We have been on the edge of our seats at Autofans for over a week, because then a very hopeful rumor came to our attention. For example, it was rumored that Hyundai would be working on a production version of its N Vision 74. That study model united Hyundai’s past with its future by combining the beautiful lines of the 1974 Pony Coupé Concept with the necessary sportiness and an electric powertrain with a fuel cell. Unfortunately, it does not come to that, although behind the scenes Hyundai was indeed working on a resurrection for the Pony Coupé … But without the sporty, electric or production-ready part.
One-time show car
This is the new Pony Coupé Concept, and if it looks familiar to you, it’s no coincidence. The car was built to look just like the original from 1974, and Hyundai spared no expense to do so. For example, they drummed up the original designer, the now 84-year-old Giorgetto Giugiaro, and started working with the same materials that you could find on the concept car at the time. In a sense, that also applies under the skin, because there is simply a 1.2-liter four-cylinder engine with an output of 82 hp. Everything to honor the original, because this Pony Coupé Concept can shine this weekend among the very expensive classics at the prestigious Concorso d’Eleganza of Villa d’Este in Italy.
The Pony Coupé Concept secretly deserves such a remake, because the study model plays an important role in Hyundai’s story. For example, the concept car was the source of inspiration for the 1975 Pony, the Korean manufacturer’s first independently developed mass-production model. However, the final Pony had to abandon the sporty shape of the concept car because of the oil crisis, and so Hyundai started making more budget-conscious cars. Nevertheless, the designers of the brand often went back to the characteristics of the Pony Coupé Concept, just look at the sharp lines of the Ioniq 5. We still see a bit of Pony in Hyundai’s production models, and this study model also sticks to just one copy.
