Hyundai Reunion reveals Pony Coupe Concept restoration
6 minute read
Experiences and memories have the incredible power of evoking immense feelings of joy and nostalgia that can take years, and even decades, simply disappear. This power is the impetus behind Hyundai Motor Company’s Hyundai Reunion which it launched—uniting the company’s present with its past—by bringing a piece of 1970s nostalgia back into the spotlight: the 1974 Pony Coupe Concept car.
The highly anticipated restoration of the Pony Coupe Concept was finally revealed at the inaugural Hyundai Reunion held in the Villa Pliniana on Lake Como in Italy. Showcased alongside Hyundai’s past was the new Pony Coupe-inspired N Vision 74 concept that embodies the incredible technological developments of the future. Both vehicles represent the shared lineage that connects the company’s past and future, conveying Hyundai’s ceaseless ambition to be innovative and daring.
At Hyundai Reunion, Giorgetto Giugiaro, who designed the Pony Coupe concept, and Chung Goo Lee, former president of Hyundai Motor, had time to look back on the story of the Pony Coupe development and talk in-depth about how Hyundai Motor will inherit innovations from the past. Read on to find out more about the iconic Pony Coupe, Hyundai’s new heritage brand platform, and the award-winning N Vision 74.
I express my sincere gratitude to everyone from both Italy and Korea who played a critical role in the success of Pony. – EUISUN CHUNG, EXECUTIVE CHAIR OF HYUNDAI MOTOR GROUP
The iconic Pony lives on
Hyundai Motor originally debuted the Pony Coupe Concept at the 1974 Turin Motor Show, which was a major international auto show at the time. The two-door sports car’s exterior featured a sleek roofline, pure surfaces, dynamic proportion profiles, and a unique shape for the B pillar, which elevated its daring spirit. The interior demonstrated an iconic sensibility with its Giugiaro monocoque design and driver-centered floating architecture.
With its unique aesthetic sensibility, the Pony Coupe Concept was a groundbreaking model in its time. Unfortunately, due to the adverse global economic conditions caused by the 1979 oil crisis, what could have been Hyundai’s first sensational sports car was unable to reach mass production, and was lost to history. Nevertheless, the concept helped awaken an appreciation for innovative design principles at the company during its early days, and so it has had a significant influence on the design direction of its current and future endeavors.
The Hyundai Reunion
Hyundai Reunion is a heritage brand platform that reflects Hyundai Motor’s past and future direction. At a time of great transition in the mobility industry, the company will continue to communicate its brand identity through the reunion of the past and present.
Nearly half a century after the concept’s debut, the first Hyundai Reunion pays tribute to both the Pony Coupe Concept and Italy, celebrating the human-centered innovation that is driving the company’s current endeavors, such as the N Vision 74, which is competing in one of the world’s most prestigious car events in Italy.
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. Jaehoon Chang, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company.
Pony Coupe-inspired N Vision 74 to compete in a concept car competition
Hyundai Motor has entered its N Vision 74 at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, one of the world’s top three classic and concept car competitions, from May 19-21. This historic competition, which began in 1929, is the oldest classic car competition in existence. The N Vision 74 is competing in the Concept Cars and Prototype categories based on its design heritage on a global stage.
The N Vision 74, which debuted to great acclaim in 2022, is more than an ordinary concept car. It is a hydrogen-hybrid “Rolling Lab” development vehicle for the Hyundai N brand that boasts a design inspired by the 1974 Pony Coupe Concept equipped with the company’s most advanced technologies, representing the company’s future vision for clean mobility.
This unique vehicle has already garnered widespread praise for its futuristic design and innovative fuel cell-hybrid architecture, including the Instant Icon accolade at the 2022 TopGear.com Awards.
Hyundai Motor Company has a long heritage to build on.
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