Sales of the Pony began in the United Kingdom in February of that year, making it the first Korean car to be sold there. In , Hyundai began exporting the Pony to Canada, where sales greatly exceeded expectations.
At one point, it was the top-selling car on the Canadian market. It was the first front-wheel drive car produced by the company and, like the original Pony, designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro. It sold , units in its first year of sales in the US, setting an all-time record that still stands to this day. In the spring of , aggregate production of Hyundai automobiles reached the four million mark.
Then, in , the company reached another milestone, as it developed its first proprietary gasoline engine, the four-cylinder Alpha, as well as its own transmission. This paved the way for technological independence. The Alpha engine debuted in the Hyundai Scoupe. During this decade, Hyundai continued to evolve and consolidate its position as a leading international manufacturer of cars.
Hyundai introduced many popular models in this time period, including the Accent, Dynasty and Tiburon. This is responsible for monitoring technology developments in Europe, as well as designing and engineering new cars for the European market. In September , Hyundai opened its first manufacturing plant on the continent in Izmit, Turkey. The s saw Hyundai experiment with a number of electric and hybrid vehicles.
After conducting its first experiments with hybrid propulsion systems in , the hybrid-electric FGV-1 was unveiled at the Seoul Motor Show. This car featured full-time electric drive technology.
However, Hyundai would only cross US borders later, in , with the release of the Excel. The subcompact car was an instant hit with its fairly small price tag accounting for most of its popularity.
The Excel was such a hit that it sold in over ,00 units in the first seven months. This was the last automobile that Hyundai produced before resorting to their own technology in The Sonata was their first born, a mid-seize car that marked the beginning of a new era.
Despite the steps the company had taken into building a strong brand image, the reputation Hyundai had previously collected was lost because of poor quality and reliability complaints. As soon as the 90's came, Hyundai was short of air on American territory, struggling for one last gasp. At the age of 18, he set off for good to Seoul with hopes of finding a better life. Success was not immediate. He worked in various jobs, such as railway construction, bookkeeping and dock work.
Chung's first experience as an entrepreneur came in when he started his own rice store. However, he was forced to close his business a year later because of the policies of the Japanese occupation forces. Chung went into business repairing trucks for U. Armed Forces. He then went into the engineering and construction business, eventually building multibillion-dollar mega-projects around the world.
His venture into the shipbuilding business is legendary. Despite a lack of experience in shipbuilding, he persuaded a customer to give him an order to build a ship for tens of millions of dollars.
Now the company that he started is the largest shipbuilder in the world. By sheer force of effort and creativity, Mr. Chung built businesses that helped make Korea the economic powerhouse that it is today. From humble beginnings, he rose to great heights. While that would understandably hurt sales, Hyundai was pleasantly surprised at the sales numbers in The True North.
The Pony eventually rose to be the top-selling vehicle on the Canadian market, and by the time rolled around, Hyundai had already produced their one millionth vehicle. These were quite impressive numbers for an automotive company that had only been around for about two decades. Hyundai would eventually make its way over to the United States, as the brand released the Excel in Furthermore, the , units sold was a record for a first-year import. The original North American version of the vehicle featured four engine options: the 1.
The Excel evolved a bit through its three generations, but production eventually ended in Feeling more and more confident, Hyundai decided to start producing their own technology.
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