Hyundai and Giugiaro to rebuild classic Pony Coupe concept car

The Pony Coupe that took pride of place on Hyundai’s 1974 Turin Motor Show stand is slated to be completely restored with the aid of its original designer, Giorgetto Giugiaro.

Giugiaro penned the Pony almost 50 years ago, when the South Korean company was really just starting out. With no in-house design capacity Hyundai commissioned Giugiaro to design and build five prototypes including the Pony and Pony Coupe. In the event only the Pony compact hatch went into production, but the Coupe continued to be a huge inspiration. The 2019 ’45’ concept and the Ioniq 5 have features that can be traced back to the Giugiaro design, while the 2022 N Vision 74 concept car is like the Pony Coupe on steroids. It’s also worth noting the similarities between the Pony Coupe and the DeLorean DMC 12 that Giugiaro designed soon after.

Now, together with his son Fabrizio and their firm GFG Style, Giugiaro will set to work on the Hyundai concept car once more, bringing it back to its original condition.

“I designed the Hyundai Pony when I was still a young designer at the start of my career,” says Giugiaro.” 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 honored that Hyundai has asked me to rebuild it for posterity and as a celebration of the brand’s heritage.”

The restoration could also lead to future Korean-Italian projects. “Not only does this project hold historical value, but it also represents a cross-cultural exchange that could pave the way for more collaborations down the road,” adds Hyundai Chief Creative Officer Luc Donckerwolke.

Expect to see the re-born concept on show in Spring 2023.