TheHyundaiGalloperShinhwa,MythandLegendWiththeintroductionofGenesis,theHyundaiMotorGroup’spremiumluxurycardivisionaswellasKiaMotors’NiroandHyundaiMotor’sNexo,allpartofanexpandedmodellineupofFCEV,hybridandelectricvehicles,manyintheindustryseetheseasboldmovesbytheHyundaiMotorGroupanditleadership.Moreso,theGrouphasjoinedinanumberofhighprofiletechnologypartnershipsandcommittedbillionsoverthenextfewyearstomobility,AI,andautonomousvehicles.Actually,itisbutthelatestchapterinastoryandalegacyreachingbackdecades.

HyundaiGalloper

In1991,theSeoulHyattHotelwasthesiteofthelaunchofanewmid-sizedSUV,theHyundaiGalloper.ApetprojectoffutureHyundaiMotorGroupChairmanChungMongKooatthetimenoonefelttheGallopercoulddislodgetheSsangyongKorando,thepopularanddominantSUVintheKoreanmarket.Thatsaid,itwouldtakeonlyayearfortheGallopertosurpasstheKorando.TomanythiswouldbebutthestartofwhatwouldbecometheGallopershinhwa--mythandlegend.

1991SeoulHyattLaunch

Steppingbackinthestory,followingfamilyexpectationsandaftergraduatingfromcollegeChungMongKoojoinedtheHyundaiGroup,SouthKorea’slargestandhighlydiversifiedindustrialconglomerate.Bythemid-1970s,ChungwaspersonallyinvolvedintheformingofanewdivisionwithintheGroup—HyundaiPrecisionandIndustryCompanyLTD.WiththegrowthofKorea’sexportindustryandincreasedtransportationviaoceantransportships,ChungMongKoorecognizedthegrowingdemandforocean-goingcontainers.Inthisnewventure,HyundaiPrecision’sapproachwastoestablishastandardforcargocontainers,whilealsogainingacompetitiveedgethroughproductiontechnologyandproductdevelopment.Themodelprovedtobehighlysuccessful.Meanwhile,astheHyundaiGroup’sfledglingcardivisionexpandeditsoperationsHyundaiPrecision,too,sawanopportunityandbegantosupporttheHyundaiMotorCompanyasaTierIsupplier.Soonafter,ChungandHyundaiPrecisionwouldlooktointroduceitsownfour-wheeldrivevehicletotheKoreanmarket--independentofHyundaiMotorCompany.UnderChung’sleadership,HyundaiPrecisionhadsince1988workedondevelopingtheJ-carprojectwithateamfromAmerica’sRoushEnterprises.ThisbecametheX-100ECSROUSH.However,despitehopesthevehiclewouldhavewidespreadappeal,reactiontotheprototypebyatestmarketstudywithU.S.consumerswaspoor.UndauntedHyundaiPrecisionturnedtoMitsubishiforproductionsupport.Afterreview,theMitsubishiPajerowasselected.Aswascommonatthetime,themodelwouldbere-brandedandlocallymanufacturedfortheKoreanmarket.BadgedastheHyundaiGalloper,theSUV’swouldbeproducedbyHyundaiPrecisionatitsUlsanplantcomplex.ItisworthytonotethatHyundaiMotorCompanyprovidedtheengines,transmissionsandbodypanels,whileHyundaiMotorService,the

Group’sautoretailarmdistributedandsoldtheSVUs.(HyundaiMotorServiceoneofthecompaniesChungoversawinadditiontoPrecision).Soon,afterthelaunchoftheGalloperitwasahitnotonlyinSouthKoreabutalsoinEuropeandAsia.In1991,3,006Gallopersweresold,withsalesof24,264in1992and37,971in1994.Thissuccesswasfueledbyanumberofhigh-profileinternationalpromotionalandmarketingactivities--theGalloperparticipatinginlongdistanceoff-roadrallies,whichgainedconsiderablemediaattention.

Linkto1991KoreanlanguageGalloperTVAd

GalloperontourintheUK

RecordSalesandtheGallopershinhwaHyundaiPrecision’sboldsalesandpromotionstrategycontinuedtoprovehighlysuccessful.Infact,withinthecompanytheGallopershinhwamythandlegendspread…fueledbyanuncannyfive-foldincreaseinsalesbetween1997and1998.Withinabroadercontextandaddingtothelegacythissuccessoccurredduringthedevastating1997Asianeconomicmeltdown,commonlyreferredtoastheIMFCrisis.IncontrastatthesametimethehighlyanticipatedlaunchoftheSamsung’sautomotivedivision,inanalliancewithNissan,proveddismal.By1999,ChungMongKoowouldassumecontrolofHyundaiMotorCompany.InadditiontohisleadershiproleofHMC,plusanotherfiveoftheGroup’scompaniesincludingHyundaiPrecision,thecardivisionalsoacquiredKiaMotors.Soonaftertoconsolidate,GalloperproductionwasmovedtoHyundaiMotor.By2000,amidarestructuringoftheHyundaiMotorCompanyanditsaffiliates,Precision’snamewaschangedtoHyundaiMOBIS.

In2003afterasuccessful12-yearrun,theHyundaiTerracansucceededtheGalloper.WhatdoesremainistheGallopershinhwa,alegacyweseetodayintoboldandnewventuresbyHyundaileadershipwithGenesisintothepremiumluxurycarsegmentandawiderangeofforward-leaningmobilityandeco-friendlyvehicles.AbouttheAuthorKnowbymanyas“TheHyundaiWhisperer,”DonSouthertonhasalife-longinterestinKoreaandtherichcultureofthecountry.Hehasauthorednumerouspublicationswithtopicscenteringonworkplaceculture,newurbanism,emergingpremiumandupmarkettrends,andentrepreneurialism.Heisafrequentcontributortothemedia(WSJ,Forbes,CNNFortune,Bloomberg,AutomotiveNews,KoreaTimes,KoreaHerald,Yonhap,KoreaMagazine,eFMTBS,FSRandTheEconomistonKoreafacingbusinessandculture.HeheadsBridgingCultureWorldwideaGolden,Coloradobasedcompanythatprovidestraining,mentoring,strategy,andconsultingworldwidetoKorea-basedglobalbusiness.Questionandcomments?donsoutherton@koreabcw.com©BCW2018PhotographscourtesyofHyundaiMOBISSeoul,SouthKorea