South Korea · South Korean launch year · preserved DX identity · 1991

Daewoo Tico DX

The tiny Tico was designed to make a new car easier to buy and easier to thread through crowded South Korean streets.

People's cars
Profile cover · exact year model trim · Photo shows Source title identifies a 1991 Daewoo Tico DX, matching corrected launch identity, year, model, and trim.. Source title identifies a 1991 Daewoo Tico DX, matching corrected launch identity, year, model, and trim.
1991 South Korea Daewoo Tico DX profile cover · Damian B Oh · CC BY-SA 4.0
Auction-based estimated value

Research pending

A matching completed auction sale has not been verified for this exact year, body, trim, engine, transmission and market.

Joyride shows this gap instead of substituting an asking price, unsold bid or mismatched special vehicle.

A place in vehicle history

More than a set of wheels.

Daewoo Shipbuilding introduced the Tico on 14 May 1991 after South Korea revived a government 'people's car' plan. A 1989 technical partnership with Suzuki supplied the basis of the Alto-derived design. The five-door Tico used a 796 cc three-cylinder engine, front-wheel drive and a body only 3.34 metres long. This profile is fixed to a surviving 1991 DX-badged car, but the reviewed sources do not establish which gearbox or convenience items the DX badge guaranteed.

Look a little closer.

A Korean business history says Tico joined 'ti' from 'tight' with 'co' from friendly words such as convenient, cozy and companion—not the often-repeated phrase 'tiny comfortable.'

Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.

A policy idea turned into a street-sized car

South Korea first announced a people's-car development plan in 1983. Daewoo's later Suzuki agreement supplied a proven small-car foundation, and the Tico launched in 1991 at dimensions and engine capacity chosen for crowded roads and low running costs.

Source: Maeil Business Newspaper · Daewoo Tico history ↗

What the DX badge does—and does not—prove

The Gyeongju World Automobile Museum photograph records a real 1991 Tico wearing DX badges, so it anchors the trim name and year. It does not publish a trim brochure or gearbox specification. This profile therefore combines that exact identity evidence with shared 1991 Tico mechanical data and leaves DX-only equipment open.

Source: Wikimedia Commons · 1991 Daewoo Tico DX ↗

Where these facts come from

Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed October 2, 2026.

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