Back to the Future: 50-year-old Hyundai Pony Coupe Concept Car debuts again in Italy

The Hyundai Pony Coupe Concept car appears at Lake Como in Italy after its original debut almost 50 years ago at the 1974 Turin Motor Show. The concept car, originally penned by Italian car designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, is essential to the South Korean automaker as it carries its history and design heritage.

Hyundai Motor unveiled the rebuilt Pony Coupe Concept at the inaugural Hyundai Reunion, a heritage brand platform that reflects on Hyundai Motor’s past and future direction. 

If the Hyundai concept car reminds you of a BMW M1, you're not alone, as Giugiaro was also responsible for the production version of the German sports car. Giugiaro also designed the 1972 Lotus Esprit, the 1973 Volkswagen Golf GTI, and the original DMC DeLorean of Back to the Future fame, among the many timeless classics we grew up drooling at.

Korean-made but with an Italian flare 

At the event were Giorgetto Giugiaro and his son Fabrizio Giugiaro, who lent their expertise to the GFG Style Center and used it to create Hyundai’s seminal Pony line-up, Korea’s first independently developed mass-production models.

Under the restoration project, the Hyundai Motor Company brought the original Pony Coupe Concept shown at the 1974 Turin Motor Show back to life. The project is a testament to the brand’s spirit, daring passion, and ambition that Hyundai employees and executives have to create a global brand with the Pony Concept at its forefront. 

“Despite the poor industrial environment in the 1970s, my grandfather and Hyundai’s Founding Chairman, Ju-young Chung, poured his heart and soul into rebuilding Korea’s economy and improving the lives of its people after the devastating Korean War. He finally realized his vision of making Korea a country capable of developing its vehicles with perfection,” said Euisun Chung, Executive Chair of Hyundai Motor Group. “I express my sincere gratitude to everyone from both Italy and Korea who played a critical role in the success of Pony.”

The Hyundai Pony Coupe

For its time, the concept car was considered groundbreaking thanks to its unique styling. However, due to adverse global economic conditions in the late 1970s, what could have been the automaker’s first sports car was unable to reach commercial production.

The Hyundai Pony Coupe concept has an origami-like exterior with flowing geometric lines, a sleek roofline, pure, unadorned surfaces, dynamic proportions, and a uniquely shaped B pillar. It has the following dimensions and mechanical specs:

• Length: 4080 mm
• Width: 1560 mm
• Height: 1210 mm
• Wheelbase: 2340 mm
• Engine displacement: 1238 cc, 4 in line, 82 HP at 6000 rpm
• Engine layout: Front longitudinal, RWD (rear-wheel drive)

It boasts a highly graphic surface treatment with bumpers painted in body color. Its wedge-shaped snout and circular headlamps distinguished it in 1974 and still look ultra-stylish today.

For its interior, the concept vehicle showcases an iconic sensibility highlighting the monocoque design and driver-centered floating architecture. A single-spoke steering wheel and two-toned slim-line bucket seats reinforce what was in the 1970s a futuristic aesthetic.

Despite not entering total commercial production, the concept vehicle embodies Hyundai’s bold determination to enter the sports-car sector for long-term leadership as an automotive company. This spirit still underlies Hyundai’s leadership in electrification and high-performance hydrogen technology.

However, thanks to the knowledge learned from the concept car, Hyundai used it to inspire its latest generation of vehicles, such as the Hyundai IONIQ 5, the Hyundai IONIQ 6, and the 45 EV concept car. 

“In the age of electrification, a key condition for Hyundai Motor Company to become a leader in future mobility will be our ability to remain faithful to the unshakable values we inherited. 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,” said Jaehoon Chang, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company.

What do you think of the Hyundai Pony Concept? Does it remind you of the brand’s more modern offerings?

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