THE Proton Saga will forever remain a passionate subject among Malaysians. From "is this for real?" to "so we're really doing this", since the idea was first mooted in 1979 by then-deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad, some even called it the nation's second Merdeka when the car hit the road.
Back then, you were either ecstatic or sceptical about the idea of Malaysia producing a car. After all, venturing into the automotive industry was a costly feat, what more for a little-known country.
Could the nation realise and sustain something ambitious?
The big day came on July 9, 1985, when Proton Holdings Bhd (then known as Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional) launched the car that remains iconic to this day.
Based on the second-generation 1983 Mitsubishi Lancer Fiore four-door saloon and powered by a 1.3-litre Mitsubishi Orion 4G13 engine, the five-speed manual transmission Proton Saga was a pride and a bargain at around RM18,000.
There were no passenger-side mirrors, and radio and air-conditioning were optional add-ons.
But two things weighed on people's minds: could this car stand the test of time, and could they call the car their own if it used a foreign platform?
When my grandfather became one of the first batch of customers to own a Proton Saga, my father asked him why he had bought it.
"He smiled at me and said, 'son, it's our first national car'. I knew not everyone shared his sentiment then, but that was how he felt," said my father.
My grandfather continued: "This is a dream come true for a developing nation. It is truly a saga to compete with developed nations and big automotive firms."
Thirty-five years have passed. The company has produced many variants and undergone ups and downs.
Proton, now owned by Zhejiang Geely Automobile Holdings (Geely), recently launched 1,100 units of the Proton Saga Anniversary Edition. It is based on the 1.3 Premium Saga model. It is the 4,150,035th car to roll off Proton's manufacturing line, with 1.8 million Sagas sold since 1985.
The company no longer sells a bare RM18,000 car, though the RM32,800 basic Saga model now is considered the most affordable local sedan.
Even though people's excitement about the car has changed with the times, they can agree that the Saga gave them an added national identity.