Sinsungho , developed by Sinjin Automobiles in 1963.
The Sinsungho, which means “new star,” was one of the first cars to have a body designed and manufactured locally.
The car was developed by Sinjin Automobiles and made its debut in November 1963.
Sinjin Automobiles was established in 1957 by Kim Chang-won, a South Chungcheong native. During the Korean War, Kim fled to Busan, a city filled with auto technicians and military vehicle parts, and started his business by fixing and revamping automobiles.
In 1962, Kim expanded Sinjin and the company began manufacturing microbuses with used parts from large military trucks. It was a successful venture and the vehicles were used as public transportation throughout the 1960s.
After watching the launch of the Saenara sedan in 1962, which was actually a Nissan Bluebird P310 assembled in Korea, Kim decided to try his hand at auto manufacturing.
The Sinsungho’s engine and transmission were used parts from military jeeps, but the tires and windows were made in Korea."
