The name “Kia” derives from Korean
for “to arise to the world from Asia”. Started in 1944, Kia is
the oldest South Korean car company and today is the 2
nd
largest behind Hyundai. It was started as a steel tubing and bicycle
parts manufacturer in 1944.
 |
| Kia Logo |
Kia first introduced their motorcycles
in 1957, trucks in 1962, and finally cars in 1974. However, enforced
industry consolidation in 1981 forced the company to focus solely on
light trucks. It wasn't until 1986 that Kia reentered the car market,
partnered with Ford.
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| 1962 Kia K-360 - Kia's First Truck |
The first Kias were seen in the United
States in 1994. The cars expanded one region at a time. Although they
had record sales in 1995, the Asian Financial crisis hit them hard
and in 1997 Kia declared bankruptcy.
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| 1986 Kia Pride |
Hyundai outbid Ford for the company in
1998. Today, Kia continues to see an increase in their market share
within the United States.
Sources: All Cars Logo HD, http://carslogoblog.blogspot.com/2013/02/kia-logo.html; Kia Forums, http://www.kia-forums.com/kia-forte-cerato-td-koup-discussion/54669-kia-bit-history.html; Technically Jurisprudence, http://technicallyjuris.blogspot.com/2010/11/kia-pride-from-other-worlds.html; Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kia
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