Kia

Although relatively new in the western markets, the company KIA has actually been in existence since 1944. This Korean manufacturer can trace its rather humble beginnings back to a rural marketplace that required a substantial number of spare parts for bicycles. While KIA first specialized in these accessories, it took an additional six years before they would release their first operational scooter.

Shortly thereafter, KIA had begun to mass produce many such scooters before finally upgrading to motorcycles. Still, this process took a long time to fully implement and it would be a matter of decades before their conversion into mechanized transport was complete. With the adoption of techniques involving modern assembly lines, KIA soon entered into the automobile industry. This leap forward culminated in 1973 when the company produced one of the first combustion engines specifically designed for the Korean marketplace. This exponential growth caught the eyes of manufacturers Peugeot and Fiat; each purchasing a stake in this fledgling company.

This increased market base caused the size of KIA to grow and foreign buyers began to show a keen interest in these vehicles. However, it was not until 1992 that this brand was first introduced to the American marketplace. This massive demographic helped further its growth although KIA still encountered a fair amount of stagnation. Hyundai aided in helping to extricate KIA from this position and in the 21st century, the company has once again emerged as an affordable and stylish alternative to many of the luxury vehicles currently on the marketplace.