This photo provided by Kia Corp. shows its Kia Heritage exhibition.
SEOUL, Aug. 23 (Korea Bizwire) — Kia Corp., South Korea’s second-biggest carmaker, is illuminating its history by restoring the models that marked the inception of its brand.
The company announced that it will showcase restored versions of two vehicles — the three-wheeled T-600 truck and the Brisa sedan — at the Kia360 brand experience space in Gangnam, Seoul, until May next year.
Drawing from the two models stored in its research center, Kia undertook comprehensive interior and exterior restoration. This process involved referencing historical photos and catalogs of these vehicles.
The T-600 stands as a three-wheeled automobile that emerged from a technological collaboration with Japan’s Dongyang Industry Co., which is now known as Mazda.
Originally employed for deliveries in narrow alleys and mountain villages, the vehicle garnered the status of a nationally registered cultural asset in 2008.
As for the Brisa, it was introduced in 1974, built upon a Mazda platform. Merely two years after its launch, in 1976, it achieved an impressive localization rate of 90 percent.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
