Once again, the Hyundai Pony Coupe might be dead. A report emerged on Monday claiming the Korean automaker planned to produce a model based on the N Vision 74 concept and called the Pony Coupe, with a reveal set for May 27th, or “Pony Day”. However, according to another report, Hyundai has now denied those rumors.
“There is no plan to mass-produce the Pony Coupe, and there is no Pony Day event planned,” Hyundai reportedly told Korea’s Wikitree earlier today. If true, the statement from Hyundai leaves little room for interpretation, and would seem to put the final nail in the car’s coffin. Nevertheless, we have reached out to Hyundai for confirmation and will update the story accordingly once we hear back.
Read: Hyundai is Rebuilding The 1974 Pony Coupe Concept With Giugiaro
To understand the origins of the Pony Coupe, we have to go back to 1974 when Hyundai first unveiled a concept car designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro to showcase the design possibilities for its new family sedan. While the original Pony Coupe was never built, it did inspire a mainstream model that was produced in various forms from 1975 until the early 2000s.
In 2022, Hyundai was looking to show off its technological capabilities and decided to make it into a retro-futuristic concept car to excite enthusiasts. The design was inspired by the Pony Coupe, but updated for modern, performance-oriented tastes.
Dubbed the N Vision 74, its name made it clear that it was inspired by the Giugiaro concept from 1974, and that it was only intended as a concept car. The thing is that Hyundai did a really good job and it started winning design awards.
That prompted Hyundai to announce that it was restoring the original Pony Coupe concept. But the excitement really culminated this week, when Korea’s Money Today reported that the brand would be holding a “Pony Day” event to announce that the Pony Coupe would finally become more than just a concept, and that the production version would be based on the N Vision 74.
Although it appears that Money Today’s report may have been inaccurate, it is worth noting that Hyundai did announce plans to restore the original Pony Coupe with a completion date set for spring 2023, which is right around now. While it is unclear if the renewed classic will be revealed on May 27, fans of the concept car can at least look forward to a little bit more news about it in the near future.
