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https://www.wsj.com/articles/hyundai-kia-ev-tesla-7936b777

How Did Hyundai Get So Cool?

Korean carmaker known for budget brands becomes EV innovator; sets sights on Tesla

Hyundai’s Genesis GV80 concept car on display at the 2023 New York International Auto Show. Anthony Behar/Sipa/Reuters
By Sean McLain

Hyundai Motor 005380 -3.74%decrease; red down pointing triangle was dreaming up an answer to Tesla when the company’s top executive sent its lead designer a photo of a bizarre-looking car that last rolled off assembly lines more than 70 years ago.

The Stout Scarab, manufactured in Michigan in the 1930s and 1940s, looked like an outlandish cross between a bus and a pontoon.  

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Copyright ©2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com.