So Shi-Tei

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Revision as of 22:00, 5 January 2009

The So Shi-Tei is a budget compact Korean car manufactured by So Motors, a subsidiary of So International. The first So Shi-Tei was manufactured on April 1, 1983. In North America, the Shi-Tei is known as the So Car.

History

In 1979, So Manufacturing wanted to expand into making automobiles. Having no such experience, they sent out an ad in the local newspaper to find a designer. Meanwhile in 1981, they created So Motors. Finally in 1982, the winner was chosen. The So Shi-Tei was the brain child of Korean Won Tai-Lee.

First Generation

The first generation Shi-Tei was produced between 1983 and 1991. The first generation was designed by Won Tai-Lee. The car was originally a two door hatchback. The car was powered by a 56 horsepower inline four known later as the Si4. In 1988 the Si4 gained three horsepower making a total of 59 horsepower. However this version was plagued with various problems and became known as the Si4v2, or more commonly the SV2.

Second Generation

By 1989, sales of the Shi-Tei were falling quickly. So blamed this on the design of the car being too old. So Motors began redesigning their car. The second generation Shi-Tei was produced between 1991 and 1994. However, this did not help sales of the Shi-Tei and they were falling again in 1992. In late 1993, So brought in the option of the original Si4 and a redesigned Si4v2. However, production ended in January 1994.

Third Generation

In 1998, So Manufacturing International became under new management. In 2000, So Motors decided to bring back the Shi-Tei and decided to do it as quick as possible. Again, they went back and placed an ad in the newspaper. The winner this time was a European named Paul James.

The third generation Shi-Tei was produced between 2002 and 2006. The engine was a redesigned Si4 with 68 horsepower known as the SIF. In 2004, So Motors decided to test new features such as power windows and airbags. However, they could not get them to work correctly and the idea was scrapped.

Fourth Generation

The fourth generation Shi-Tei was produced between 2007 and present. The Shi-Tei continued to use the SIF. In 2008, So Motors brought in the option of a redesigned SIF with 60 horsepower for better fuel economy. This version was known as the SIF-G. In 2009, it is rumored that the Shi-Tei will come pre-installed with airbags, however nothing has been confirmed.

GTR

The Shi-Tei GTR was released in 2006 as a 2007 model. The car features a rear spoiler, different rims, and more power. The GTR was only available in GTR Blue and GTR Red. The GTR model was discontinued at the end of 2008.

STE

In 2009, So will unveil a electric version of their Shi-Tei. The current name of the car is the So STE. Very little is known about the car.

Partnership

In 1985, Toyota was showing interest in a partnership with So. However, by 1988 the Shi-Tei was selling badly and no deal was made.

A partnership was announced in 2001 with General Motors and Am-Kor Automotive. The deal would see the Shi-Tei produced and sold in North America. However, the deal fell through and General Motors bought Daewoo, also a Korean car company and formed GM Daewoo. Rumors say that the car would wave been called the Pontiac Pacific.

Am-Kor Limited is pushing the Shi-Tei to be sold in North America and hopes to have it on sale by 2010.

Defects

Being so cheaply produced, the So Shi-Tei has been reviled to have several design flaws.

• Electrical Problems - Areas Affected: 1983 - 1987. The result would end with the car stalling and not starting again.
• Windshield Wipers - Areas Affected: 1985 - 1987 and 1989 - 1991. When reaching a certain speed, the wipers would apparently fly off.
• Fires - Areas Affected: All years. For some reason, all models seem to catch fire without warning.

Pictures

First generation: Second Generation:

Third Generation: Fourth Generation:

See Also

• Chevrolet