Kia 2000 Annual Report Download - page 18

On the way to being the Worlds
5th-largest Automotive Group.
Our goal is to be the world’s fifth largest group specializing in the automotive industry.
This is no dream. We achieved momentous progress under adverse conditions,
and this success will be a springboard for a powerful new growth surge
that will makeKia Motors an industry leader in the 21st century.
1944
Company founded
1952
First domestic bicycle (Samcholli-ho) built.
1961
First two-wheeled motorcycle (the C-100) produced.
1962
Production of 3-wheel cargo truck (K360) begun.
1971
Four-wheel cargo trucks (Titan, Boxer) produced.
1973
Sohari plant completed. First local production of a gasoline engine (2,000cc) begun.
1974
Production of Brisa compact car begun.
1975
Export of finished Brisa pick-ups started.
1980
Production of 1-ton Bongo truck begun.
1981
Production of Bongo Coach van begun.
1983
Ceres multi-purpose farm truck produced in equity partnership with Japans Mazda and Itochu.
1986
Production of Besta van begun. / Kia basketball team organized. / Production of Pride (Festiva) started.
1988
Production of 2.5-ton Trade and 5-ton Rhino trucks begun.
1990
Corporate name changed to Kia Motors Corp.
1992
Kia Japan Co. established. / Production of Potentia luxury sedan begun.
Production of the Sephia compact sedan begun. / Kia Motors America Inc. established.
1993
Production of the Sportage SUV begun. / Environment-friendly solar car developed.
Production of Avella (Aspire) compact car started. / Asan Bay proving ground completed.
1994
Companys 50th anniversary celebrated. / Customer service training center opened.
Ground broken for Kia Japan Research Center. / First electric vehicles sold in Korea.
ISO certification received for all commercial vehicle and passenger car models. / T8-D engine developed in-house.
1995
Production of Credos mid-sized sedan begun. / Aggregate production breaks 4 million units.
Kia Motors Europe, a local subsidiary, established. / Local assembly of Sportage begun in Europe.
Aggregate exports break 1 million mark. / Company participates in Seoul Motor Show. / Production of new Bongo J2 truck begun.
Tokyo R&D center completed. / Sephia wins 2 Unmodified divisions at Australian World Rally.
Asan Bay Plant 2 completed (resulting in internationally competitive 1,000,000 units in annual capacity).
Production of Pregio van begun.
1996
Sephia takes first place at 95 World Championship in Indonesia (in Stock, Unmodified Division).
Credos granted European certification. / Sportage becomes the first vehicle to ever cross the Sahara Desert.
Sephia economy car sold in Indonesia. / Production of Elan, a classic sports car, begun.
Corporate history
2000 KIA MO TO RS
AN N UAL REPORT / 31-32
www .kia.co.kr
1997
Production of Enterprise luxury sedan begun. / Kia Enterprise basketball team established.
Ground broken for economy car plant in Indonesia. / Development of the 3,600cc J6D, Koreas largest engine, completed.
Production of the Bongo Frontier begun. / Production of the Sephia II begun. / Production of the Delta small sedan begun.
Production of the Shuma near-mid-sized sedan begun.
1998
Production of the Carnival traditional minivan begun. / Production of the Credos II mid-sized sedan begun.
The industrys first unified maintenance reservation systemlaunched. / Production of the 1-ton Frontier tilt-cab truck begun.
Production of the 7-passenger Parktown station wagon begun. / Aggregate exports break 2 million mark.
Kia and Hyundai sign share acquisition contract.
1999
Name of Asan Bay plant changed to Hwasung plant. / No-disputelabor-union declared.
Kia New Startup 2000 Declarationannounced. / First Sportage and Sephia exports made to Canada.
Kia gets approval to merge 5 main affiliates. / Kia grabs 2nd place in Korean market. / Y2K events held in 70 countries.
Pride production begun in China. / Production of Rio small car begun.
2000
Production of 15-passenger Pregio van begun. / Termination of court receivership.
Sportage gets 4th place in Hell Rally./ Indonesian President visits Hwasung plant. / Court receivership terminated.
Specta near mid-sized car goes on market. / Optima mid-sized car goes on market. / Retona Cruiser goes on market.
New Bongo Frontier, Parmax, and Pregio models unveiled. / Spectra Wing goes on market.
Company officially moves to Yangjae-dong Headquarters.
2001
HKN integrated broadcasting station for the automotive group launched.
Chairman Chung Mong-gu wins award for contributions to the automotive industry. / Carnival II goes on market.