When Giorgetto Giugiaro was hired to design Hyundai's first Pony, back in 1974, here's what he came up with:
It looks well similar to the DMC DeLorean that Giugiaro would later design in the early '80s:
I suppose that if Hyundai was ready, they could've produced the car that would later bear DeLorean's name. They weren't ready, of course, and the Pony that actually went into production in 1975 was considerably watered down from the original design:
Image: Riley from Christchurch, New Zealand - 1982 Hyundai Pony GLS, CC BY 2.0
Nevertheless, the Pony was a milestone for Hyundai, being their first mass-produced car. So it's fitting that they've resuscitated the Pony in an all-electric concept form:
And while it's got LEDs for exterior lights…
…the dashboard goes almost confusingly old-school with these crazy Nixie tubes:
I'm dying to know more about this stainless steel thing in the trunk, below. The description given is only "a last-mile mobility device," with no further details offered.
The Heritage Series Pony, as it's called, is on display as part of the "Reflections in Motion" exhibition at Hyundai Motor Studio Busan. That's the sixth studio Hyundai's opened, and is dedicated to publicly displaying concept cars to gauge visitors' reactions.
I’m a lapsed industrial designer. I was born in NYC and figured I’d die there, but a few years ago I abandoned New York to live on a farm in the countryside with my wife. We have six dogs.
Create a Core77 Account
Already have an account? Sign In
By creating a Core77 account you confirm that you accept the Terms of Use
Please enter your email and we will send an email to reset your password.
With Retro-Futuristic Pony, Hyundai Revisits Giugiaro--in All-Electric Form
No nixie tubes. They need high voltage and are vibration sensitive. Use LEDs. Make simulated nixes.
please no nixie tubes! Those are vibration prone. If you want that look, design some using LEDs. They will not need the higher voltage then.