It's only recently that the UK has warmed to the pickup truck concept, and when you consider what rubbish used to be available it's no wonder that we took a while to show any interest. Back in the late 1970s and early 1980s anyone wanting a pickup was forced to pick from such rubbish as the Morris Marina/Ital, the Ford P100, the Renault 12-based Dacia and this - the Hyundai Pony.
According to the 1982 sales literature, this "eye-catching workhorse" combines "economy, efficiency and engineering excellence". It also talks about the vast list of luxury items that came as standard - including vinyl-covered seats, inertia seatbelts and a warning light for the handbrake. They really knew how to spoil us didn't they?
The brochure also boasts that the front half of this vehicle was penned by famous design house Guigiaro. I've just been on the Guigiaro Design website, and funnily enough there's no mention of it!
Comments (3)
Apparently, it was named according to the well known system of Cockerney rhyming slang!
Posted by Colin Barnett | February 15, 2007 2:17 PM
Posted on February 15, 2007 14:17
Interestingly enough in any of the history books on Giugiaro, you also see very little mention about the car that was named after his styling studio, if you remember the launch ads it burst out of the studio on to the Italian streets - with its advanced Morris Minor suspension - during the very late 1970s - the Morris ITAL.
Posted by John Comer | February 18, 2007 8:36 PM
Posted on February 18, 2007 20:36
The Pony is what launched Hyundai on to the Streets of Canada. We never saw the pick-up though. I had a Pony for a brief period of time. Paid $50 for it. Sold it two weeks later for $100. Not a bad investment, eh?
Posted by Andy the car nut | September 30, 2008 6:42 PM
Posted on September 30, 2008 18:42