FOREIGN BRANDS TIMELINE
8 APRIL 2 020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 53
1994
Ssangyong Musso
South Korean 4x4 specialist Ssangyong’s history
stretches back to 1954, although it only took its
current name in 1986. It then made a soft entry
i nt o t he U K b y pu r c h a si n g t he Pa nt he r s p or t s
car company before launching under its own
name with the Musso SUV, developed with help
from Mercedes-Benz. Since then, it has been
owned by Daewoo, SAIC and now Mahindra, but
it’s still a relative unknown to the general public.
(^1991)
Kia Pride
Kia entered our world with the Pride hatchback,
a rebadged version of the Ford Festiva, a budget
model sold in Asia and the Americas. The South
Korean company went bankrupt as a result of the
Asian financial crisis in 1997. Compatriot firm
Hyundai outbid Ford to acquire it, and Kia has
since grown in stature as the pair have worked
co-operatively in an assault on the middle market.
1990
Lexus LS
Toyota revealed to the world its luxury division,
L e x u s , i n 1989, a nd it w a sn’t lon g b e for e it s
f l a gsh ip L S s a lo on w e nt on s a le i n Br it a i n. Suc h
was the refinement yet relative affordability of this
m a ide n e f for t t h at it w a s ge nu i ne l y r e v olut ion a r y.
Things didn’t progress quite so promisingly from
t he r e u nt i l s a le s s oa r e d i n r e c e nt y e a r s , t h a n k s t o
Lexus taking an early lead in hybrid technology.
1982
Dacia Denem
1985
Seat Ibiza
In 1982, Spain’s state-owned car manufacturer acrimoniously
split from Fiat, with which its foundation and 32-year history was
inextricably linked. It therefore had to produce a car of its own
accord. The result, the Ibiza, achieved mild success before Seat
was bought by the
Vol k s wagen Group i n
- It then endured
a long period of
struggle but lately has
seemingly entered
a golden era, and
recently launched
a sibling brand for
performance cars.
1982
Hyundai Pony
With Japanese cars
taking a very large
proportion of business,
so came the arrival of
those from South Korea,
a country rocketing up
the world order. Hyundai
was the vanguard,
offering its second-generation Pony from the spring of 1982.
Despite its relatively short history, it now has a major stake in
the new-car market and can even command premium prices.
1977
Subaru 1600
and 1800
1979
Suzuki SC100
The tiny Suzuki outfit (which started as a maker
of lo om s) sh ipp e d s ome c a r s f r om Ha m a m at s u t othe UK for evaluation in 1974 but didn’t put any on
sale for another five years. Its first offering was the
truly miniature SC100 coupé, better known here as
the Whizzkid. Next was something very different:
the LJ baby 4x4, the predecessor of today’s Jimny.
1970
Jeep CJ
1974
Colt Lancer
Mitsubishi decided to use the Colt brand name
i n Br it a i n , s upp o s e d l y t o av oid t he publ ic
making a negative connection with the firm’s
well-known aeronautical role in the Second
World War. Its first models were the Lancer,
a rival to the Ford Escort, and the Galant,
a fighter of the Cortina. The Colt name was
d r opp e d i n f av ou r of M it s ubi sh i i n 1980.
1974
Lada 1200
The Cold War may still have been freezing, but that
didn’t stop Brits from seeing the value of the Soviet
Union’s Moskvich cars. There were 268 dealers by
1973, and in May 1974 importer Satra introduced
Lada saloon and estate models, badging the duo
a s t he 1 2 0 0. T h i n gs w e nt dow n h i l l f r om t he r e ,
however, with the awful Samara ringing the
death knell for Lada on these shores in 1997.
1968
Datsun 1600
Datsun made a noisy arrival in 1968, starting by
selling its four-door 1600 saloon (the 510-series
Blue bi rd) f r om a bu i ld i n g sh a r e d w it h G e r m a n
firm NSU in the Sussex port of Shoreham. A 1600
estate and a 1300 saloon were added soon after.
Expansion was rapid: there were 285 dealers on
board by 1974. The brand name was changed to
t h at of pa r e nt f i r m Ni s s a n i n 1983 at g r e at e x p e n s e.