Hyundai

About Hyundai

---

South Korean Hyundai started producing cars in 1967, the first model being a licensed Ford Cortina. During the beginning of the 1970s, former British Leyland executives and engineers were hired to help develop their first car. The result was the Hyundai Pony, designed by Giorgio Giugiaro with drive train from Mitsubishi. During the 80's Hyundai embarked on the same venture as many Japanese car makers had done som 20 years earlier when slowly tapping in on the North American market with compact, economical cars. The first Hyundai to be sold in the US was the Excel. During the 90s, Europe was the target, although Pony had been exported to Greece and the UK among other countries earlier, with models like Elantra, Accent and Sonata. When the millennium was new, Hyundai had a smash hit with Santa Fe, a car which was presented exactly right during the aspiring SUV-trend, however a lot less expensive than its American and European competition. Today, Hyundai is one of the largest car makers in the world, partnering with Kia which was aquired in 1998.