IT was 40 years ago that Malaysia took its first step towards making an automotive dream come true. The current Proton Holdings Bhd was founded in May 7, 1983, a year after the National Car Project was approved by the Cabinet.
Proton itself is an acronym of Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional, which means "national automobile company" in Bahasa Malaysia. As a word, it is Greek for "first". Scientifically, it is an atomic particle that has a positive electrical charge.
Malaysians would not see the country's first car for another two years but the gears had been set in motion. The only way was forward.
The iconic Saga finally made its debut on July 9, 1985 and it was based on the second-generation 1983 Mitsubishi Lancer Fiore four-door saloon.
It was powered by a 1.3-litre Mitsubishi Orion 4G13 engine paired to a five-speed manual transmission. There were no passenger-side mirrors, and radio and air-conditioning were optional add-ons.
With specifications that would be unthinkable today, the car was priced at a bargain RM18,000 during launch.
The national carmaker exported its first Saga cars in December the following year and ventured into motorsports in 1987, primarily focused on rally racing.
Proton would introduce many more models that became household names in the years that followed.
They included the Wira, Satria, and Perdana that lasted throughout the 1990s well into the new millennium. Though discontinued, you can still find these models making their rounds on Malaysian roads today.
In fact, the Perdana model was only discontinued in 2020.
The Waja, Gen 2, Persona and Exora would come about during the first decade of the 2000s, with the latter two's popularity standing the test of time as they are still in production — both having received numerous facelifts since.
While 2010 would see Proton push the performance envelope with the Inspira and Preve, it would be most notable for two other events.
First was the introduction of the B-segment hatchback Iriz that received a facelift two years ago alongside the Persona. The other is the advent of Proton's X series.
Proton had previously also formed partnerships with Mitsubishi, CitroÎn, Honda, Suzuki and Lotus.
The Saga had been improved numerous times since it was introduced in 1985, with 1.8 million units reportedly sold as of 2020.
The 35th Saga Anniversary Edition was the 4,150,035th car to roll off Proton's manufacturing line.
Plans to immortalise the original model are underway, with toy car manufacturer Mattel Inc (through a partnership to commemorate the carmaker's 40th anniversary) looking to transform the first-ever Saga into a Hot Wheels model.
It is expected to start shipping worldwide by year end.
In 2017, China's Zhejiang Geely Holding Group acquired a 49.9 per cent stake in Proton from DRB-HICOM Bhd in a deal that also saw the Chinese group gain a 51 per cent stake in Lotus.
The X series began with the compact crossover sport utility vehicle (SUV) X70. The rebadged Geely Boyue was a fully imported model when it was launched in December 2018 but has since been locally assembled as of 2020.
The compact SUV X50, or the local equivalent of Geely's Binyue or Coolray in China, was launched in 2020.
The third X series model, the X90, was officially launched at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre on May 7, 2023.
It is a momentous occasion for Proton, not only because it coincides with its 40th anniversary, but the entry of the X90 — which will have a mild-hybrid engine — also signals the company's official debut in the D-segment SUV and new energy vehicle (NEV) markets.
It comes in four variants: Standard (RM123,800), Executive (RM130,800), Premium (RM144,800), and Flagship (152,800).
All of which run on the new mild-hybrid setup that pairs a 48V Electric Motor Synergy (EMS) System with a 1.5L TGDi engine and a seven-speed dual clutch transmission.
The Flagship variant is the only six-seater with captain seats in the second row while the others are seven-seaters.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim officiated its launch.