HistoryIn 1944, Kia Motors Corporation of Seoul, Korea, was founded as a manufacturer of steel and bicycle parts (Kia.com). In the early 1950s, the company officially changed its name to Kia Industries and began production of Korea's first bicycle (Kia.com). In 1957, Kia began producing the first Korean scooter, the C-100 (Kia.com). The first Korean truck, the K-130, was introduced in 1962 (Kia.com). In 1971, the Titan, a 4-wheel cargo truck, was produced (Kia.com). In 1972, Kia established Kia Service Co. Ltd (Kia.com). Several other milestones occurred in the late 1970s, such as the opening of Korea's first fully integrated automobile factory, the production of the first internal combustion engine in Korea, Kia began producing a gasoline engine and continued to introduce new vehicles (Kia.com). In 1984, the Kia Research and Development Center was established (Kia.com). The Kia name changed again in 1990 to what we know today as Kia Motors, Inc (Kia.com). A major event occurred in Kia's life as a company in the 1990s; Kia has entered the American market (Kia.com). Three years later, in 1993, Kia opened a parts distribution center in California and signed the first twenty (20) dealerships to sell vehicles in the United States (Kia.com). Kia grew rapidly and two years later, in 1995, Kia had one hundred (100) dealerships and locations in twenty (20) US states (Kia.com). In 1999, Hyundai Business Group purchased Kia Motors Corporation (Kia.com). With this purchase, Kia Motors Corporation (Korea) started making profits again and became one of the largest successful companies (Kia.com). In 2000, Kia continued to sell a wide range of vehicles. They target a wide range of needs by offering cheaper economical products...... middle of paper ......st.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=121885Gritzinger, B. (2009). Crossover for the common man. AutoWeek, 59(21), 27. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.lib.ottawa.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ulh&AN=45132206&site=ehost-liveHammonds, D. (January 15, 2010) . ). The Detroit Auto Show proves which automakers will be strongest in the near future. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (PA), retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.lib.ottawa.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nfh&AN=2W63128133447&site=ehost-live.Nielsen.com. (March 31, 2010). Kia goes home with the Nielsen Award for Best Automotive Advertising. Retrieved from http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/consumer/kia-rolls-home-with-nielsen%E2%80%99s-top-auto-ad-award/Uefa.com (March 1, 2010). Hyundai-Kia Official Sponsor of ERUO 2012, 2016. Retrieved from http://www.uefa.com/uefa/events/marketing/news/newsid=1456922.html