The man behind the Hyundai brand, Chung Ju-Yung (1915-2001), left his mark on the history of his country. The son of peasants, he left his family at the age of 16 and, at the age of 32, founded a company called Hyundai Engineering and Construction, which specialised in car maintenance and heavy construction. After the Korean War, the Americans asked him to repair their military vehicles and build barracks for the army. The sixties were a prosperous period for him. He went on to build a major motorway in his homeland, as well as working in shipbuilding, a field of expertise recognised by the Koreans. Several companies, such as Hyundai Electronics, were created over the years to support Hyundai's extensive development in various fields. Hyundai Motors, meanwhile, began operations in 1967 (the year of love and the Expo). Six years later, the first Korean 100 % car saw the light of day: the PONY. More than forty Hyundai models have since been developed, the most important of which are the Accent, Matrix, Elantra, Sonata and Tiburon. In 1998, the manufacturer acquired its rival Kia, adding a great deal of quality to that brand's cars at the same time. The two Korean giants are now at the cutting edge of electric car technology, with high-performance, efficient models.