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Proton Holdings Berhad (PHB; informally Proton) is a Malaysian automotive company and automobile corporation active in automobile design, manufacturing, distribution and sales. Proton was established in 1985 as Malaysia's sole national badged car company until the advent of
Perodua
The (''Second Automobile Manufacturer Private Limited''), usually abbreviated to Perodua (), is Malaysia's largest car manufacturer,
followed by PROTON Holdings, Proton.
History
It was established in 1992 and launched its first car, the Pe ...
in 1993. The company is headquartered in Shah Alam, Selangor
Shah Alam () is a city and the state capital of Selangor, Malaysia and situated within the Petaling District and a small portion of the neighbouring Klang District. Shah Alam replaced Kuala Lumpur as the capital city of the state of Selangor in ...
, and operates additional facilities at Proton City, Perak.
Proton is a Malay
Malay may refer to:
Languages
* Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore
** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century
** Indonesi ...
acronym for Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional (National Automobile Company).
Proton was originally a manufacturer of rebadged
In the automotive industry, rebadging is a form of market segmentation used by automobile manufacturers around the world. To allow for product differentiation without designing or engineering a new model or brand (at high cost or risk), a man ...
versions of Mitsubishi Motors
is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Since the 2000s, Proton has produced a mix of locally engineered and badge engineered vehicles. Proton cars are currently sold in at least 15 countries, the majority of which are in Asia; its largest export market was the United Kingdom, where its cars were sold until 2016.
Proton was originally owned in majority by HICOM, with minority stakes being held by
The concept of a National Car was conceived in 1979 by then
On 15 August 1992, the 
On 21 May 1993 the Proton Wira was introduced, a car which was better equipped and larger than the Saga and Saga Iswara. The Wira is based on the fourth-generation 1991 
In 1994, Proton launched the three-door
The latter half of the 2000s marked Proton's comeback in the domestic market, with its vehicle sales growing a total of about 37 percent from 2006 to 2011, significantly above total passenger car sales growth of about 10 percent. The comeback was spearheaded by the 
The
The turbocharged 
On 17 August 2013, Proton launched the Suprima S, the hatchback complement to the Prevé saloon. It became the second 5-star ANCAP rated Proton and the first to offer extensive standard safety features in its domestic market. On 11 December 2013, the 
The 
Proton introduced four new models in 2016. The new Perdana launched on 14 June, followed by the new
The first Proton, the Saga saloon launched in July 1985 amid positive reception, but poor sales due to Proton's inability to meet the high demand. However, Proton later captured a 47% Malaysian market share in the following year, with 24,148 cars sold. The company's market share later grew to 65% in 1987; 85% in the ''Under 1,600cc segment''. Proton maintained a majority market share in the following years, which peaked in 1993 at 74% with over 94,100 units sold. Car sales in Malaysia plunged from 404,000 units in 1997 to 163,851 in 1998 due to the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. Proton's revenue and profits were severely affected, but a majority market share was still maintained into the early 2000s.
In the mid-2000s, Proton's revenues and sales declined sharply. In 2006, Proton's market share was 32%, down from 40% in 2005. Proton lost its majority domestic market share for the first time in 20 years to 
Sales of Proton cars grew at a stable rate in the latter half of the 2000s and in the early 2010s. The company briefly regained the top-spot from Perodua in June 2009, after the introduction of the
Proton relies primarily on its domestic market for the majority of its sales and revenues. Nonetheless, small volumes of Proton cars are also exported to various other countries in Asia, in addition to the United Kingdom and Australia. The company held a far larger global sales network in the 1990s, spanning all six continents and over 70 countries, but intends to regain a global foothold with 500,000 annual sales by 2018.
On 24 January 2020, Proton announced that their goal is to export 4,000 vehicles by the end of the year or export 6,000 vehicles if they were offered government incentives.
Proton cars were also exported to several countries in Latin America, most notably Chile. Exports to Chile commenced in 1994, and almost 3,000 Protons were sold prior to the company's departure in 1998. However, Proton later expressed intentions of returning to Chile following the ratification of the Malaysia-Chile Free Trade Agreement in 2012. In July 2015, Proton signed a distributor agreement with Andes Motor, and the first official shipment of 50 left-hand drive Prevé units commenced on 1 March 2016. The Chilean launch of the
The United Kingdom has been a key export market for Proton since the late 1980s. However, by the late 2000s, British Proton sales had declined considerably as a result of ageing models and depleting stock. In 2013, Proton Cars UK had attempted to relaunch the brand with four all-new models. However, the relaunch was instead postponed indefinitely in view of more stringent European Union emissions and safety regulations.
Proton is currently developing a range of all-new petrol engines in collaboration with
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) and
In 1994, French car manufacturer Citroën announced plans for the production of
Proton entered the People's Republic of China in 2007 under a strategic joint venture with China
On 29 October 2012, Proton entered a collaboration with
Proton partnered with Suzuki and rebadged the Suzuki Ertiga. Under the June 2015 agreement, 25 of its 3S and 4S Suzuki dealership outlets have been converted into Proton Edar outlets and bearing both Proton and Suzuki logos.
Mitsubishi Group
The is a group of autonomous Japanese multinational companies in a variety of industries.
Founded by Yatarō Iwasaki in 1870, the Mitsubishi Group historically descended from the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, a unified company which existed from 1870 ...
members. By 2005, Mitsubishi had divested their stake in Proton to Khazanah Nasional, and in 2012, Proton was fully acquired by DRB-HICOM
DRB-HICOM Berhad () is one of Malaysia's leading corporations, involved in the automotive manufacturing, assembly and distribution industry through its involvement in the passenger car and four wheel drive vehicle market segment, the national t ...
. Proton was the owner of Lotus Cars from 1996 to 2017. In May 2017, DRB-HICOM announced plans to sell a 49.9% stake in Proton and a 51% stake in Lotus to Geely Automobile Holdings. The deal was signed in June 2017, and since then, Lotus ceased to be a unit of Proton.
History
1980s
The concept of a National Car was conceived in 1979 by then Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia
The deputy prime minister of Malaysia ( ms, Timbalan Perdana Menteri Malaysia; ms, تيمبلن ڤردان منتري مليسيا, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset) is the second-highest political office in Malaysia. There have been 15 ...
, Dato' Seri Dr Mahathir bin Muhammad, now Tun Dr Mahathir Muhammad, with the goal of enhancing Malaysian industry. The National Car Project was approved by the Cabinet in 1982, leading to the founding of Proton on 7 May 1983. It was wholly owned by the government of Malaysia
The Government of Malaysia, officially the Federal Government of Malaysia ( ms, Kerajaan Persekutuan Malaysia), is based in the Federal Territory of Putrajaya with the exception of the legislative branch, which is located in Kuala Lumpur. Mala ...
through Khazanah Nasional at its creation. It was headed by its founder, Dr. Mahathir. Proton approached Mitsubishi Motors
is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.Proton Saga
The Proton Saga is a series of compact and subcompact cars produced by Malaysian automobile manufacturer Proton. Introduced in 1985, the Proton Saga became the first Malaysian car and a major milestone in the Malaysian automotive industry. The ...
, which launched on 9 July 1985.
The Proton Saga
The Proton Saga is a series of compact and subcompact cars produced by Malaysian automobile manufacturer Proton. Introduced in 1985, the Proton Saga became the first Malaysian car and a major milestone in the Malaysian automotive industry. The ...
was based on the second generation 1983 Mitsubishi Lancer Fiore 4-door saloon and powered by a 1.3 litre
The litre (international spelling) or liter (American English spelling) (SI symbols L and l, other symbol used: ℓ) is a metric unit of volume. It is equal to 1 cubic decimetre (dm3), 1000 cubic centimetres (cm3) or 0.001 cubic metre (m3 ...
Mitsubishi Orion 4G13 engine. The first Proton Saga to roll off the production line in Shah Alam
Shah Alam () is a city and the state capital of Selangor, Malaysia and situated within the Petaling District and a small portion of the neighbouring Klang District. Shah Alam replaced Kuala Lumpur as the capital city of the state of Selangor ...
is preserved in the Muzium Negara
The National Museum ( ms, Muzium Negara) is a museum located on Jalan Damansara in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The museum is situated in close proximity to the Perdana Lake Gardens, Kuala Lumpur, Lake Gardens and it provides an overview of Malay ...
as a symbol of the beginning of the Malaysian automotive industry. Sales of the new Saga outstripped supply and Proton struggled to meet the growing demand, but by mid-1986 it had captured a 64% majority domestic market share in the ''Below 1600cc segment''. Later in October 1987, a hatchback variant called the Proton Saga Aeroback was launched and featured a more powerful 1.5L Mitsubishi 4G15 engine and a redesigned rear-end. Exports to Ireland began in 1988. In March 1989 Proton entered the United Kingdom car market with the Saga saloon and hatchback duo, where the Malaysian company set the record for the "Fastest Selling Make of New Car Ever to Enter the United Kingdom".
Proton's sales declined during the late 1980s as a result of the worldwide economic recession, and the lack of technical expertise in Proton's management. Kenji Iwabuchi, a former Mitsubishi Motors executive, was appointed as the managing director of Proton in 1988. In the decade that followed, there were significant developments both domestically and globally and city.
1990s
On 15 August 1992, the Proton Saga Iswara
The first generation Proton Saga is the first car produced by Malaysian automobile manufacturer, Proton. It is based on the 1983 Mitsubishi Lancer Fiore as a result of a joint venture between HICOM and Mitsubishi. The Proton Saga was official ...
was launched. It shares the older Mitsubishi platform used in the original Proton Saga
The Proton Saga is a series of compact and subcompact cars produced by Malaysian automobile manufacturer Proton. Introduced in 1985, the Proton Saga became the first Malaysian car and a major milestone in the Malaysian automotive industry. The ...
, but its exterior and interior styling are unique to Proton. The Saga Iswara was widely used as taxicabs in Malaysia during the 1990s and 2000s, and many continue in service.
On 21 May 1993 the Proton Wira was introduced, a car which was better equipped and larger than the Saga and Saga Iswara. The Wira is based on the fourth-generation 1991 Mitsubishi Lancer
The Mitsubishi Lancer is an automobile produced by the Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi Motors since 1973.
The Lancer has been marketed as the Colt Lancer, Dodge Colt, Plymouth Colt, Chrysler Valiant Lancer, Chrysler Lancer, Eagle Summit, Hin ...
and was sold in a four-door saloon guise at launch. The Proton Wira Aeroback, a five-door hatchback variant featuring a Proton-designed rear-end joined the range in 1993. The Wira saloon and hatchback shared six different engines by 1996, all of which were sourced from Mitsubishi Motors. The engines included the 4G13 1.3L and 4G15 1.5L carried over from the Proton Saga, the newer 4G92 1.6L, 4G93 SOHC and DOHC
An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine where the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion cha ...
1.8L and the 4D68 2.0L diesel
Diesel may refer to:
* Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression
* Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines
* Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engin ...
. The Wira was the first Proton car to be produced in right-hand drive (RHD) and left-hand drive (LHD) configurations, and remains the only Proton car made available with a diesel engine.
In 1994, Proton launched the three-door Proton Satria
The Proton Satria is a hatchback automobile produced by Malaysian manufacturer Proton from 1994 to 2005 in the first generation model and from 2006 to 2015 in the Satria Replacement Model (SRM), known as the Proton Satria Neo.
The name ''Satria'' ...
hatchback and the two-door Proton Putra
The Proton Putra ( Malay, "son" or "prince") is a coupé automobile produced by Malaysian automobile company Proton. Production of the Putra started in late 1996 and ended in 2001, but was briefly relaunched in limited numbers in 2004 for the d ...
coupé in 1996, both of which are based on the Wira platform and powered by the same range of Mitsubishi engines offered in the Wira, with the exception of the 2.0L diesel. The Proton Wira saloon and hatchback, and the Proton Satria and Putra were aggressively exported and marketed across the European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
and Middle East during the 1990s. The Proton Perdana
The Proton Perdana is a series of four-door Mid-size car, mid-size Sedan (car), saloon cars produced by Malaysian automobile manufacturer Proton Holdings, Proton.
There are two notable generations of the Proton Perdana. The first generation Prot ...
, a premium D-segment saloon, was launched in 1995. It is based on the seventh generation 1992 Mitsubishi Eterna and was fitted with Mitsubishi's 4G63
The Mitsubishi Sirius or 4G6/4D6 engine is the name of one of Mitsubishi Motors' four series of inline-four automobile engines, along with Astron, Orion, and Saturn.
The 4G6 gasoline engines were the favoured performance variant for Mitsubishi. ...
2.0-litre l4 engine. It was offered with the superior 177bhp 6A12 DOHC
An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine where the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion cha ...
2.0L V6 engine
A V6 engine is a six-cylinder piston engine where the cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration.
The first V6 engines were designed and produced independently by Marmon Motor Car Company, Deutz Gasmotoren Fabr ...
after 1999. The Perdana remains the only D-segment, V6-powered car to be commercially produced by Proton. A Citroën AX
The Citroën AX is a supermini which was built by the French manufacturer Citroën from 1986 to 1998. It was launched at the 1986 Paris Motor Show to replace the Citroën Visa and Citroën LNA.
Overview
Development of this model started in ...
-based 1.1-litre five-door supermini called the Proton Tiara debuted in 1996. It was the result of a joint venture between Proton and PSA Peugeot Citroën
The PSA Group (), legally known as Peugeot S.A. (Peugeot Société Anonyme, trading as Groupe PSA; formerly known as PSA Peugeot Citroën from 1991 to 2016) was a French multinational automotive manufacturing company which produced automobiles ...
, a collaboration which was later abandoned after the death of Proton's then CEO, Tan Sri Yahaya Ahmad in 1997.
On 30 October 1996, Proton acquired an 80% stake in the British company, Lotus Group International Limited, valued at £51 million. The controlling interest was purchased from A.C.B.N. Holdings S.A. of Luxembourg, a company controlled by Italian businessman Romano Artioli
Romano Artioli (born 5 December 1932, in Moglia) is an Italian entrepreneur and one-time owner of Bugatti and Lotus automobile brands.
Artioli was born in Moglia in the Province of Mantua, and raised in Bolzano where in the 1980s he ran one of th ...
, then also the owner of Bugatti. Proton's stake in Lotus was increased to 100% in 2003. Lotus has been involved in the development of suspension and handling elements of all Proton cars launched since 1996. The Proton Satria GTi
The Proton Satria is a hatchback automobile produced by Malaysian manufacturer Proton from 1994 to 2005 in the first generation model and from 2006 to 2015 in the Satria Replacement Model (SRM), known as the Proton Satria Neo.
The name ''Satria' ...
, widely regarded as the best Malaysian car ever produced, owes much of its success to Lotus' contributions.
2000s
TheProton Waja
The Proton Waja is a saloon car manufactured by Malaysian automotive company, Proton, first released in May 2000.
The name ''Waja'', which means ''(strong as) steel'' in Malay has both physical and abstract connotations. In the United Kingdom ...
, the company's first indigenously designed model, was launched in August 2000. It however still had a Mitsubishi 4G18 engine at launch as Proton's first in-house Campro engine was not yet available. The Waja marked the end of Proton's extensive reliance on other car manufacturers for vehicle platforms and components. However, the model was only a moderate seller, being significantly outsold by Proton's own much older and slightly smaller Proton Wira. The Waja also marked the start of a decline in the local market-leading Proton marque which led to Perodua
The (''Second Automobile Manufacturer Private Limited''), usually abbreviated to Perodua (), is Malaysia's largest car manufacturer,
followed by PROTON Holdings, Proton.
History
It was established in 1992 and launched its first car, the Pe ...
, the second Malaysian vehicle manufacturer, eventually capturing Proton's sales crown in 2006. In 2002, Proton introduced the Arena
An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...
, a ute
Ute or UTE may refer to:
* Ute (band), an Australian jazz group
* Ute (given name)
* ''Ute'' (sponge), a sponge genus
* Ute (vehicle), an Australian and New Zealand term for certain utility vehicles
* Ute, Iowa, a city in Monona County along ...
based on the Proton Wira platform and thus far the only Proton model to enjoy significantly more popularity in its export markets (specifically Australia) than domestically. The Proton Gen-2
A proton is a stable subatomic particle, symbol , H+, or 1H+ with a positive electric charge of +1 ''e'' elementary charge. Its mass is slightly less than that of a neutron and 1,836 times the mass of an electron (the proton–electron mass ...
, a hatchback model, was launched in late 2004. It was the first Proton vehicle equipped with the all-new Malaysian-made Campro engine.
The advanced RM1.8 billion (US$580 million) Proton Tanjung Malim
Tanjung Malim, or Tanjong Malim, is a town in Muallim District, Perak, Malaysia. It is approximately north of Kuala Lumpur and 120 km south of Ipoh via the North–South Expressway. It lies on the Perak-Selangor state border, with Sungai ...
manufacturing plant in the Malaysian state of Perak commenced operation in November 2003. The new plant had been projected to open in August 1998, but it was deferred due to the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. However, it was revived in 2001 and completed in late 2003 instead. The new 1,280 acre plant was also developed as part of the Proton City
Proton City (Malay: ''Bandar Proton'') is a township with industrial, commercial and residential activities spread over 4,000 acres (16 km²) in Muallim District, Perak, Malaysia. It houses the RM1.8 billion Proton
A proton is a stable s ...
project, which would span 4,000 acres of land in Tanjung Malim
Tanjung Malim, or Tanjong Malim, is a town in Muallim District, Perak, Malaysia. It is approximately north of Kuala Lumpur and 120 km south of Ipoh via the North–South Expressway. It lies on the Perak-Selangor state border, with Sungai ...
and consist of residential, commercial, institutional, industrial and recreational areas. The plant has an annual production capacity of 150,000 vehicles, but could be expanded to 1 million units in the future. The Proton Tanjung Malim plant complements the original Proton plant in operation since 1985, located in Shah Alam
Shah Alam () is a city and the state capital of Selangor, Malaysia and situated within the Petaling District and a small portion of the neighbouring Klang District. Shah Alam replaced Kuala Lumpur as the capital city of the state of Selangor ...
, Selangor
Selangor (; ), also known by its Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 Malaysian states. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east ...
. Despite a combined production capacity of around 350,000 units, both plants are underutilised with just 52,235 and 114,645 units produced at the Tanjung Malim and Shah Alam plants in 2011 respectively.
On 7 July 2004, Proton purchased a 57.57% stake in MV Agusta S.p.A. of Italy, valued at €70 million. Proton failed to reverse the misfortunes of MV Agusta and sold the marque to Gevi S.p.A. in December 2005 for €1, with Gevi assuming the €139.44 million debt carried over from MV Agusta.
The latter half of the 2000s marked Proton's comeback in the domestic market, with its vehicle sales growing a total of about 37 percent from 2006 to 2011, significantly above total passenger car sales growth of about 10 percent. The comeback was spearheaded by the Persona
A persona (plural personae or personas), depending on the context, is the public image of one's personality, the social role that one adopts, or simply a fictional character. The word derives from Latin, where it originally referred to a theatr ...
saloon launched in August 2007, the long-overdue replacement for the best-selling but ageing Proton Wira saloon. The Persona was based on an extended version of the 2004 Proton Gen-2
A proton is a stable subatomic particle, symbol , H+, or 1H+ with a positive electric charge of +1 ''e'' elementary charge. Its mass is slightly less than that of a neutron and 1,836 times the mass of an electron (the proton–electron mass ...
hatchback platform and shared most of its components and external appearance, yet it was priced around RM10,000 less while offering significant improvements in quality and offering more luggage space. The Persona was a sales success as 19,840 units were sold in the first three months following its launch.
The second generation Proton Saga
The second generation Proton Saga is a 4-door subcompact sedan (automobile), sedan produced by Malaysian car manufacturer PROTON Holdings, Proton which launched on 18 January 2008. It succeeds the first generation Proton Saga as the company's fl ...
was launched on 18 January 2008. Previously, the first generation Proton Saga
The first generation Proton Saga is the first car produced by Malaysian automobile manufacturer, PROTON Holdings, Proton. It is based on the 1983 Mitsubishi Mirage#1983, Mitsubishi Lancer Fiore as a result of a joint venture between DRB-HICOM, HI ...
had been Proton's first and most successful model, having had a long 23-year lifespan, the longest of all Proton models to date. The new Saga proved to be a successful model Proton with over 23,000 bookings two weeks into its launch. It has consistently ranked as Proton's best-selling vehicle domestically, while placing 3rd overall in 2008, and 2nd between 2009 and 2012, beaten only by its archrival the Perodua Myvi in overall vehicle sales. Proton further widened its model base when it introduced the Exora, Malaysia's first indigenous 7-seater MPV in April 2009. The Exora was based on Proton's next generation P2 platform and helped satisfy the growing demand for a budget 7-seater in the domestic market, which had been monopolised by the Nissan Grand Livina
The Nissan Livina is an MPV model produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Nissan. It was introduced in July 2006 by Dongfeng Nissan at the Guangzhou International Motor Show and went on sale in December 2006. Sharing the same platform ...
and the smaller Toyota Avanza
The Toyota Avanza and Daihatsu Xenia are cars developed by Daihatsu and marketed by both Toyota and Daihatsu. It is a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) and mainly sold with three-row seating. The Avanza and Xenia were developed as an entry-level MPV ...
. For several years, it consistently positioned in the Top 10 best-selling vehicles in Malaysia.
2010s
On August 6, 2008, the Proton Saga and Proton Persona were seen doing road tests at the Greater Noida Expressway, hinting at the potential to export Proton automobiles to India. However, negotiations for Proton to establish an Indian branch did not materialize. In December 2008, Proton resumed product collaboration with Mitsubishi Motors. Under the agreement, Proton gained the rights torebadge
In the automotive industry, rebadging is a form of market segmentation used by automobile manufacturers around the world. To allow for product differentiation without designing or engineering a new model or brand (at high cost or risk), a man ...
the 2007 Mitsubishi Lancer
The Mitsubishi Lancer is an automobile produced by the Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi Motors since 1973.
The Lancer has been marketed as the Colt Lancer, Dodge Colt, Plymouth Colt, Chrysler Valiant Lancer, Chrysler Lancer, Eagle Summit, Hin ...
to be sold exclusively in the Malaysian market. The result of the collaboration was the Proton Inspira
The Proton Inspira is a four-door compact saloon produced by Malaysian automobile manufacturer Proton, which was first launched in November 2010.
It was sold exclusively in Malaysia as a rebadged ninth-generation Mitsubishi Lancer as the result ...
, which launched on 10 November 2010. It also marked a return to closer ties between Proton and Mitsubishi, the Japanese company which was instrumental in Proton's foundation in the 1980s. Proton showcased the EMAS concept hybrid
Hybrid may refer to:
Science
* Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding
** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species
** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...
city cars at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. They were designed by Italdesign Giugiaro
Italdesign Giugiaro S.p.A. is a design and engineering company and brand based in Moncalieri, Italy, that traces its roots to the 1968 foundation of Studi Italiani Realizzazione Prototipi S.p.A. by Giorgetto Giugiaro and Aldo Mantovani. Best kno ...
and related to the Lotus Ethos
The Lotus Ethos is a fully plug-in hybrid concept car that was unveiled at the 2010 Paris Motor Show as the "Lotus CityCar". The vehicle was developed by Lotus Engineering, a separate division from Lotus Cars. The CityCar has a lithium batte ...
, a similar concept car from Proton's British subsidiary.
The turbocharged inline-four
A straight-four engine (also called an inline-four) is a four-cylinder piston engine where cylinders are arranged in a line along a common crankshaft.
The vast majority of automotive four-cylinder engines use a straight-four layout (with the e ...
petrol engine from Proton was revealed at the 2010 Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, su ...
International Motor Show. Officially known as the 1.6L CamPro CFE, it is capable of producing power and torque figures of 138 bhp (103 kW) at 5,000 rpm and 205 N·m at 2,000–4,000 rpm respectively, comparable to a 2.0L naturally aspirated engine, while achieving better fuel efficiency and reduced greenhouse emissions
Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities strengthen the greenhouse effect, contributing to climate change. Most is carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels: coal, oil, and natural gas. The largest emitters include coal in China and la ...
.
In January 2012, Proton was acquired by DRB-HICOM
DRB-HICOM Berhad () is one of Malaysia's leading corporations, involved in the automotive manufacturing, assembly and distribution industry through its involvement in the passenger car and four wheel drive vehicle market segment, the national t ...
, a Malaysian conglomerate in a transaction between Khazanah Nasional and DRB-HICOM which totalled RM1.2 billion. The Proton Prevé
The Proton Prevé is a four-door compact saloon developed by Malaysian automobile manufacturer Proton. It was launched on 16 April 2012 and is based on Proton's next-generation P2 platform. The Prevé is the saloon complement to its sister car, t ...
, the company's latest saloon car was unveiled on 16 April 2012. It became the first Proton car, and to an extent, the first Malaysian car to be awarded the full 5-star safety rating in the Australasian New Car Assessment Program
The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) is a car safety performance assessment programme based in Australia and founded in 1993. ANCAP specialises in the crash testing of automobiles sold in Australia and the publishing of these resul ...
(ANCAP) of Australia and New Zealand. In December 2012, Proton acquired all of Petronas' E01 engine technologies in addition to associated technology patents at a cost of RM 63 million. The deal encompassed a family of naturally aspirated and turbocharged 1.8, 2.0 and 2.2-litre engines to complement Proton's own CamPro 1.3L N/A, 1.6L N/A and 1.6L turbo engines.
On 17 August 2013, Proton launched the Suprima S, the hatchback complement to the Prevé saloon. It became the second 5-star ANCAP rated Proton and the first to offer extensive standard safety features in its domestic market. On 11 December 2013, the second generation Proton Perdana
The second generation Proton Perdana is a mid-sized four-door saloon from Malaysian automobile manufacturer, Proton. It was unveiled on 11 December 2013 as the successor to the original Proton Perdana. The second generation Perdana is a badge ...
was finally unveiled after a three-year gap in the nameplate's production. The new Perdana is a badge engineered
In the automotive industry, rebadging is a form of market segmentation used by automobile manufacturers around the world. To allow for product differentiation without designing or engineering a new model or brand (at high cost or risk), a ma ...
eighth generation Honda Accord and is for exclusive sale to Malaysian civil servants and government officials.
The Proton Iriz
The Proton Iriz, codenamed P2-30A is a five-door, five-seater supermini from the Malaysian automobile manufacturer, Proton. It was unveiled on 25 September 2014 at Proton City by former Malaysian Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad. The Iriz is t ...
was unveiled on 25 September 2014 as the company's first B-segment
The B-segment is the second smallest of the European segments for passenger cars between the A-segment and C-segment, and commonly described as "small cars". The B-segment is the largest segment in Europe by volume, accounting for 20 percent of ...
5-door hatchback. The new Iriz competes directly against the Perodua Myvi in its domestic market.
On 18 January 2016, Proton unveiled their all-new four-cylinder GDI/TGDI and three-cylinder VVT engines. The new engines, of which there are six in total, are being developed in collaboration with Ricardo
Ricardo is the Spanish and Portuguese cognate of the name Richard. It derived from Proto-Germanic ''*rīks'' 'king, ruler' + ''*harduz'' 'hard, brave'. It may be a given name, or a surname.
People Given name
*Ricardo de Araújo Pereira, Portugu ...
and Lotus Engineering
Lotus Cars Limited is a British automotive company headquartered in Norfolk, England which manufactures sports cars and Auto racing, racing cars noted for their light weight and fine Automobile handling, handling characteristics.
Lotus was pre ...
, and are slated to enter production by late 2017.
Proton unveiled their new logo in February 2016, and appointed a new CEO and Deputy CEO in April. The government had also granted Proton a RM 1.5 billion soft loan in mid 2016. The loan came with a number of conditions, including a mandatory tie-up with a foreign automobile company in the near future. Several companies have expressed interest, including Suzuki, Škoda
Škoda means ''pity'' in the Czech and Slovak languages. It may also refer to:
Czech brands and enterprises
* Škoda Auto, automobile and previously bicycle manufacturer in Mladá Boleslav
** Škoda Motorsport, the division of Škoda Auto respons ...
, Groupe PSA
The PSA Group (), legally known as Peugeot S.A. (Peugeot Société Anonyme, trading as Groupe PSA; formerly known as PSA Peugeot Citroën from 1991 to 2016) was a French multinational automotive manufacturing company which produced automobiles ...
, Renault
Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufactured ...
and Geely
Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., Ltd (ZGH), commonly known as Geely (吉利 "auspicious"), is a Chinese multinational automotive company headquartered in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. The company is privately held by Chinese billionaire entrepreneur ...
. This culminated with the entry of China's Zhejiang Geely Holding Group in June 2017, after the Chinese carmaker acquired 49.9% equity in Proton from DRB-HICOM.
Proton introduced four new models in 2016. The new Perdana launched on 14 June, followed by the new Persona
A persona (plural personae or personas), depending on the context, is the public image of one's personality, the social role that one adopts, or simply a fictional character. The word derives from Latin, where it originally referred to a theatr ...
on 23 August, the new Saga on 28 September, and the new Ertiga on 24 November. The launch of four new Proton models within the span of six months was unprecedented in the company's history. Masazumi Ogawa was recruited as the director of quality control in Proton.
On 24 May 2017, parent company DRB-HICOM
DRB-HICOM Berhad () is one of Malaysia's leading corporations, involved in the automotive manufacturing, assembly and distribution industry through its involvement in the passenger car and four wheel drive vehicle market segment, the national t ...
announced plans to sell a 49.9% stake in Proton to Zhejiang Geely Automobile Holdings. Eventually, DRB-HICOM also sold 51% controlling-stake in Lotus to Geely, and the remaining 49% stake to Etika Automotive. The definitive agreement was in July 2017. Proton had owned Lotus since 1996, and largely struggled to turn the fortunes of the sports car maker around. Nonetheless, in late 2016, Lotus announced their first operating profit in over 40 years. Their presence in Proton is said to not affect Japanese auto manufacturers due to being in the market for a very long time. Still, many of Proton's cars benefitted from the Lotus relationship, with the Satria GTi specifically mentioned by car reviewers as possessing good handling traits. Subsequent Proton models all received "Lotus Tuned" input.
Proton recruited Yoshiya Inamori as the vice president of manufacturing, who had previously been involved with Proton back in the 80s when it was founded during his time in Mitsubishi from April 1982 until July 2017.
On 29 September 2017, DRB-HICOM announced changes to the board of Proton Holdings Berhad. Following the signing of a Definitive Agreement with China's Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Limited on 23 June 2017, the Chinese carmaker acquired 49.9% equity in Proton. The announcement on 29 September saw a new board of directors put in place in Proton Holdings, Proton Edar (the local distribution arm) and Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Sdn Bhd (PONSB).
Three nominees from Geely Holding joined the boards; Daniel Donghui Li, the Executive VP and CFO of Geely Holding; Dr Nathan Yuning, the Executive VP of International Business of Geely Holding, and Feng Qing Feng, the Group VP and CTO at HK-listed Geely Auto. DRB-HICOM are represented by Dato' Sri Syed Faisal Albar, who chairs the boards, and Amalanathan Thomas and Shaharul Farez Hassan. Both are part of the senior management team at DRB-HICOM. On the same day, Dr Li Chunrong joins PONSB as CEO. Dr Li is the third foreigner to head Proton. Between 1993 and 1997, the early years of Proton, two different Japanese nominees of their partners, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, led the carmaker.
Products and technologies
Current models
Current model line up, with calendar year of introduction or most recent facelift: *Proton Saga
The Proton Saga is a series of compact and subcompact cars produced by Malaysian automobile manufacturer Proton. Introduced in 1985, the Proton Saga became the first Malaysian car and a major milestone in the Malaysian automotive industry. The ...
(1985–present; A-segment sedan)
* Proton Persona
The Proton Persona is a series of compact and subcompact cars produced by Malaysian automobile manufacturer Proton.
The first generation Proton Persona (C90) refers to the export name given to the Proton Wira. The first use of the 'Proton Perso ...
(1993–present; B-segment sedan)
* Proton Exora
The Proton Exora is an automobile produced by Malaysian car manufacturer Proton. Considered to be a compact multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) in the C-segment, it became Malaysia's first locally developed MPV upon its release on 15 April 2009. The Exo ...
(2009–present; C-segment MPV)
* Proton Iriz
The Proton Iriz, codenamed P2-30A is a five-door, five-seater supermini from the Malaysian automobile manufacturer, Proton. It was unveiled on 25 September 2014 at Proton City by former Malaysian Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad. The Iriz is t ...
(2014–present; B-segment hatchback)
* Proton X70
The Proton X70 is a compact crossover SUV produced by the Malaysian car maker Proton. Marketed as a C-segment SUV, the car was launched on 12 December 2018, unveiled in a ceremony by then-prime minister and former Proton chairman Mahathir Moha ...
(2019–present; C-segment SUV)
* Proton X50
The Proton X50 is a subcompact crossover SUV produced by the Malaysian car maker Proton. Marketed as a B-segment SUV, the vehicle was revealed on 15 September 2020 and was launched on 27 October 2020. The model is the second SUV from the brand ...
(2020–present; B-segment SUV) BMA platform
Former models
Former model line up, with calendar year of introduction or most recent facelift: * Proton Wira (1993–2009; C-segment sedan) *Proton Satria
The Proton Satria is a hatchback automobile produced by Malaysian manufacturer Proton from 1994 to 2005 in the first generation model and from 2006 to 2015 in the Satria Replacement Model (SRM), known as the Proton Satria Neo.
The name ''Satria'' ...
(1994–2005; C-segment hatchback)
* Proton Perdana
The Proton Perdana is a series of four-door Mid-size car, mid-size Sedan (car), saloon cars produced by Malaysian automobile manufacturer Proton Holdings, Proton.
There are two notable generations of the Proton Perdana. The first generation Prot ...
(1995–2020; D-segment sedan)
* Proton Tiara (1996–2000; A-segment hatchback)
* Proton Putra
The Proton Putra ( Malay, "son" or "prince") is a coupé automobile produced by Malaysian automobile company Proton. Production of the Putra started in late 1996 and ended in 2001, but was briefly relaunched in limited numbers in 2004 for the d ...
(1996–2001; C-segment coupe)
* Proton Waja
The Proton Waja is a saloon car manufactured by Malaysian automotive company, Proton, first released in May 2000.
The name ''Waja'', which means ''(strong as) steel'' in Malay has both physical and abstract connotations. In the United Kingdom ...
(2000–2011; C-segment sedan)
* Proton Juara
The Proton Juara is a microvan/mini MPV produced by the Malaysian automobile manufacturer Proton (automobile), Proton between 2001 and 2004. It was launched on 22 July 2001 as Proton’s first non-sedan (car), saloon, hatchback or coupé model. Th ...
(2001–2004; A-segment microvan/MPV)
* Proton Arena
The Proton Arena (or the Proton Jumbuck in the United Kingdom, Taiwan and Australia) is a small front wheel drive coupé utility manufactured by Malaysian automaker Proton. Introduced in 2002, the Arena is the only form of pickup by Proton, and i ...
(2002–2009; C-segment coupe utility)
* Proton GEN•2
The Proton GEN•2 (often simplified as Gen-2 or GEN2) is a compact 5-door liftback manufactured by Malaysian automobile manufacturer Proton which launched in 2004. It was initially codenamed ''Wira Replacement Model (WRM)''. The GEN•2 uses a pl ...
(2004–2012; C-segment hatchback)
* Proton Savvy
The Proton Savvy is a supermini hatchback produced by Malaysian carmaker Proton. The car was introduced in June 2005, as an indirect successor to Proton Tiara. It was discontinued in 2011 due to slow sales compared to the Perodua Myvi.
Hist ...
(2005–2011; A-segment hatchback)
* Proton Satria Neo
The Proton Satria is a hatchback automobile produced by Malaysian manufacturer Proton from 1994 to 2005 in the first generation model and from 2006 to 2015 in the Satria Replacement Model (SRM), known as the Proton Satria Neo.
The name ''Satria' ...
(2006–2015; B-segment hatchback)
* Proton Inspira
The Proton Inspira is a four-door compact saloon produced by Malaysian automobile manufacturer Proton, which was first launched in November 2010.
It was sold exclusively in Malaysia as a rebadged ninth-generation Mitsubishi Lancer as the result ...
(2010–2015; C-segment sedan)
* Proton Prevé
The Proton Prevé is a four-door compact saloon developed by Malaysian automobile manufacturer Proton. It was launched on 16 April 2012 and is based on Proton's next-generation P2 platform. The Prevé is the saloon complement to its sister car, t ...
(2012–2020; C-Segment sedan)
* Proton Suprima S
The Proton Suprima S, codenamed P3-22A is a five-door compact hatchback engineered by Malaysian automobile manufacturer Proton. It was released on 17 August 2013 and is based on Proton's next generation P2 platform. The Suprima S complements the ...
(2013–2019; C-segment hatchback)
* Proton Ertiga
The Suzuki Ertiga is a car manufactured by the Japanese carmaker Suzuki since 2012. It is a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) with standard three-row seating. The first-generation model is heavily based on the Suzuki Swift, Swift while the second-genera ...
(2016–2019; B-segment mini-MPV)
Logo and branding
The Proton logo in 1983 was a dark blue shield which encompassed a yellow crescent positioned below a yellow fourteen-pointed star, in reference to the Malaysian flag andcoat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...
. However, this emblem was only used for Proton cars which were sold domestically. Proton cars exported to other markets received different badge designs.
In 2000, the new Proton logo was used on the Proton Waja
The Proton Waja is a saloon car manufactured by Malaysian automotive company, Proton, first released in May 2000.
The name ''Waja'', which means ''(strong as) steel'' in Malay has both physical and abstract connotations. In the United Kingdom ...
which launched in that year. It featured a stylised yellow tiger
The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on ...
head on a green roundel embossed upon a dark blue shield, with the Proton name in yellow capital letters in Frutiger font. The standard text representation of the Proton name was also changed from the lowercase italic text "''proton''" to the uppercase "PROTON".
All Proton cars manufactured after 2000 carried the new badge, both in the domestic and export markets. Then its colour was changed into two-tone, silver and black, which was in use since 2008 with the introduction of the second generation Proton Saga
The second generation Proton Saga is a 4-door subcompact sedan (automobile), sedan produced by Malaysian car manufacturer PROTON Holdings, Proton which launched on 18 January 2008. It succeeds the first generation Proton Saga as the company's fl ...
.
In June 2016, a new Proton logo was introduced during the launch of 2016 Proton Perdana, which is only a Malayan tiger head with circle surrounding in three-dimensional style. The new logo is now used on all Proton latest models, including the 2017 Proton Iriz facelift and 2017 Proton Exora Enhanced.
Two years after (i.e. September 2019) Proton's global strategic partnership with Zhejiang Geely Holding Group in 2017, Proton Holdings unveiled a brand new logo and ‘Inspiring Connections’ tagline to outline its ambition to be a global, modern automotive brand. Starting with the Proton X70, and excluding the 2019 Exora, the rear badge was replaced by lettering spelling out 'Proton'.
Domestic sales
The first Proton, the Saga saloon launched in July 1985 amid positive reception, but poor sales due to Proton's inability to meet the high demand. However, Proton later captured a 47% Malaysian market share in the following year, with 24,148 cars sold. The company's market share later grew to 65% in 1987; 85% in the ''Under 1,600cc segment''. Proton maintained a majority market share in the following years, which peaked in 1993 at 74% with over 94,100 units sold. Car sales in Malaysia plunged from 404,000 units in 1997 to 163,851 in 1998 due to the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. Proton's revenue and profits were severely affected, but a majority market share was still maintained into the early 2000s.
In the mid-2000s, Proton's revenues and sales declined sharply. In 2006, Proton's market share was 32%, down from 40% in 2005. Proton lost its majority domestic market share for the first time in 20 years to Perodua
The (''Second Automobile Manufacturer Private Limited''), usually abbreviated to Perodua (), is Malaysia's largest car manufacturer,
followed by PROTON Holdings, Proton.
History
It was established in 1992 and launched its first car, the Pe ...
, the second Malaysian car manufacturer. Factors which contributed to the fall of Proton included the revision of the National Automotive Policy (NAP), Proton's newer indigenously designed models (i.e., the Proton Waja
The Proton Waja is a saloon car manufactured by Malaysian automotive company, Proton, first released in May 2000.
The name ''Waja'', which means ''(strong as) steel'' in Malay has both physical and abstract connotations. In the United Kingdom ...
, Gen-2 and Savvy) which were poorly designed and manufactured compared to the former Mitsubishi-based models and stronger competitors, specifically Perodua with their best-selling Myvi which launched in 2005. Proton's total sales volume and its market share failed to recover to its pre-2002 figures and Perodua remained the domestic market leader from 2006 onwards.
Sales of Proton cars grew at a stable rate in the latter half of the 2000s and in the early 2010s. The company briefly regained the top-spot from Perodua in June 2009, after the introduction of the Proton Exora
The Proton Exora is an automobile produced by Malaysian car manufacturer Proton. Considered to be a compact multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) in the C-segment, it became Malaysia's first locally developed MPV upon its release on 15 April 2009. The Exo ...
MPV. Proton also matched Perodua's market share in the first quarter of 2011. Factors which contributed to the rise of Proton were well-designed cars which catered to the needs of the domestic market (i.e., the Proton Persona
The Proton Persona is a series of compact and subcompact cars produced by Malaysian automobile manufacturer Proton.
The first generation Proton Persona (C90) refers to the export name given to the Proton Wira. The first use of the 'Proton Perso ...
, second generation Saga and Exora) in addition to better management of the company under the then managing director, Syed Zainal Abidin. However, despite the improvements made between 2007 and 2012 in addition to improved overall sales, Proton's Malaysian market share continued to decrease. In 2011, the company had a 26.4% (158,657 units) share which plummeted further to 22.5% (141,121 units) in 2012. In comparison, Perodua
The (''Second Automobile Manufacturer Private Limited''), usually abbreviated to Perodua (), is Malaysia's largest car manufacturer,
followed by PROTON Holdings, Proton.
History
It was established in 1992 and launched its first car, the Pe ...
retained a majority market share of 30.1% (189,137 units) in 2012, with Toyota
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
maintaining its third place at a 16.8% share with 105,151 units sold.
Proton's decline in market share stabilised in 2013. In the first half of that year, Proton sold 64,782 cars, representing 20.7% of the market share, a decline of 1.8% over its full-year 2012 share. However, by the end of 2013, Proton had managed to raise its market share to 21.2% with a total of 138,753 units sold. Nonetheless, Proton's market share has still declined by an overall 1.3% between 2012 and 2013. In July 2013, Proton sold around 16,600 cars, which accounted for 25% in market share during that specific month, the company's highest ever in 2013. Perodua on the other hand sold around 19,200 or 2,600 more cars than Proton in July 2013. The rise in Proton's sales were attributed to the launch of the Proton Saga SV, a cheaper variant of the second best-selling car in Malaysia.
Another factor which continues to play a significant role in the sales of Proton cars is the National Automotive Policy (NAP), enforced by the Malaysian government in the interests of Proton, Perodua, Naza
The Naza Group of Companies is a Malaysian business conglomerate involved in many types of business ranging from motoring to education. The group began operations in 1975 as a motor trading company. The motoring sector remains the most impo ...
and foreign brands with manufacturing plants in Malaysia. Under the NAP, imported vehicles are subjected to varying degrees of import and excise duties depending on the vehicle's origin of manufacture and engine displacement, with excise duty imposed at 60 to 105 percent being the highest component in the duty structure. Vehicles imported from members of the Association of South East Asian Nations
ASEAN ( , ), officially the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia, which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, military ...
, such as Thailand and Indonesia, are subject to the least import duties, whereas those from Europe suffer the worst. However, imported hybrid vehicles
A hybrid vehicle is one that uses two or more distinct types of power, such as submarines that use diesel when surfaced and batteries when submerged. Other means to store energy include pressurized fluid in hydraulic hybrids.
The basic princip ...
and cars purchased in duty-free Langkawi
Langkawi, officially known by its sobriquet Langkawi, the Jewel of Kedah ( ms, Langkawi Permata Kedah ), is a duty-free island and an archipelago of 99 islands (plus five small islands visible only at low tide in the Strait of Malacca) loc ...
are exempted from the import and excise duties. The NAP ensures the survival of Proton and other Malaysian-made vehicles under a biased playing field in the Malaysian market. Nonetheless, the import duties of the NAP have been progressively revised and reduced in line with the eventual liberation of the market, but excise duties, the larger component of tariffs, continues to be high and opaquely applied, with non-tariff barriers effectively reducing the rate for Malaysian made vehicles.
In March 2013, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (Malaysia) announced that vehicles manufactured in Australia and Japan will face a gradual reduction of import duties in stages to zero by 2016. Proton however responded positively to the announcement, citing their recent positive developments such as the 5-star ANCAP ANCAP may refer to:
* ANCAP (commodity standard), based on ammonium nitrate, copper, aluminum and plywood
* Australasian New Car Assessment Program
* ANCAP (Uruguay)
ANCAP (Administración Nacional de Combustibles, Alcoholes y Portland, Engl ...
safety recognition of the Proton Prevé
The Proton Prevé is a four-door compact saloon developed by Malaysian automobile manufacturer Proton. It was launched on 16 April 2012 and is based on Proton's next-generation P2 platform. The Prevé is the saloon complement to its sister car, t ...
as part of its commitment to progress.
Export markets
Proton relies primarily on its domestic market for the majority of its sales and revenues. Nonetheless, small volumes of Proton cars are also exported to various other countries in Asia, in addition to the United Kingdom and Australia. The company held a far larger global sales network in the 1990s, spanning all six continents and over 70 countries, but intends to regain a global foothold with 500,000 annual sales by 2018.
On 24 January 2020, Proton announced that their goal is to export 4,000 vehicles by the end of the year or export 6,000 vehicles if they were offered government incentives.
History
Proton first ventured into export markets in December 1986, a year and a half after the launch of the company's first car, the Saga. It was only sold inright-hand drive
Left-hand traffic (LHT) and right-hand traffic (RHT) are the practices, in bidirectional traffic, of keeping to the left side or to the right side of the road, respectively. They are fundamental to traffic flow, and are sometimes referred to ...
markets like New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Singapore because left-hand drive
Left-hand traffic (LHT) and right-hand traffic (RHT) are the practices, in bidirectional traffic, of keeping to the left side or to the right side of the road, respectively. They are fundamental to traffic flow, and are sometimes referred to ...
variants were not produced. Proton attempted to enter the American market in November 1988, but failed to meet strict US automotive regulations. However, the Proton Wira, which launched in 1993 became the company's first car to be produced in both left and right-hand drive configurations, paving the way for Proton's entry into Continental Europe in October 1994 and other markets in the Middle East and Latin America. The company's global sales network peaked between 1994 and the early 2000s, but has since dwindled to around 25 countries as of the 2010s. Proton has commissioned CKD plants in Iran, Indonesia, the Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
, Vietnam, and China.
Proton began importing cars to the right-hand drive UK market from March 1989, and reached its 12-month sales target of 5,000 cars after just six months. The Proton brand was initially a huge success in the UK, but sales were declining sharply by 2010 and the brand was withdrawn in 2014.
Proton's presence in Singapore was handled by Cycle & Carriage from 1989 to September 2002 due to failures to make a turn around. It made a comeback in 2003 with Proton establishing a direct branch.
In the Philippines, Proton was formerly represented by Proton Pilipinas Corp from 1992 with an assembly plant in Alaminos, Pangasinan that manufactured the Proton Wira.
Proton exported 164,153 cars between December 1986 and December 1997. The United Kingdom is by far the company's most successful export market in terms of cumulative sales volume, and at one point Proton set the record for ''Fastest Selling Make of New Car Ever to Enter the United Kingdom''. In 1992, the Saga was ranked among the Top 20 best-selling cars in the UK, outselling its primary competitors from Hyundai and SEAT. 100,000 Protons were sold in the UK by 1997.
Additionally, a 1999 survey by the United Kingdom Consumers' Association ranked Proton as among the most reliable and recommended in Britain. The response from 27,000 members of the association revealed that Proton was ranked third in terms of fewer breakdowns, faults and other mechanical problems, placing Proton behind Honda
is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a producti ...
and Mazda
, commonly referred to as simply Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Fuchū, Hiroshima, Japan.
In 2015, Mazda produced 1.5 million vehicles for global sales, the majority of which (nearly one m ...
, and ahead of Toyota
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
and Ford
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
. Furthermore, 80% of the surveyed Consumers' Association members said they would recommend Proton cars to friends and family, compared to 90% for Subaru, 79% for Toyota, 78% for Honda and Mitsubishi, 63% for Hyundai and 47% for Rover
Rover may refer to:
People
* Constance Rover (1910–2005), English historian
* Jolanda de Rover (born 1963), Dutch swimmer
* Rover Thomas (c. 1920–1998), Indigenous Australian artist
Places
* Rover, Arkansas, US
* Rover, Missouri, US
...
respectively. The 1999 award is Proton's second consecutive, having received similar appraisal in 1998.
However, sales in the UK have since collapsed, with just 208 Protons sold in 2012. Proton cars were once popular in Singapore, at one time the company's second-largest export destination despite its relatively small market size. Sales were also modest in Germany and Belgium during the late 90s, prior to Proton's withdrawal from Continental Europe. Kuwait
Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
was once a top Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...
ern export destination for Proton cars in the late 90s and early 2000s, with an average market share of 8% or 1,000 units sold each year, ten times greater than any other Gulf Cooperation Council
The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf ( ar, مجلس التعاون لدول العربية الخليج ), also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC; ar, مجلس التعاون الخليجي), is a regional, interg ...
state. The Kuwaiti dealer, Bahrah Trading Company had focused on the niche fleet market, selling Proton Wiras to fast food delivery services and taxi operators.
By the first half of the 2010s, the Chinese market had become the largest contributor to Proton's export revenues. Although Proton cars sold in China carried different names and badges under the local Youngman EuropeStar brand, Proton nonetheless received royalties for the use of their platforms and Campro engine
The Proton CamPro engine is the first flagship automotive engine developed together with Lotus by the Malaysian automobile manufacturer, Proton.
The name ''CamPro'' is short for ''Cam Profiling''. This engine powers the Proton Gen-2, Proton Sat ...
s. Proton's six-year contract with Youngman
Youngman (officially China Youngman Automobile Group Co., Ltd.) () was a Chinese manufacturer of buses and trucks located in Jinhua, Zhejiang province. The company was founded in 2001 by Pang Qingnian and also used to manufacture automobiles ...
expired in 2012, but the Zhejiang
Zhejiang ( or , ; , Chinese postal romanization, also romanized as Chekiang) is an East China, eastern, coastal Provinces of China, province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable citie ...
-based company continued to unofficially produce Proton's cars and engines up until early 2015. In February 2015, Proton announced that they would revive their joint venture with Fujian
Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its cap ...
-based Goldstar, and would not renew their contract with Youngman.
Proton cars were also exported to several countries in Latin America, most notably Chile. Exports to Chile commenced in 1994, and almost 3,000 Protons were sold prior to the company's departure in 1998. However, Proton later expressed intentions of returning to Chile following the ratification of the Malaysia-Chile Free Trade Agreement in 2012. In July 2015, Proton signed a distributor agreement with Andes Motor, and the first official shipment of 50 left-hand drive Prevé units commenced on 1 March 2016. The Chilean launch of the Proton Prevé
The Proton Prevé is a four-door compact saloon developed by Malaysian automobile manufacturer Proton. It was launched on 16 April 2012 and is based on Proton's next-generation P2 platform. The Prevé is the saloon complement to its sister car, t ...
took place in May 2016, and formally marked Proton's return to Chile after an 18-year absence.
Proton announced that they closed Proton Motor Pars, established in August 2011, since it was dormant and no longer in the company's interest to revive it in any way.
On July 12, 2018, Proton resumes exports to the Middle East beginning with 440 units of Proton Gen•2 and 15 units of first-generation Proton Persona in Jordan to be distributed to Iraq as well as neighboring countries.
On 21 March 2019, Proton has announced that a plant will be built in Pakistan in collaboration with Alhaj Automotive. Proton has already booked cbu versions of Proton X70 in Pakistan. The orders for ckd versions of X70 are also being booked by Proton in Pakistan which are expected to be delivered in Q3 of 2021 after the completion of local assembly plant. Proton Saga is also expected to be launched in Pakistan in January 2021.
On 21 August 2020, it was announced that the Proton Saga will be exported to Kenya, most built under CKDs shipped to Simba Corp.
It was announced on 13 November 2020 that Proton vehicles will be sold in Nepal by Jagadamba Mortors. The company will formally launch retail operations by January 2021.
On 28 April 2022, an agreement was signed for Proton to re-enter the South African auto market. On 31 May 2022, Proton announced shipments of Proton X50s, X70s and Sagas in an effort to resume a presence in South Africa with CMH Group as the official distributor. In 2015, Proton left South Africa due to bad market conditions.
Future
The United Kingdom has been a key export market for Proton since the late 1980s. However, by the late 2000s, British Proton sales had declined considerably as a result of ageing models and depleting stock. In 2013, Proton Cars UK had attempted to relaunch the brand with four all-new models. However, the relaunch was instead postponed indefinitely in view of more stringent European Union emissions and safety regulations.
Proton is currently developing a range of all-new petrol engines in collaboration with Ricardo
Ricardo is the Spanish and Portuguese cognate of the name Richard. It derived from Proto-Germanic ''*rīks'' 'king, ruler' + ''*harduz'' 'hard, brave'. It may be a given name, or a surname.
People Given name
*Ricardo de Araújo Pereira, Portugu ...
and Lotus Engineering
Lotus Cars Limited is a British automotive company headquartered in Norfolk, England which manufactures sports cars and Auto racing, racing cars noted for their light weight and fine Automobile handling, handling characteristics.
Lotus was pre ...
. The engines will feature more advanced technology such as direct injection, cylinder deactivation Variable displacement is an automobile engine technology that allows the engine displacement to change, usually by deactivating cylinders, for improved fuel economy. The technology is primarily used in large, multi-cylinder engines. Many automobile ...
and stop-start idling, and will meet the highest Euro 6c emissions regulations. On 18 January 2016, Proton fired up a prototype in a live broadcast from Ricardo's facility in Shoreham, England. Mass production of the all-new Proton engines will commence in late 2017.
Additionally, Proton has announced their partnership with LG Electronics
LG Electronics Inc. () is a South Korean multinational electronics company headquartered in Yeouido-dong, Seoul, South Korea. LG Electronics is a part of LG Corporation, the fourth largest '' chaebol'' in South Korea, and often considered a ...
in the development of autonomous safety technology. In September 2014, Proton previewed an Iriz prototype with LG's Advanced Drive Assistance System ( ADAS). With the LG ADAS implementation, new autonomous safety features like Autonomous Emergency Braking ( AEB), Forward Collision Warning (FCW
Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) was a professional wrestling promotion based on the former National Wrestling Alliance member promotion, Championship Wrestling from Florida, which operated from 1961 until 1987. From October 2007 to August ...
), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC
ACC most often refers to:
* Atlantic Coast Conference, an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic conference located in the US
*American College of Cardiology, A US-based nonprofit medical association that bestows credentials upon cardiovascular spec ...
), Cross Traffic Assist ( CTA), Lane Departure Warning ( LDW), Traffic Sign Recognition ( TSR) and High Beam Assist (HBA) can be incorporated into Proton's future offerings. The inclusion of autonomous safety features has become a necessary prerequisite for a full 5-Star Euro NCAP
The European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) is a European voluntary car safety performance assessment programme (i.e. a New Car Assessment Program) based in Leuven (Belgium) formed in 1996, with the first results released in Februa ...
and ANCAP ANCAP may refer to:
* ANCAP (commodity standard), based on ammonium nitrate, copper, aluminum and plywood
* Australasian New Car Assessment Program
* ANCAP (Uruguay)
ANCAP (Administración Nacional de Combustibles, Alcoholes y Portland, Engl ...
rating.
On 3 December 2014, Proton announced plans to construct a new car factory in Bangladesh. A deal was made public on 6 February 2015 between Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta to help the latter develop the way for their own national car. There are allegations that President Jokowi Widodo is appointing Abdullah Mahmud Hendropriyono as the representative of PT Adiperkasa Citra Lestari, who was known to be associated with ex-President Megawati Soekarnoputri.
According to Steven Xu of Proton's International Sales, the company is still in the process of establishing more distributors to increase its presence in Indonesia as of 10 April 2019.
On 24 April 2019, Proton announced that they'll relaunch again in Australia since sales have declined in 2015 after the company established its presence in 1995.
According to Li Churong, the company will expand its presence in the ASEAN countries, such as Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand. The company announced on 16 June 2021 that its Indonesian and Thai operations will resume in the near future with plans to be the third biggest automobile manufacturer in the ASEAN region. It was reported that Proton's Thai operations could resume by 2022.
The presence of a Proton X50 being driven in India for road tests indicate the possible presence of a future Proton branch in India.
Partnerships
Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) and Mitsubishi Corporation
is Japan's largest trading company (sogo shosha) and a member of the Mitsubishi keiretsu. As of 2022, Mitsubishi Corporation employs over 80,000 people and has ten business segments, including finance, banking, energy, machinery, chemical ...
(MC) were instrumental in the foundation of Proton. The large majority of vehicle platforms, engines, parts and technical expertise were once sourced from Mitsubishi Motors. Additionally, the managing director of Proton between 1988 and 1993 was Kenji Iwabuchi, a former Mitsubishi Motors executive. Proton's staff were also trained by Mitsubishi in Japan as part of a bilateral agreement. Management of Proton was gradually assumed by Malaysians in the 1990s. All Proton cars launched between 1985 and 2000 with the exception of the Proton Tiara were based on Mitsubishi vehicles. Proton began producing indigenously designed models after 2000, but resumed product collaboration with MMC in 2008. The result of the renewed collaboration is the Proton Inspira
The Proton Inspira is a four-door compact saloon produced by Malaysian automobile manufacturer Proton, which was first launched in November 2010.
It was sold exclusively in Malaysia as a rebadged ninth-generation Mitsubishi Lancer as the result ...
, a rebadged
In the automotive industry, rebadging is a form of market segmentation used by automobile manufacturers around the world. To allow for product differentiation without designing or engineering a new model or brand (at high cost or risk), a man ...
2007 Mitsubishi Lancer
The Mitsubishi Lancer is an automobile produced by the Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi Motors since 1973.
The Lancer has been marketed as the Colt Lancer, Dodge Colt, Plymouth Colt, Chrysler Valiant Lancer, Chrysler Lancer, Eagle Summit, Hin ...
for sale exclusively in the Malaysian market. It marked a return to closer ties between Proton and MMC.
MMC and MC held a minority 30% joint stake in Proton, while a majority 70% stake was held by the Heavy Industries Corporation of Malaysia (HICOM). The Mitsubishi joint stake was later reduced to 15.86%, or 7.93% each for MMC and MC respectively until it was fully sold to Khazanah Nasional in January 2005. Mitsubishi Motors, Japan's sole unprofitable carmaker of that period sold its 7.93% Proton stake earlier in March 2004 in an effort to reduce its ¥1.14 trillion (US$11 billion) debt. The sale of Mitsubishi's joint stake in Proton marked the end of its 22-year investment in Proton.
Citroën
In 1994, French car manufacturer Citroën announced plans for the production of diesel
Diesel may refer to:
* Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression
* Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines
* Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engin ...
-powered cars in Malaysia under a joint venture with Proton. Proton's then CEO, Tan Sri Yahaya Ahmad also advocated an alliance with PSA Peugeot Citroën
The PSA Group (), legally known as Peugeot S.A. (Peugeot Société Anonyme, trading as Groupe PSA; formerly known as PSA Peugeot Citroën from 1991 to 2016) was a French multinational automotive manufacturing company which produced automobiles ...
for the purpose of technology transfer. Negotiations continued until 1995, but materialised in 1996 with the launch of the Proton Tiara. It was based on the Citroën AX
The Citroën AX is a supermini which was built by the French manufacturer Citroën from 1986 to 1998. It was launched at the 1986 Paris Motor Show to replace the Citroën Visa and Citroën LNA.
Overview
Development of this model started in ...
and powered by a 1.1L Citroën l4 petrol engine, in contrast to the plans for a diesel
Diesel may refer to:
* Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression
* Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines
* Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engin ...
option. The joint venture between Proton and Citroën stagnated after the death of Yahaya Ahmad in a helicopter crash the following year. The Proton Tiara failed to compete against its rivals from Perodua and production ended in 2000, four years after its launch.
Youngman
Proton entered the People's Republic of China in 2007 under a strategic joint venture with China Youngman
Youngman (officially China Youngman Automobile Group Co., Ltd.) () was a Chinese manufacturer of buses and trucks located in Jinhua, Zhejiang province. The company was founded in 2001 by Pang Qingnian and also used to manufacture automobiles ...
Automobile Group Co., Ltd. The agreement involved a minimum of 30,000 Proton Gen-2
A proton is a stable subatomic particle, symbol , H+, or 1H+ with a positive electric charge of +1 ''e'' elementary charge. Its mass is slightly less than that of a neutron and 1,836 times the mass of an electron (the proton–electron mass ...
CBU units which were rebadged
In the automotive industry, rebadging is a form of market segmentation used by automobile manufacturers around the world. To allow for product differentiation without designing or engineering a new model or brand (at high cost or risk), a man ...
in China under Youngman's Europestar marque. In 2008, the Proton Persona
The Proton Persona is a series of compact and subcompact cars produced by Malaysian automobile manufacturer Proton.
The first generation Proton Persona (C90) refers to the export name given to the Proton Wira. The first use of the 'Proton Perso ...
became the second model to be sold under the Europestar brand. The Gen-2 and Persona were known as the RCR (short for RaCeR or Racing) and Jing Yue between 2007 and late 2009, but both cars were facelifted and renamed as the L3 5-door and L3 4-door (or L3 Sedan) for the 2010 model year
The model year (sometimes abbreviated "MY") is a method of describing the version of a product which has been produced over multiple years. The model year may or may not be the same as the calendar year in which the product was manufactured.
...
respectively. Both models received unique parts and facelifts from Youngman between 2007 and 2013. The most recent facelifts of the Europestar L3 GT 5-door (Proton Gen-2) and Europestar L3 GT 4-door (Proton Persona) offer new front bumpers, unique grilles and mirror-mounted turn signals on the exterior, in addition to a redesigned climate control cluster and leather upholstery on the interior. Youngman has also introduced less expensive variants of their L3 hatchback and saloon models, powered by the 1.5-litre Mitsubishi 4G15M engine.
Youngman unveiled the Europestar L5 hatchback and saloon models at the 2011 Shanghai Motorshow. The exterior design and interior equipment are indigenous to Youngman, but both cars are based on an extended Proton GEN-2 platform (2,670mm, 70mm longer than the original) and powered by Proton's CamPro CPS 1.6-litre engine. The Europestar T5 was previewed on 23 April 2012, a SUV
A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive.
There is no commonly agreed-upon definiti ...
designed by Lotus and Youngman and based on the Proton Gen-2 platform. It was scheduled for a late 2012 launch but it was never put into production.
Between mid-2009 and February 2015, Youngman Lotus had reported total production figures of 196,234 rebadged CKD GEN-2 and Persona
A persona (plural personae or personas), depending on the context, is the public image of one's personality, the social role that one adopts, or simply a fictional character. The word derives from Latin, where it originally referred to a theatr ...
units, of which 189,872 were reportedly sold. However, by mid-2015, the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) stopped reporting Youngman Lotus sales numbers because they were "way off" from registration numbers. Youngman Lotus had ceased production and sales altogether by mid-2015. In February 2015, Proton announced that they would revive their joint venture with Fujian
Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its cap ...
-based Goldstar, and would not renew their contract with Youngman.
Honda
On 29 October 2012, Proton entered a collaboration with Honda
is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a producti ...
Motor Company, Ltd. Both companies have agreed to explore collaboration opportunities in the areas of technology enhancement, new product line up and the sharing of vehicle platforms and facilities.
In November 2013, it was revealed that the PRM would be based on the North American eighth generation Honda Accord. The PRM will launch in two phases, the first in mid-December for sale exclusively to the Malaysian government
The Government of Malaysia, officially the Federal Government of Malaysia ( ms, Kerajaan Persekutuan Malaysia), is based in the Federal Territory of Putrajaya with the exception of the legislative branch, which is located in Kuala Lumpur. Mala ...
and the second within the next two years for the Malaysian domestic market. Around 3,000 units of the PRM will be produced initially to replace the ageing Proton Perdana V6 fleet in use by the federal government. The result of the collaboration, the second generation Proton Perdana
The second generation Proton Perdana is a mid-sized four-door saloon from Malaysian automobile manufacturer, Proton. It was unveiled on 11 December 2013 as the successor to the original Proton Perdana. The second generation Perdana is a badge ...
, was unveiled on 11 December 2013 at an official ceremony in Putrajaya.
Suzuki
Proton partnered with Suzuki and rebadged the Suzuki Ertiga. Under the June 2015 agreement, 25 of its 3S and 4S Suzuki dealership outlets have been converted into Proton Edar outlets and bearing both Proton and Suzuki logos.
Geely
PROTON Holdings parent companyDRB-HICOM
DRB-HICOM Berhad () is one of Malaysia's leading corporations, involved in the automotive manufacturing, assembly and distribution industry through its involvement in the passenger car and four wheel drive vehicle market segment, the national t ...
announced sold 49.9% stake in Proton to Zhejiang Geely Automobile Holdings. Following the entry of China's Geely
Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., Ltd (ZGH), commonly known as Geely (吉利 "auspicious"), is a Chinese multinational automotive company headquartered in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. The company is privately held by Chinese billionaire entrepreneur ...
as a shareholder of PROTON, PROTON Holdings secured the intellectual properties to the design, development, manufacture, sale, marketing and distribution of the Geely Boyue, Geely Binyue
The Geely Binyue ( zh, c=吉利缤越, hp=Jílì Bīnyuè) is a subcompact crossover SUV produced by Chinese auto manufacturer Geely since 22 August 2018. It is sold in international markets as the Geely Coolray.
First generation
The first gen ...
and Geely Haoyue
The Geely Haoyue () is a Crossover (automobile), mid-size crossover SUV produced by the Chinese automotive manufacturer Geely. It was introduced to the Chinese market in 2020 and is known as the Geely Okavango in overseas markets. The Haoyue name ...
for Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
Proton announced the launch of the Proton's first sport utility vehicle
A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive.
There is no commonly agreed-upon defini ...
which is based on Geely Boyue, with touches of local design elements introduced for the Malaysian market. The first batch of the locally named Proton X70
The Proton X70 is a compact crossover SUV produced by the Malaysian car maker Proton. Marketed as a C-segment SUV, the car was launched on 12 December 2018, unveiled in a ceremony by then-prime minister and former Proton chairman Mahathir Moha ...
will be imported from China, with localisation plans afoot with the expansion of their Tanjong Malim plant.
With the incoming sales and tax exemption plans for EVs coming in by 2022, Proton announced a roadmap of hybrid, PHEV and BEV products for the future. While no specific electric model was mentioned, there is a possibility of the tech to be led by Geely's new powertrain brand, Leishen Hi-X.
Motorsport
1980s and 1990s
Proton has a significant historical presence in motorsports. In the late 1980s, an alliance consisting of Proton, Malaysian oil and gas company Petronas,Mitsubishi Motors
is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The team focused primarily on rally racing and has been in motorsports as early as 1987. PERT won the 1989
Proton's presence in international motorsports peaked when the Petronas EON Racing Team won the 2002
Proton re-entered the 
The following year, Malaysian rally veteran
The
Company Overview of Proton Holdings Bhd.
bloomberg.com
bursamalaysia.com
A History of the Proton car company
{{DEFAULTSORT:Proton (Automobile) 1985 establishments in Malaysia Malaysian brands Car manufacturers of Malaysia DRB-HICOM Companies based in Shah Alam Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1985 Companies formerly listed on Bursa Malaysia Government-owned companies of Malaysia Multinational joint-venture companies Car brands Proton vehicles Joint ventures
Shell
Shell may refer to:
Architecture and design
* Shell (structure), a thin structure
** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses
** Thin-shell structure
Science Biology
* Seashell, a hard o ...
Malaysia Rally with Proton Saga
The Proton Saga is a series of compact and subcompact cars produced by Malaysian automobile manufacturer Proton. Introduced in 1985, the Proton Saga became the first Malaysian car and a major milestone in the Malaysian automotive industry. The ...
rally car
Rally is a wide-ranging form of motorsport with various competitive motoring elements such as speed tests (often called ''rally racing),'' navigation tests, or the ability to reach waypoints or a destination at a prescribed time or average speed. ...
s which were prepared by Mitsubishi's Ralliart
Ralliart is the high-performance and motorsports division of Mitsubishi Motors. It was responsible for development and preparation of the company's rally racing and off-road racing vehicles, as well as the development of high-performance models ...
division, featuring powerful 150 bhp engines as part of its rally specifications. PERT won several other international rallies including the 1991 Rally of Thailand, 1993 Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
International Rally and the Rallye Ng Philipinas in 1995, 1996 and 1997 respectively.
2000s
Proton's presence in international motorsports peaked when the Petronas EON Racing Team won the 2002 Production World Rally Championship
The FIA Production World Rally Championship, or PWRC, was a companion rally series to the World Rally Championship, contested by Group N rally cars.
History
The series started in 1987 as ''FIA Cup for Production Rally Drivers'' and obtained th ...
with veteran Malaysian rally driver Karamjit Singh
Karamjit Singh ( pa, ਕਰਮਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ, Karamajīta sigha; born 29 January 1962), also known as the Flying Sikh, is a Malaysian professional race driver in rallying, and was the first Asian driver to win the Fédération Internati ...
in a Proton PERT
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, popularly referred to as the 'Evo', is a sports sedan and Rallying, rally car based on the Mitsubishi Lancer, Lancer that was manufactured by Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi Motors from 1992 until 2016. There h ...
, a rebadged
In the automotive industry, rebadging is a form of market segmentation used by automobile manufacturers around the world. To allow for product differentiation without designing or engineering a new model or brand (at high cost or risk), a man ...
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, popularly referred to as the 'Evo', is a sports sedan and rally car based on the Lancer that was manufactured by Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi Motors from 1992 until 2016. There have been ten official versio ...
. The Proton-Karamjit duo also won the 2001, 2002 and 2004 Asia-Pacific Rally Championship
The Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) is an international rally championship organized by the FIA encompassing rounds in Asia and Oceania. Group N cars dominated the championship for many years but in recent years cars built to R5 and S ...
titles.
In 2003, the Proton Motorsports Division, also known as "Race.Rally.Research., R3", was established. R3 assumed the responsibility of Proton's motorsports endeavours, which had been held by Ralliart
Ralliart is the high-performance and motorsports division of Mitsubishi Motors. It was responsible for development and preparation of the company's rally racing and off-road racing vehicles, as well as the development of high-performance models ...
of Mitsubishi Motors. The first model to benefit from R3 engineering was the Proton Satria R3
The Proton Satria R3, based on the original Satria (which itself is based on the Mitsubishi Mirage Cyborg), was introduced in late 2004. It was conceived as a run-out model of the successful Satria GTi, and was positioned at the top of the Satria ...
which launched in late 2004 with a limited run of 150 units.
2010s
Asia-Pacific Rally Championship
Proton re-entered the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship
The Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) is an international rally championship organized by the FIA encompassing rounds in Asia and Oceania. Group N cars dominated the championship for many years but in recent years cars built to R5 and S ...
(APRC) in 2010, an international rally championship organised by the FIA
FIA is the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (English: International Automobile Federation), the world's governing body for all forms of motor sport where four or more wheels are used.
Fia or FIA may also refer to: People
* Fia Backs ...
encompassing rounds in Asia and Oceania. Proton had previously participated in the APRC, but withdrew in 2005 due to financial problems. The company competes under the official team name of Proton Motorsports
Proton R3 is the motorsport and performance division of the Malaysian automotive brand Proton. The name R3 is an abbreviation of "Race. Rally. Research". By the end of May 2017, Proton announced that funds will be channeled to the company's core o ...
with former WRC
WRC may refer to:
Broadcasting stations
* WRC-TV, a television station (virtual channel 4, digital channel 34) licensed to Washington, D.C., United States
* Several radio stations in the Washington, D.C. area:
** WTEM, a radio station (980 AM) l ...
drivers Chris Atkinson
Chris Atkinson (born 30 November 1979 in Bega, New South Wales, Australia) is a professional rally driver. In the World Rally Championship (WRC), Atkinson drove for the Subaru World Rally Team between 2004 and 2008. His best finish on an indi ...
and Alister McRae
Alister McRae (born 20 December 1970) is a British rally driver who competed in the World Rally Championship. He is the son of the five-time British Rally Champion Jimmy McRae and the younger brother of the late 1995 World Rally Champion, ...
from Australia and Scotland respectively in a pair of Proton Satria Neo S2000
The Proton Satria is a hatchback automobile produced by Malaysian manufacturer Proton from 1994 to 2005 in the first generation model and from 2006 to 2015 in the Satria Replacement Model (SRM), known as the Proton Satria Neo.
The name ''Satria'' ...
rally cars. The new Satria Neo S2000 replaced the Proton PERT
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, popularly referred to as the 'Evo', is a sports sedan and Rallying, rally car based on the Mitsubishi Lancer, Lancer that was manufactured by Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi Motors from 1992 until 2016. There h ...
as Proton's premier rally car, and was prepared by British-based Mellors Elliot Motorsport (MEM) in accordance to FIA Super 2000 specifications. The cars cost over RM1 million each and are equipped with 280 bhp (271Nm) 2.0 litre engines paired to 4WD drivetrains. Despite facing technical problems and stiff competition from the superior Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, popularly referred to as the 'Evo', is a sports sedan and rally car based on the Lancer that was manufactured by Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi Motors from 1992 until 2016. There have been ten official versio ...
and Subaru Impreza
The is a compact car that has been manufactured by the Japanese automaker Subaru since 1992. It was introduced as a replacement for the Leone, with the predecessor's EA series engines replaced by the new EJ series. It is now in its sixth gen ...
rally cars, Proton drivers McRae and Atkinson placed 3rd and 5th respectively in the 2010 APRC season.
The following year, Malaysian rally veteran Karamjit Singh
Karamjit Singh ( pa, ਕਰਮਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ, Karamajīta sigha; born 29 January 1962), also known as the Flying Sikh, is a Malaysian professional race driver in rallying, and was the first Asian driver to win the Fédération Internati ...
rejoined the APRC after a 6-year absence under the Proton R3 Cusco Rally Team in a Group N
In relation to international motorsport governed by the FIA, Group N refers to regulations providing 'standard' large scale series production vehicles for competition. They are limited in terms of modifications permitted to the standard specifi ...
2WD CUSCO Japan
CUSCO is a Japanese automotive parts company, specializing in car suspension parts. They are most famous for their coilover suspensions, and are a large presence in the Japanese automotive aftermarket in the domestic Japanese market and around ...
-tuned 1.6L CamPro 145 hp (170Nm) version of the Satria Neo. Japanese rally driver Akira Bamba also contested in the 2011 APRC season in another Satria Neo CUSCO. The 2011 season concluded with a one-two Proton Motorsports
Proton R3 is the motorsport and performance division of the Malaysian automotive brand Proton. The name R3 is an abbreviation of "Race. Rally. Research". By the end of May 2017, Proton announced that funds will be channeled to the company's core o ...
victory with drivers McRae and Atkinson in their Satria Neo S2000s. Karamjit placed 1st in the 2WD category and 7th overall in the championship, ahead of Bamba who placed 9th overall.
In the 2012 APRC season, Chris Atkinson
Chris Atkinson (born 30 November 1979 in Bega, New South Wales, Australia) is a professional rally driver. In the World Rally Championship (WRC), Atkinson drove for the Subaru World Rally Team between 2004 and 2008. His best finish on an indi ...
left Proton Motorsports after two years of racing history with the team. Atkinson joined Indian Team MRF instead where he piloted a Škoda Fabia S2000
The Škoda Fabia S2000 is a Super 2000 rally car built by Škoda Motorsport. It is based upon the Škoda Fabia road car.
History
It made its début at Rallye Monte Carlo 2009, with factory team Škoda Motorsport and drivers Jan Kopecký and ...
alongside Indian rally veteran Gaurav Gill
Gaurav Gill is a professional rally driver and an Indian motorsports athlete who competes in the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship. In 2013, Gaurav Gill became the first Indian driver to win the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship
The Asia-Pac ...
. The vacant slot in Proton Motorsports was filled by Swedish racer Per-Gunnar Andersson who also raced for Proton in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge
The Intercontinental Rally Challenge was an FIA-sanctioned rallying series organised by SRW Events and Eurosport Events, and aimed to "give new opportunities to young or amateur rally drivers competing in recognised regional and international ral ...
. Additionally, Proton R3 Cusco added a third driver, Malaysian Kenneth Koh, whereas Dreams India driver Sanjay Takle participated in another 2WD Satria Neo. The 2012 season ended with a Team MRF victory, with Atkinson and Gaurav placing first and fourth respectively in their S2000 Škodas. Proton Motorsports driver McRae clinched second, but Andersson placed a lowly seventh overall with the S2000 Satria Neos. Proton R3 Cusco racers Karamjit, Bamba and Kenneth placed fifth, sixth and eight respectively and Dreams India's Sanjay placed ninth overall.
Intercontinental Rally Challenge
Proton entered into the Intercontinental Rally Challenge 2009 with theProton Satria Neo
The Proton Satria is a hatchback automobile produced by Malaysian manufacturer Proton from 1994 to 2005 in the first generation model and from 2006 to 2015 in the Satria Replacement Model (SRM), known as the Proton Satria Neo.
The name ''Satria' ...
Super 2000. Their best result in IRC is Alister McRae
Alister McRae (born 20 December 1970) is a British rally driver who competed in the World Rally Championship. He is the son of the five-time British Rally Champion Jimmy McRae and the younger brother of the late 1995 World Rally Champion, ...
finish 2nd place at 2009 Rally Scotland. Drivers in 2009 were Karamjit Singh
Karamjit Singh ( pa, ਕਰਮਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ, Karamajīta sigha; born 29 January 1962), also known as the Flying Sikh, is a Malaysian professional race driver in rallying, and was the first Asian driver to win the Fédération Internati ...
, Guy Wilks
Guy Wilks (born 22 January 1981) is a British rally driver. Wilks started rallying at the age of 19, but currently drives for JRM in the FIA World Rallycross Championship. In 2011 Wilks drove for Peugeot UK in the Intercontinental Rally Chall ...
, Bryan Bouffier
Bryan Bouffier (born 1 December 1978) is French rally driver. He is currently competing in the European Rally Championship with a Citroën DS3 S2000. He won the 2011 Monte Carlo Rally and the 2013 Tour de Corse.
Career
In 2002 Bouffier won ...
and Alister McRae
Alister McRae (born 20 December 1970) is a British rally driver who competed in the World Rally Championship. He is the son of the five-time British Rally Champion Jimmy McRae and the younger brother of the late 1995 World Rally Champion, ...
scoring 13 points. In 2010 Proton team had many retirements and did not score a single point. Drivers for 2010 were Alister McRae
Alister McRae (born 20 December 1970) is a British rally driver who competed in the World Rally Championship. He is the son of the five-time British Rally Champion Jimmy McRae and the younger brother of the late 1995 World Rally Champion, ...
, Chris Atkinson
Chris Atkinson (born 30 November 1979 in Bega, New South Wales, Australia) is a professional rally driver. In the World Rally Championship (WRC), Atkinson drove for the Subaru World Rally Team between 2004 and 2008. His best finish on an indi ...
, Niall McShea, Keith Cronin
Keith Cronin (born 18 July 1986) is an Irish people, Irish Rallying, rally driver and 4-time winner of the British Rally Championship. He won the 2009 British Rally Championship season, 2009 British Rally Championship in his first year in the ...
, Gilles Panizzi
Gilles Panizzi (born 19 September 1965) is a former French rally driver.
Panizzi was born in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, Alpes-Maritimes. Like many of his fellow rally racing countrymen, Panizzi spent a great deal of his developmental driving years ...
and privateer with factory support, Tom Cave
Thomas Cave (born 16 November 1991) is a British rally driver. He is the son of club rally driver Peter Cave and his ambition is to become the next British champion in the FIA World Rally Championship. He is the UK's first minor international r ...
. Best result of 2010 season was 22nd place of Gilles Panizzi at 2010 Rallye Sanremo, although it was the only finish of Proton Satria Neo S2000 in this season.
British Touring Car Championship
The British Touring Car Championship
The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom, currently organised and administered by TOCA. It was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and was renamed as ...
(BTCC) is a touring car racing
Touring car racing is a motorsport road racing competition with heavily modified road-going cars. It has both similarities to and significant differences from stock car racing, which is popular in the United States.
While the cars do not mov ...
series held each year in the United Kingdom. Proton participated in the BTCC between 2002 and 2004 as the Petronas Syntium Proton (Team PSP). The team in the 2002 and 2003 BTCC seasons was headed by Scottish and English drivers David Leslie and Phil Bennett
Philip Bennett (24 October 1948 – 12 June 2022) was a Welsh rugby union player who played as a fly-half for Llanelli RFC and the Wales national rugby union team, Wales national team. He began his career in 1966, and a year later he had taken ...
respectively in two heavily modified BTC-T Proton Impian
The BTC-T Proton Impian is a BTC-Touring class racing car that was built for the 2002 British Touring Car Championship season by Team PSP, who ran Proton's official works program.
BTCC
In 2001, the Malaysian carmaker, Proton, announced that they ...
touring cars
Touring car racing is a motorsport road racing competition with heavily modified road-going cars. It has both similarities to and significant differences from stock car racing, which is popular in the United States.
While the cars do not mo ...
. They were succeeded by South African Shaun Watson-Smith
Shaun Watson-Smith (born in Port Elizabeth) is a South African racing driver who has mainly raced in Touring Cars. He first entered the national production car championship in 1991, winning the overall championship a year later in 1992. In 1994 ...
and Malaysian Fariqe Hairuman
Fariqe Hairuman (born 10 March 1983) is a Malaysian race car driver.
BTCC
Fariqe is possibly best known as a driver for Team PETRONAS Syntium Proton (Team PSP) in the British Touring Car Championship in 2004.
ATCC
He is also known for having ...
in the 2004 season.
In 2011, UK-based Welch Motorsport contested the BTCC in a Proton Persona
The Proton Persona is a series of compact and subcompact cars produced by Malaysian automobile manufacturer Proton.
The first generation Proton Persona (C90) refers to the export name given to the Proton Wira. The first use of the 'Proton Perso ...
NGTC
Next Generation Touring Car, also known as NGTC and by its Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) designation TCN-1, is an FIA and TOCA specification and classification for production based race cars. The specification covers nationa ...
, driven by Daniel Welch. Welch Motorsport competes independently and is not tied to Proton, but indirectly supported by Proton UK The team made its debut in the second half of the 2011 BTCC season
The 2011 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship was the 54th British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season.
Cars conforming to the Next Generation Touring Car (NGTC) specification were allowed to compete in the championship for the fir ...
and scored a point in the final race at the Silverstone Circuit, placing 22nd overall in the tournament. In comparison, 2011 Drivers' Champion Matt Neal
Matthew Neal (born 20 December 1966) is a British motor racing driver. Neal is a triple BTCC Champion having won the British Touring Car Championship in 2005, 2006 and 2011. Neal is also a record 6 time BTCC Independents Champion having won the ...
of Honda Racing Team scored 257 points.
Welch Motorsport's performance improved significantly in the 2012 BTCC season. Daniel Welch had his best race at Oulton Park
Oulton Park is a hard surfaced track used for motor racing, close to the village of Little Budworth, Cheshire, England. It is about from Winsford, from Chester city centre, from Northwich and from Warrington, with a nearby rail connection al ...
, where he finished sixth in race one, and held off defending champion Matt Neal to claim fourth position in race two. Welch Motorsport placed 15th overall with 79 points in the 2012 season, with 2012 Drivers' Champion Gordon Shedden
Gordon Shedden (born 15 February 1979) is a Scottish auto racing driver, currently competing in the British Touring Car Championship for the Halfords Racing with Cataclean team. He has previously won the series on three occasions; in 2012, 201 ...
scoring 408 points in comparison.
Welch Motorsport expanded to a two-car team in the 2013 BTCC season. The Proton Persona
The Proton Persona is a series of compact and subcompact cars produced by Malaysian automobile manufacturer Proton.
The first generation Proton Persona (C90) refers to the export name given to the Proton Wira. The first use of the 'Proton Perso ...
NGTC
Next Generation Touring Car, also known as NGTC and by its Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) designation TCN-1, is an FIA and TOCA specification and classification for production based race cars. The specification covers nationa ...
returns in the hands of Daniel Welch, whereas the second car is a Super 2000 Mk 2 Ford Focus driven by David Nye.
Football
Proton and Norwich City F.C signed a 3-year sponsorship deal in 2003, becoming the ''Canaries'' main sponsor for their home kit, whilst Proton-owned Lotus Cars would feature on the away kit. The deal, reportedly valued at a "seven-figure sum", was the largest sponsorship deal in the club's history. Proton's chief executive officer Tengku Mahaleel Ariff said the sponsorship deal would bring more awareness and recognition to the Proton brand, which it currently lacked. In 2005, Proton opened a showroom at Norwich City's Carrow Road stadium, featuring products from Proton and Proton-owned brands. It was incorporated into the stadium's Jarrold Stand.Awards and accolades
* People's Choice, Automotive Category (Silver) – Putra Brands Awards 2017 * People's Choice, Automotive Category (Silver) – Putra Brands Awards 2018Notes
References
External links
* *Company Overview of Proton Holdings Bhd.
bloomberg.com
bursamalaysia.com
A History of the Proton car company
{{DEFAULTSORT:Proton (Automobile) 1985 establishments in Malaysia Malaysian brands Car manufacturers of Malaysia DRB-HICOM Companies based in Shah Alam Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1985 Companies formerly listed on Bursa Malaysia Government-owned companies of Malaysia Multinational joint-venture companies Car brands Proton vehicles Joint ventures