Hyundai has come together legendary Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro to recreate the original Hyundai Pony Coupe Concept 1974, an iconic show car that Giugiaro designed and helped establish the Pony sedan a year later, South Korea’s first self-developed mass-produced car.
The concept was among five designs that Giugiaro developed for Hyundai in the early 1970s as part of a government challenge to develop a South Korean car in time for a 1975 release (previously, Korean automakers had produced cars from foreign automakers produced).
While the sedan body was chosen as the winner, a production version of the Pony Coupe Concept followed, but the project was shelved in 1981 due to an economic downturn. However, the car’s wedge shape would live on in another Giugiaro design: the DeLorean DMC 12 that debuted in 1983.
Despite its importance, the original Pony Coupe Concept no longer exists. Hyundai hasn’t revealed what actually happened to it, but the automaker has recreated it in preparation for next year’s 50th anniversary of its original appearance at the 1974 Turin Motor Show. The concept is powered by a 1.2-liter inline-4 with 82 hp. The engine is mounted longitudinally and the drive is sent to the rear wheels through a manual gearbox.
The recreation was presented on Thursday at the first Hyundai Reunion event, which took place at Italy’s Lake Como. The event is billed as a “heritage brand platform” to preserve Hyundai’s ethos and values as the automaker transitions into the world of electric mobility.
Giugiaro and his son Fabrizio were also present. The two Giugiaros who worked on the recreation today lead the GFG Style design companyafter which they started sell their remaining shares In 2015, at their former design company, Italdesign Giugiaro, for the Volkswagen group.
According to Luc Donckerwolke, creative director of Hyundai Motor Group, the collaboration between Hyundai and GFG Style may extend beyond the creation of the Pony Coupe Concept.
“This project not only has historical value, but also represents a cross-cultural exchange that may pave the way for further collaborations,” he said when the project was announced last fall.
HIGH RESOLUTION GALLERY: Hyundai Pony Coupe Concept recreation
This article was originally published by Motor Authorityeditorial partner ClassicCars.com
