Hong Kong's Homegrown Car Designed by Giugiaro

Hong Kong is rarely mentioned for its automotive industry—and rightfully so, as the city did not have one until recently. Indeed, few people know that in the early 2000s, Hong Kong designed its first homegrown electric car. Better yet, it was styled by none other than legendary automotive designer Giorgetto Giugiaro—the man behind such icons as the BMW M1, the Lotus Esprit, and Back to the Future’s DeLorean DMC-12.

The all-electric Giugiaro MyCar (later named the GTA MyCar) was initially conceived by researchers at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) in 2001, while its styling by Italdesign—Giugiaro’s design firm—originated in 2003. The vehicle was further developed through a joint venture with the now-bankrupt, Hong Kong-based EuAuto Technology Ltd.

The GTA MyCar officially became Hong Kong’s first production automobile in early 2009 after securing European type approval and launching internationally. Priced at £8,995, it was made available in the UK, France, and Germany. In late 2009, it finally debuted in Hong Kong, albeit under strict operating regulations that restricted it to roads with speed limits of 50 km/h or below.

Although the GTA MyCar was Hong Kong’s first homegrown vehicle, it was not technically "Made in Hong Kong." Manufacturing actually took place in Dongguan, Guangdong Province, and, for a brief period, in Tunica County, Mississippi, in the United States.