Founded in 1967, Hyundai got its start by producing the Cortina in conjunction with Ford. A few years after its inception, the Korean carmaker set out to create its own novel automotive designs. In order to do so, Hyundai hired on several eminent automotive designers including George Turnbull and Giorgio Giugiaro — the latter of whom famously penned the brand’s Pony Coupe Concept in 1974. Half a century after its debut at the Turin Motor Show, Hyundai has now tasked an internal team lead by Giugiaro to return the concept to its former glory, completely restoring the factory-built concept car from the ground up in celebration of its 50th anniversary.
Featuring a sleek wedge shape culminating in a Coda Tronca (truncated tail) setup, the Pony Coupe Concept boasted a similar appearance to Italian sports cars and grand tourers of the era. Utilizing a rear-wheel drive setup, the concept was powered by a 1.2-liter inline-four engine that put down 82hp at 6,000rpm. Inspired by space age designs, the car also featured an aircraft canopy-style interior that sees a seven-window configuration used to comprise the majority of the vehicle above the door-line. A set of futuristic-looking four-arm wheels were also selected for the one-of-one concept.
Despite being an incredibly promising design, various economic and industrial factors would ultimately put the kibosh on the car, leading to its demise. And while it sadly never saw the light of production, the Pony Coupe Concept remains an important piece of the brand’s history and identity. The concept was recently rebuilt by its original designer, Giorgetto Giugiaro, who has lead the Pony Coupe Concept restoration team. The entire concept has also been brought to life using the exact same specs and materials as the original 1974 concept.
More recently, the Pony Coupe Concept would even serve as the inspiration for Hyundai’s award-winning N Vision 74 concept car — while also influencing production offerings from the marque such as the IONIQ 5.
