Hyundai Pony Coupé Concept: a grand return 50 years later

The iconic Pony Coupe Concept by Hyundai Motor Company has made its world debut, almost half a century later after its original presentation, on the stage of the beautiful Lake Como, Italy. This dazzling vehicle, first presented at the Turin Motor Show in 1974, holds a prominent place in the company’s history and design legacy.

The unveiling of the restored Pony Coupe Concept took place during the inaugural meeting of Hyundai, a platform that reflects on the brand’s past and its future direction. This model laid the foundations for the iconic Pony line of Hyundai vehicles, the first mass-production models developed independently in Korea.

The Pony restoration project has allowed Hyundai Motor Company to bring the original model back to life, which was displayed at the Turin Motor Show in 1974. This restoration work is a testament to the spirit, boldness and ambition that drove Hyundai’s employees and executives to build a global brand, with the Pony Coupe Concept as the first flagship model of its vision.

The brand intended to launch this model in the late 1970s with the aim of achieving long-term leadership in the sports car segment. With a unique aesthetic sensibility, this model was considered groundbreaking for its time but, unfortunately, the brand never launched it for economic reasons.

Classic-futuristic design

The design is characterised by its origami-style exterior, featuring fluid and geometric lines, an elegant roofline and pure surfaces without ornamentation. It also stands out for its uniquely shaped second pillar and a graphic treatment of the surfaces, with bumpers in body colour. Its wedge-shaped nose and circular headlamps give it a distinction that has remained relevant from 1974 to the present day, showing us the intentions of the designers of that era and their commitment to the brand’s values. The design has a length of 4 m, a width of 1.60 m and a height of 1.2 m. Its truncated tail has a thin hatch that gives access to the rear of the car.

As for the interior, it takes a minimalist approach that emphasises the monocoque design and a driver-centred architecture. The single-spoke steering wheel and elegant two-tone seats reinforce a futuristic aesthetic that harks back to the 1970s. Inside, it houses a 1238cc longitudinal front-mounted engine capable of delivering a power output of 82 CV at 6,000 rpm.

Another model that has demonstrated its incredible characteristics is the avant-garde N Vision 74, which anticipated a high-performance sports car with a powerful hydrogen fuel cell producing 680 CV. Hyundai Motor continues to hold its position, demonstrating a committed spirit towards electrification and high-performance hydrogen technology, as we have already seen in models such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5, the Hyundai Elantra N or the NEXO by Hyundai, which is the best example of the evolution of this technology.

Image gallery ‘Hyundai Pony Coupé Concept’