The History of Cars Kia – Kia Motors is a company that’s headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, and is one amongst the leading car manufacturers worldwide. Kia Motors is South Korea’s second-largest automobile manufacturer just behind the Hyundai Motor Company. In this article, we look at the inspiring history of Kia and the various milestones that contributed to its stardom.
The History of Cars Kia
Founded December 1944, originally named Kyungsung Precision Industry. The company manufactured and produced South Korea’s first domestic bicycle, the Samchuly. In 1952, the company changed its name to Kia Industries, which translates to ‘rising out of Asia’ in the native language.
Soon enough in the history of Kia, the company diversified and started to manufacture trucks and motorbikes. In 1970, it finally began to produce cars. Kia’s first car, Brisa, released in 1974.
Kia continued to do well until 1981 when the military dictator enforced industry consolidation throughout the country. As a result, Kia gave up on manufacturing passenger cars and focused entirely on light trucks.
Many years later, Kia rejoined the industry https://daihatsujakbar.com/ by a partnership with Ford. Along with Ford, Kia manufactured and sold several successful models of cars in both South Korea and other countries.
In 1992, Kia opened its first car dealership in the United States of America. By 1995, the manufacturer had built over 100 dealerships all across the United States, selling over 24,000 vehicles in the meantime.
Owing to the Asian Financial Crisis in the year 1997, Kia declared bankruptcy and subsequently agreed with Hyundai Motors in 1998 to exchange ownership between both companies. Hyundai Motors acquired 51% of the company, and eventually, Kia Motors also took over ownership in 22 Hyundai Motor Company subsidiaries.
Over the years, Kia Motors gained the trust of customers in the American and European markets, with sales increasing tremendously with each passing year. In 2014, Kia gained international attention when Pope Francis chose the vehicle as his transportation of choice during his time in South Korea.
As of today, Kia has ventured into the automobile markets in Mexico, India, and Pakistan. Kia Motors continues to surprise with its innovation, superior performance, and safety features.