Hyundai Pony Video Shows How Success Starts With A Leap Of Faith

Every car brand has a beginning and for Hyundai Motor Company, it's the Pony Coupe. The South Korean automaker was rumored to reveal a production version of the N Vision 74 concept as a successor to the Pony, but company officials put the kibosh on that claim recently. Instead, on the shores of Lake Como in Italy, the brand revealed a restored version of the original Pony Coupe Concept designed and restored by Giorgetto Giugiaro. Celebrating the occasion, Hyundai wants the world to remember how it all began with its first passenger car by showing a short documentary.

Hyundai started with a vision to provide mobility by independently developing its own car - a feat that seemed impossible in the 1960s since no South Korean manufacturer had ever mass-produced its own cars domestically. But Hyundai begged to differ and took a leap of faith despite driving through unknown territory.

The Korean automaker pushed on to make its aspirations into reality as it signed up renowned designer Giorgetto Giugiaro - a partnership that was rekindled last year to recreate the iconic Pony Concept Car. But back then, Giugiaro was tasked to design a compact car based on the Mitsubishi Lancer.

Hyundai's first-ever car was said to gain popularity in its home market, earning the nickname Kook-mincha or "the people's car." This gave Hyundai the opportunity to offer other variants of the said car such as the Pony Taxi, Pony Pickup, Pony Wagon, and Pony 3-Door.

In 1976, the Hyundai Pony's first batch was exported to Ecuador, followed by Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, among other countries. Although, reports stated that the Pony did not sell well in those markets.