order to carry on this special legacy, Hyundai recently unveiled the N Vision 74 Coupe concept, which piqued the interest of performance enthusiasts.