Kia’s Bicycle Past and its New Peter Schreyer – Designed ‘K Velo’

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In 1944, Kia Motors, then known as ‘Kyungsung Precision Industries,’ had its humble start as a handmade bicycle manufacturer. Little did the modest start-up know at the time, but this operation would pave the way to manufacturing motor vehicles of all kinds, and lead Kia in becoming one of the world’s fastest growing automotive brands. That’s right, it all began with a metal frame that connected a saddle seat, two wheels, foot pedals, and a pair of handle bars to form one the most basic means of mechanical travel.

Coming Full Circle to the New K Velo

Going back to its humble beginnings with a modern and updated twist, Kia has recently launched the ‘K Velo’ series of bicycles, which were designed by its Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer. Today on Buzz, we’re going to take a rare glimpse into Kia’s bicycle past, and also provide details on these new Mini Velo bikes.

1944 – Early pioneers of Kia Motors, then known as ‘Kyungsung Precision Industries,’ assemble bicycles by hand

1957 – A larger scale production facility is moved to the southern South Korean city of Busan

Finished bicycles being unloaded for distribution

1945 – Kia Super Cycle 3000

1945 – The Kia Scenic 26

1970 – Kia High Riser 103 (3-speed bicycle)

The 2012 K Velo

K Velo ‘CITY’ version sports Kia’s trademark tiger-nosed radiator grille on the basket to maintain the brands signature design

The K Velo are the first bicycles designed by Kia Motors under the supervision of Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer. Mini Velos have become a popular style of bicycles in urban cities and are known for their elegantly compact frames and short build, which make them ideal for city commutes and transport via car or bus.

Mini Velos are more common in Asia, especially in Korea and Japan, than in Europe and the U.S., but they are gaining popularity with young urban trendsetters in the West. Kia’s Mini Velos are created to appeal to these design conscious ‘young-at-hearts’ who desire to be mobile with Kia in any given situation.

Design Concept

Kia Motors applied its ‘simplicity of the straight line’ design philosophy on the new bicycles and the K Velo is a joint project between Peter Schreyer and Korean bicycle manufacturing company, ‘Samchully.’ The project took 13 months of research and development under Peter’s design direction.

K Velo is available in two different versions: ‘CITY,’ which has convenience features such as 11 gears, a basket and fenders while the ‘SPEED’ version features lighter interrupters and bike weight. Their clean and simple aerodynamic profiles are complemented with striking details, offering stylish functionality in any urban setting.

Both bikes were developed to meet the rising demand for sustainable and portable transportation, especially in urban areas. The production of these bicycles is an attempt to motivate our customers to give greater consideration to the environment by using bikes for short distance journeys.

The K Velo ‘SPEED’ version features lighter interrupters and bike weight

We started this project in order to create an environmentally friendlier approach by showcasing an alternative means of transportation from Kia. Through K Velo, we expect to show Kia’s design excellence.

The bicycles are available for purchase on the Kia Brand Collection page (www.shop-kia.com), but are only available in Korea at this time – CITY is priced at approximately US$1,500 and SPEED at US$1,100.

What do you think?

What do you think about Peter Schreyer’s bicycle? Tell us in the comment section below.

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