The largest automobile manufacturer in South Korea is known as the Hyundai Motor Company. It is a
division of the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group. Hyundai is the sixth largest car manufacturer in the world. Their headquarters are in Seoul, South Korea.
Hyundai’s manufacturing operations are based in Ulsan, South Korea. There, the largest integrated car manufacturing factory in the world turns out over a million cars each year.
The word “Hyundai” means “modernity” in the Korean language.
The roots of Hyundai go back to the year 1947, when Chung Ju Yung started the Hyundai Configurationering and Construction Company. Twenty years later, the Hyundai Motor Company would be established. The Cortina, the first model of the company, was produced in the year 1968 with help from the Ford Motor Company.
In the year 1975, the first Korean car, known as the Pony, was released. It was styled by Giorgio Giugiaro of ItalDesign, and featured power train technology by Mitsubishi Motors of Japan. The following year, exports to Ecuador began. Soon after, Hyundai cars were also being exported to the Benelux countries.
Beginning in the year 1991, Hyundai began to develop the four cylinder Alpha Configuration and transmission. This helped the company establish independence in the technological sector.
In the year 1986, Hyundai products were first sold in the United States of America. With the release of the Excel, Hyundai received awards from Fortune Magazine for the affordability of its vehicles. In the year 1988, Hyundai was able to start making cars with its own technology beginning with the medium sized Sonata vehicle. In an effort to display itself as a world class brand, Hyundai began to restructure its image in the year 1998. The leadership of Hyundai was transferred to the son of Chung Ju Yung, Chung Mong Koo, in the year 1999.
Above - The 2008 version of the Hyundai Accent, which has now been manufactured for over 10 years proving the cars popularity.