Hyundai to rebuild its original 1974 Pony Concept coupe

The original 1974 Pony Concept that set the wheels in motion for the Hyundai Motor Corporation will be rebuilt.

The work will take place through a joint venture between the Korean carmaker and GFG Style – the Italian design firm helmed by the concept’s original designer Giorgetto Giugiaro and his son Fabrizio.

The announcement was made during a Design Talk in Seoul attended by the Giugiaros, Luc Donckerwolke, Chief Creative Officer of Hyundai Motor Group, and SangYup Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Hyundai Motor’s Global Design Center [sic].

“The original Pony and Pony Coupe Concept were one of those rare creations that influenced the designs of not just one, but multiple production and concept vehicles, including our award-winning Ioniq 5 and attention-grabbing N Vision 74,” said SangYup Lee.

“Since the original concept car no longer exists, we've commissioned Giorgetto Giugiaro to rebuild it based on our design philosophy – ‘shaping the future with legacy.'”

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Giorgetto Giugiaro is also responsible for the iconic DeLorean DMC-12, a design largely inspired by the work he performed on the original Pony concept for Hyundai. The two cars share the long wedge-shaped silhouette, with abrupt rear haunches and long noses.

Hyundai’s ”shaping the future with legacy” strategy is clear in the N Vision 74 concept vehicle, which was revealed recently, paying tribute to the Pony Concept with same distinctive styling to the front and rear of the car – albeit draped with modern-day aerodynamic flourishes and LED lighting. The Pony coupe also served as inspiration for Hyundai’s 45 concept, which became Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 crossover two years' later.

A one-off Pony EV concept has been previously shown as a means to promote how EV technology can serve the restomod scene.

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While the Pony Coupe Concept never came to fruition, the Pony nameplate would be applied to Hyundai’s first offerings that were built between 1975 to 1990.

Regarding his original work, Giugiaro said: “I designed the Hyundai Pony when I was still a young designer at the start of my career. I felt very proud that I was in charge of creating a vehicle for a company and country that was about to take on a fiercely competitive global market. Now, I’m deeply honoured Hyundai has asked me to rebuild it for posterity and as a celebration of the brand’s heritage.”

The one-off rebuild of the Pony Concept will be shown in early 2023, with the vehicle being kept as part of Hyundai’s corporate collection.