Is this magnifique 1986 Hyundai Pony worth $150K?

Ever heard of a 1986 Hyundai Pony worth $150K? Neither had we. So when we saw one online at Brossard Hyundai in Brossard, Quebec, we just had to check it out. After several calls to the dealership, however, we’re still scratching our heads.

This is what we know, thanks to Google Translate: Under the heading MAGNIFIQUE HYUNDAI PONY, the Canadian dealership says it “bought this 1986 Hyundai Pony to exhibit in the showroom. It is in excellent condition, proving that even the very old Hyundai models were well built. Seeing it in the showroom, all those who drove one instantly take a trip back in time and relive the beautiful moments of their youth behind the wheel.”

Showing 22,037 kilometers on the clock, this rear-wheel-drive ’86 Pony hatchback features a 1.6-liter inline four-cylinder gasoline engine, automatic transmission, silver paint, and gray interior… all for a cool $149,999. And that price “excludes licensing and tax.” Good news: That’s $149,999 Canadian, which is about $110,236 in the U.S. The listing also includes images of an AM/FM radio-cassette deck and A/C controls, so there’s that too. Plus, there’s some interesting history behind the vehicle; the Pony was South Korea’s first mass-produced and exported car. It was also a surprisingly strong seller in Canada, as folks took advantage of its economical price (other than this one, of course)—only “about $1400 per door,” according to print and TV ads.

We called Brossard several times hoping to secure additional information about this special Pony—most notably, what is it that makes it so special? We enjoyed the endless French-language “on hold” messages while we waited—seemingly for no one—but much to our dépit, we don’t know anything more now than we did when we started.

We did discover that Brossard attempted to sell the same car for $14,995 (Canadian) less than two years ago, which only adds to the mystery of its now sky-high price.

We’re going to speculate that the Pony has become something of a mascot, and the $150K price tag is perhaps Brossard’s “don’t want to sell it” price. Or maybe it’s simply a typo? If that’s the case, somebody’s either in big trouble or going to get a hefty bonus for the free publicity.

Whatever the answer, the listing includes an image showing 18 Brossard team members gathered around the Pony, along with the caption, “Quelques membres du personnel de Brossard Hyundai plus jeunes que notre Pony.” For those of you who haven’t had the benefit of Brossard’s on-hold French lessons, that means, “Some members of the Brossard Hyundai staff younger than our Pony.” Magnifique!