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Proton cars
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Proton
Proton cars are manufactured by Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Sdn Bhd (Proton), based in Malaysia.
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Milestones
1981 Joint venture proposed with Mitsubishi to build a Malaysian car.
1982 National Car Project given cabinet approval.
Heavy Industries Corporation of Malaysia (HICOM) signs agreement with Mitsubishi.
1983 Proton established on 7th May.
Proton factory established in HICOM area.
1984 Prototype model on test.
Edaran Otomobil Nasional Sendirian Berhad (EON) Privatised.
First car named Proton Saga.
1985 Saga launched.
1986 Saga exported to Bangladesh.
1987 Production reaches 50,000 cars.
Agreement to sell Proton cars in UK.
1988 Saga wins 2 gold medals and 1 bronze medal at International Exhibition in Birmingham (UK).
1989 Local engine plant opens.
Production reaches 150,000.
1990 Saga wins 2 more gold medals at Birmingham International Exhibition (UK).
Production reaches 200,000,
Saga enters Thailand Rally and ended as winners.
1991 What Car awards Saga "Best Purchase" accolade.
12 valve engine released in the UK.
300,000 cars produced.
Transmission and Engine Facility opened by the then-Prime Minister - Mahathir bin Mohamad.
1992 Robotic upgrade to the Proton factory.
Saga variant, Proton Iswara launched.
Proton's hat-trick. 2 gold medals at the Birmingham Exhibition for the 3rd consecutive year.
En Adzmi Abdul Wahab appointed Managing Director of EON.
1993 Proton R&D facility opens.
Proton Wira launched.
Datuk Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh appointed Managing Director of Proton.
Production reaches 500,000 cars.
Proton finishes 2nd in Rally of Dubai.
1994 Proton Satria launched.
Agreement to export cars to Indonesia signed.
1995 Proton Perdana launched by the Prime Minister at Putra World Trade Center.
A more sporty Proton Wira called Wira Aeroback was launched.
In June 1995 proton lauuched in Australia with the Wira sedan.
1996 Production of Proton Tiara begins.
Proton now exporting to 31 countries.
Proton Wira 400 Series launched in Zagreb, Croatia.
1997 YB Dato' Saleh Sulong becomes Chairman of Proton.
Production of Lotus Elise begins.
1998 Proton gains ISO 9002 certification.
Satria GTi and Perdana V6 launched.
1999 Perdana V6 and Satria GTi launched in Singapore and Brunei.
2000 Launch of Proton Juara mini-MPV.
2001 Proton Waja launched.
2002 Launch of Proton Arena and Waja 1.8.
2003 Sponsorship of Norwich City Football Club begins.
2004 Proton Gen-2 launched.
2005 Launch of Proton Savvy.
2005 Syed Zainal Abidin Tahir appointed the new MD.
2006 Launch of Waja Campro 1.6 DOHC
2006 Proton reduced car prices in Malaysia along with several other car manufacturers in a move by the government to lower car prices.

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Model Range
Proton Saga was the first Proton model, based on the Mitsubishi Lancer Fiore. It rolled off the Shah Alam assembly line for the first time in September 1985. The 100,000th Proton Saga was produced in January 1989. Launched 20 years ago. The face-lifted model *Proton Iswara is still in production in 2006. It remains the top-selling model even though newer, more advanced models have been launched.[1] There have been a few other face-lifted models: Proton Knight and Iswara Aeroback, Iswara Limited Edition (painted in light purple with power steering and sporty exhaust note). This model is extremely popular with taxi drivers in Kuala Lumpur who repaint the vehicles red and white.
Proton Saga Iswara, is a face-lifted version of the Proton Saga; originally launched way-back in 1992 and is still one of the top selling models for Proton in 2004 because of its low price. In past decades, this model had been well known for its low fuel consumption. However, with the advancement of technology Iswara has lost in this field. Sometime in 2005, the Saga Iswara was facelifted again and renamed back to the Proton Saga. This new version featured remodeled headlamps both front and rear. It also had an Audi TT-inspired dashboard and 1st generation Lotus Elise-derived dashboard display. In 2006, the Saga was facelifted yet again to include a new wau grille to match the rest of the family.
Proton Wira (also known as the Proton Persona in Europe and some other international markets) was introduced in 1993 and is based on Mitsubishi Lancer/Colt. More than 220,000 units were sold between 1996 and 1998 [2]. This car was, and still is, very popular in Malaysia. The word Wira translates into English as "Hero" but instead of using this as the name in English-speaking countries, Proton chose to use the word Persona instead. However, from about 2001 onwards, the car has been sold as the Wira in the United Kingdom, whilst in 2002 the Wira was put into production in Iran by Zagross Khodro.
Proton Wira Aeroback
Proton Satria, (also called Proton Compact in the UK) a sporty 3-door hatchback based on the Mitsubishi Colt. Proton gained a lot of valuable engineering knowledge from its takeover of Lotus which ultimately led to a special Lotus badged version of the Satria being produced.
Proton Satria GTi is a 3-door sports hatchback. This was Proton's attempt at the sporty, performance hatchback market. Very popular in Malaysia and has a large following in Australia. Powered by a 4-cylinder 1,800 cc DOHC engine and featured Lotus-tuned suspension, it was one of the best Protons ever built.
Proton Satria R3 is a limited edition road-legal race-spec Satria with only 150 units in production. It features a double seam-welded lightened chassis and a tweaked engine with more aggressive cam timing.
Proton Satria SE is the last batch of Proton Satrias to roll out. Featuring Proton Arena sports rims and grille, and many extras in the interior similar to the Proton Wira SE, this would be the last of the Satrias before the long-awaited SRM (Satria Replacement Model) rolls out.
Proton Putra, a 2-door sporty coupe based on the Mitsubishi Mirage. Considered by many as one of the better looking of the Mitsubishi-based models, the Putra was well-received and commands good second-hand value.
Proton Perdana, based on the Mitsubishi Eterna, first produced in 1994, intended for the higher-end market.
Proton Perdana V6 was the facelifted version of the Perdana, featuring a more powerful V6 engine and new front and rear look. It was later facelifted to include the Alfa-Romeo-inspired grille that earned it the nickname Alfa-dana among enthusiasts. It was tuned more for performance this time, and also featured a new, more expensive-feel interior.
Proton Tiara was a compact car based on the Citroën AX, built under licence by Proton from 1996 to 2000. Faced numerous problems due to Proton not supporting the model after it was discontinued. However, Tiara owners were an enthusiastic lot, and formed clubs and alliances with mechanics and Citroen experts, keeping the ownership of the Tiara alive and well.
Proton Juara, a quirky, boxy MPV based on the Mitsubishi Town Box Wide. This model was one of the best built Proton models due to the first batch being totally CKD models from Japan. It featured a modern futuristic shape that was considered to be a bit too modern for Malaysian tastes at the time of launch. Times have thus changed and Malaysians have learned to appreciate the Juara, as many can be seen on the roads. It was very economical in fuel consumption and was very versatile. It is also one of the best-equipped Mitsubishi-based models, as it was based on a current model Mitsubishi, and not an outdated model. It featured a lot of high-tech gadgetry like keyless entry, auto-dim lights, safety lock for gear, child locks for doors and a digital odometer (which was later used in other Proton models). It was also the first Malaysian car to offer Mercedes-Benz-style wing mirror-mounted signal indicators. The Juara continues to be sold alongside other Proton models, although in reduced numbers.
Proton Waja (Proton Impian in Europe) was the first Proton to be designed and styled in-house. However, the car's chassis and engine were sourced and adapted from Mitsubishi (except for the 1,800 cc variant, which was powered by a Renault engine). The word Waja translates into English as "steel" while Impian translates into "dreams" or "ambition". The name Impian was chosen as it was considered to be a more pleasant sounding word for the international market. In January 2006, the car was fitted with a CamPro engine which has been re-tuned to boost the horsepower to 86 kW (115 bhp) and 155 N-m pf torque. This made it go full-circle, as the CamPro was originally developed for the WAja, but was deemed not ready for production when the Waja was launched, hence debuting in the Proton Gen.2.
Proton Chancellor is variant of the Waja for the executive market with longer base, larger interior space, and extra features.
Proton Arena (Called Proton Jumbuck in UK and Australia), a mini utility vehicle. Based on the Wira platform, Proton engineers managed to develop a vehicle that would cater for those who have an active lifestyle and also those who need a small and economical utility vehicle as opposed to a commercial truck. It also sold very well in Australia, where it had no competition and sold more than 1200 units in its first year. The Arena comes in 3 bodystyles, and is one of the more interesting models to come out from Proton.
Proton Gen.2 is the first fully Malaysian-developed (including chassis and engine) Proton car and the replacement model for the Proton Wira; launched on February 8, 2004. It featured a modern sleek shape, with original design cues like crop-circle rear lamps and concave tail. The interior was very modern and minimalist, with a cool meter cluster and also an intergrated audio system by Clarion. It was well ahead of other Protons of that time in terms of design. However, Proton continued to sell the Wira after the Gen.2 was launched, due to having a huge supply of the vehicle still in stock. The Gen.2 was considered by many one of the prettiest Protons, and had good sales figures. It has a minimalist and modern interior that was designed with the help of Lotus. However, it did face problems with the quality of the interior and therefore seeked the help of TUV of Germany for quality control, with results clearly visible from the Savvy onwards. The Gen.2 was the 1st to receive the CamPro engine, and it is said that the engine needed lots of revs to obtain full power, and this was sorted out with he re-tuning of later units of the car.
Proton Savvy was launched on June 8, 2005. The 1,200 cc 5-door supermini car is the replacement model for the Proton Tiara. The car is fitted with an engine and a gearbox sourced from Renault.
Proton Savvy R3 Zerokit was based on the Proton Savvy R3 prototype and could be added to a Savvy purchase for an additional RM3000. It featured a roof spoiler, front and rear lips and side skirting.
Proton PERT (Petronas-EON Racing Team), a near-identical copy of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. The current model resembles the Evolution VII and participates in the production class of the World Rally Championship.

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