Hyundai. New thinking, new opportunities
Hyundai Motor Company rightfully bears the title of one of the world’s top-ranked carmakers. This South Korean automotive manufacturing company is the largest in its country and the fourth in the world! “Hyundai” is Korean for “modern”. In English, the word is pronounced like “Hun-Day”, just like this :) But many people are used to mispronounce these two syllables in many creative ways :) Hyundai Motor is a part of the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, as it owns 51% of KIA shares bought in 2000 together with all subsidiaries. Hyundai Motor Company owns one of the world’s largest car manufacturing factories – the Ulsan car assembly factory, between the shops of which there is a real zoo with deer, peacocks, rabbits, and foxes. The company’s cars are sold at 5000 showrooms all over the world. (as of 2018-2019).
Hyundai produces not only cars but also industrial machinery, locomotives, steel, electronics, and ships. The shipbuilding division of Hyundai has brought South Korea to the second position in shipbuilding. It is also engaged in the petrochemical industry and construction. Hyundai built the 400-km-long super high-speed highway between Seoul and Busan.
Hyundai Motor - is the largest automotive company in its country and the fourth in the world! ‘Hyundai’ is the Korean for ‘modern’.
And it all started in 1947 with a small car repair shop owned by Chung Ju-Yung. The war was over and the whole country had to be rebuilt. That’s why Chung Ju-Yung and his brother, who spoke good English, agreed with the US military and got some big construction orders. As a result, Hyundai became the largest construction company in the country, and Ju-Yung forgot his dream to build his own car for 20 years.
The automobile history of Hyundai began only in 1967 – not with its own car but with the production of Ford cars. The British division of Ford needed capacities to assemble its cars in South Korea. Hyundai factories had the required capacities. Having quickly agreed with Ford, Hyundai began assembling small Ford D-750 trucks, Ford Cortina and Ford Granada. Chung Ju-Yung brought his dream of making his own car to life. After gaining experience in assembling Ford cars, Hyundai has opened its own design office and began developing its first car. A neighbor from the land of the rising sun, Mitsubishi Motors, was called to help, and the famous Italian Giorgio Giugiaro, who made Lamborghini Cala, was invited as a designer with his team from ItalDesign.
Starting with Ford truck assembling, through production of their own car called Hyundai Pony, the company has soon become a leader in its country.
That’s how little Hyundai Pony with Italian design and Japanese “stuffing” was born in 1974… After all this, it was just destined to become popular! At the motor show in Torino, it causes a sensation! Hyundai Motor Company became the leader of the Korean automobile industry in no time and started exporting Hyundai Pony abroad as Hyundai Exel afterward. Riding the wave of success, Hyundai Motor Company began to expand, develop, and introduce its technologies.
One of the most desirable markets in the world for automotive companies in the US market. And Hyundai really wanted to get there, so it started… with Canada :) for this purpose it even had to adapt a number of models to the overseas standards. In only 6 years, already in 1986, the number of Hyundai cars delivered to the USA has exceeded 1 M. A year later, H100 was produced, being sold in the amount of 2 M… In autumn 1988, the Hyundai Sonata made its debut. And in a couple of years, the company released Hyundai Lantra, called Elantra in South Korea where it was the most popular car. That’s how, in 1990, Hyundai Motor Company finally got into the big automotive world and took an honorable place among the world players of the automotive industry.
But they did not stop its development! They wanted to equip cars with their own technology, primarily with their own engines. Already in 1991, the first Hyundai engine Alpha appeared, and the Beta engine was developed in 1993. But that wasn’t the end! In 1992, Hyundai opened its own car design company - Hyundai California Design. Its first development was the HCD-I concept car. Hyundai Motor laid down the tradition of creating original conceptual designs. In 1995, the company developed the first DOHC engine and its own gearbox.
In 1998, Sonata EF and Hyundai XG appeared, and just a year later - an executive sedan Hyundai Equus with rich equipment, 4.5-L V8 engine, and a power of 270 hp. The year of 1999 was a real breakthrough for Hyundai. In 1999, they introduced 4 new models: Centennial, new Hyundai Accent, redesigned Coupe, and Hyundai Trajet minivan. Trajet demonstrated Hyundai’s aspiration to enter the new segment of the world market - MPV. By the way, do you know that Hyundai Getz is awarded as the Car of the Year in India? :)In 1998, Sonata EF and Hyundai XG appeared, and just a year later - an executive sedan Hyundai Equus with rich equipment, 4.5-L V8 engine, and a power of 270 hp. The year of 1999 was a real breakthrough for Hyundai. In 1999, they introduced 4 new models: Centennial, new Hyundai Accent, redesigned Coupe, and Hyundai Trajet minivan. Trajet demonstrated Hyundai’s aspiration to enter the new segment of the world market - MPV. By the way, do you know that Hyundai Getz is awarded as the Car of the Year in India? :)
Hyundai Motor Group uses the following slogan: ‘New thinking. New possibilities’. It is the 5th in the world among all car brands by the sales amount. (as of 2018-2019).
‘New thinking. New possibilities’ is a slogan of the Hyundai Motor Group. Adhering to it, the company has made a deed – not only established the production of its own cars, with its own engines and its own design but also received the deserved recognition and love of many car fans all over the world to become the 5th in the world among all car brands by the sales amount.
Hyundai Motors continues to think in new ways, it is on the rise in technology and quality, giving people new opportunities and new reasons to select and enjoy Hyundai cars.
