Photo from PUBG Studios / Krafton

Do you recognize this car from the video game, Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG)? It’s the Pony car from the game’s Korean map, Taego. Its pickup version was also featured in the recent Netflix movie, Seoul Vibe. They're based on a real car made by Hyundai first unveiled at the 1974 Turin Motor Show, called the Pony Coupe Concept.

The Pony Coupe was envisioned to be Hyundai’s first sports car. The concept car led to the creation of the brand’s seminal Pony line-up, Korea’s first independently developed mass-production models. Unfortunately, it was launched during adverse global economic conditions in the late 1970s and did not see widespread sales around the globe.

The original Pony Coupe Concept, fully restored.

Nonetheless, this concept car was proof of Hyundai’s determination as far back as the 1970s to enter the sports-car sector and become a global leader as an automotive company.

The car is now considered a retro-futuristic classic that has served as design inspiration for more recent Hyundai Motor models, such as the N Vision 74 hydrogen-hybrid electric ‘Rolling Lab’ development vehicle and the ‘45’ EV concept car that directly influenced the IONIQ 5 all-electric vehicle. Because of all that Hyundai has achieved since, the Pony Coupe Concept is now an important vehicle in the company’s history and design heritage.

The Hyundai N Vision 74 hydrogen-hybrid electric concept car, inspired by the original Pony.

Not surprisingly, Hyundai started the Pony Coupe Concept restoration project to bring back the original Pony Coupe Concept to the condition that it was in when shown at the 1974 Turin Motor Show.

The project culminated in the reveal of the rebuilt Pony Coupe Concept at the inaugural Hyundai Reunion nearly 50 years after its original debut — in Lake Como, Italy. The Hyundai Reunion is a heritage brand platform that reflects on Hyundai Motor’s past and its future direction. Among the representatives present at the event were Giorgetto Giugiaro and his son Fabrizio Giugiaro, long time designer himself, to signal the previously announced restoration, completed by GFG Style, the style center that draws on the creative expertise of Fabrizio and Giorgetto.
The Pony Coupe Concept’s origami-like exterior features flowing geometric lines, a sleek roofline, pure unadorned surfaces, dynamic proportions, a uniquely shaped B pillar. It boasts an extremely graphic surface treatment with bumpers painted in body color. Its wedge-shaped snout and circular headlamps distinguished it in 1974 and still look ultra-stylish today. Its coda tronca (‘cut-off tail’) has a slim hatch to provide access to the back of the car.

The interior of the Pony Coupe Concept, featuring a single-spoke steering wheel.

The minimalist interior showcases an iconic sensibility highlighting the monocoque design and driver-centered floating architecture. A single-spoke steering wheel and two-toned slim-line bucket seats reinforce what was in the 1970s a futuristic aesthetic.

When asked about his first interaction with Hyundai on the development of the 1973 Pony Coupe Concept more than fifty years prior to the reunion, Giugiaro revealed: “Hyundai approached us to start a complete redesign of a model, without much experience. I was skeptical at first because I didn’t know Hyundai Motor at that time. We were all impressed by the passion and commitment of the Hyundai engineers. They were sharp, curious, open and extremely eager to learn. They immediately embraced the working methods that were new to them. They sacrificed themselves to make a good impression — for company and their partners. I’m proud and honored to witness how this company has evolved since we first met.”

From left: Euisun Chung, Executive Chair of Hyundai Motor Group and the concept car's original designer, Giorgetto Giugiaro.

"Despite the poor industrial environment in the 1970s, my grandfather and Hyundai’s Founding Chairman, Ju-young Chung, poured his heart and soul into rebuilding Korea’s economy and improving the lives of its people after the devastating Korean War. He finally realized his vision of making Korea a country capable of developing its own vehicles with perfection,” said Euisun Chung, Executive Chair of Hyundai Motor Group. “I express my sincere gratitude to everyone from both Italy and Korea who played a critical role in the success of Pony.”

“The Pony Coupe Concept reflects the company’s gratitude and dedication to the challenging spirits that people at Hyundai Motor had back in 1974,” said SangYup Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Hyundai Design Center. “The rebirth of the Pony Coupe Concept is a meaningful milestone in the history of Hyundai Motor because it signifies not only our beginnings but also our commitment to the future with our new dreams.”

The next time you play the Taego map in PUBG Battlegrounds and hop into a Pony, take a second to appreciate the real effort put into creating this car, as well as recreating it in a video game. In a few years, you might just see its modern counterpart, the N Vision 74 driving down the street.