The Proton Cars Thread

The Saga saga: Proton's unusual arrival in the UK

As Proton eyes a return to the UK, we revisit the tall tale of when it first arrived in 1987

We recently learned that Proton is planning an exports push that will take it into right-hand-drive markets, including the UK.

Perhaps surprisingly, Proton is much more familiar here than in any country outside its homeland of Malaysia, some 140,000 of its cars having found buyers here between 1989 and 2014.

This south-east Asian nation entered a period of modernisation and economic growth after its 1963 independence from the UK, and in 1979, deputy prime minister Mahathir bin Mohamad proposed enhancing its small car industry through the creation of a ‘national automobile enterprise’ – ‘perusahaan otomobil nasional’ in Malay, or Proton for short.

The new Heavy Industries Corporation of Malaysia (Hicom) wisely sought an experienced firm for help, and in 1983 a joint venture with Mitsubishi was established.

Proton had an HQ and a factory with an annual capacity of 100,000 cars built on a former palm oil plantation near Kuala Lumpur, while its Japanese partner lightly altered its new if conventional Lancer Fiore family saloon.

What became the Proton Saga was signed off in November 1984 following local durability testing and launched in July 1985 by bin Mohamad, who by that time had become prime minister. He bought the first one as a gift for his wife.

www.autocar.co.uk

The Saga saga: Proton's unusual arrival in the UK | Autocar

As Proton eyes a return to the UK, we revisit the tall tale of when it first arrived in 1987
www.autocar.co.uk www.autocar.co.uk

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kind of cool seeing the abuse this dude did to a proton in AUS,
replaced oil with Nutella/mixed with Parrafin, replaced head bolts with Midas bolts, sealed up engine with bathroom sealant,
coolant with Pepsi, utter abuse to this poor car, looks like a Proton satria neo but a sedan version,

kind of cool to watch actually,
few videos, and lots of abuse, and what surprised me is it actually eventually worked
who says you need to drop a toyota from a demolished building

 
FiestaST said:
I hardly see them on CT roads at all, in fact I think I see the 20yr+ old models more than then the new stuff!
Click to expand...
They were never going to make it, their entry level X50 SUV is a whole R100k more expensive than a Haval Jolion, R50k more expensive than a Chery 7 Pro, for no good reason.

They had no strategy and just gambled, which didn't pay off.
 
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Proton’s future in South Africa uncertain

Malaysian brand Proton’s future in South Africa looks decidedly uncertain, with its official distributor saying the operation has been “challenging and costly”…

After a decade-long hiatus, Proton returned to South Africa in September 2022, but the Malaysian brand’s future in the local market already appears uncertain.

As a reminder, Proton is distributed locally by the Combined Motor Holdings (CMH) Group. In its recently released integrated annual report for 2025, the CMH Group admitted its Proton import and distribution operation had “continued to be challenging and costly”.

“Current inventory will be sold during the first half of the coming [financial] year, and thereafter the Group and the Malaysian manufacturer will decide on the way forward,” CMH Group CEO Jebb McIntosh added in the report.

In the firm’s corresponding financial results presentation for 2025, the CMH Group said there was “low inventory remaining”, adding that all Proton stock “will be sold by end August [2025]”. The distributor claimed that though the product was “well received” by local consumers (with “low” warranty claims), pricing was “problematic”.

 
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