History of Proton: Origins & Fun Facts On Proton’s Best Cars

Another year has passed and hopefully, we’ve all ticked off at least a few things from our 2023 New Year’s Resolutions. But, in honour of the first month of the year, we thought it would be fitting to celebrate some firsts and what better way to do that than to celebrate Proton, the maker of Malaysia’s first car.

We’ve already talked about some legendary Proton cars that you might have forgotten, but in this article, we want to celebrate Proton’s accomplishments throughout the years. Dating all the way back to 1985, here is a list of Proton’s firsts and how they continue to raise the bar for the Malaysian automobile industry…

Proton Saga: The first ever (1985)

We can’t talk about Proton without talking about their blueprint, the Saga. There were actually a bunch of entries for the name, but the winner was a sergeant from Penang who actually put down the word Saga during a Scrabble game. From there, Saga was born, which also carries the abbreviation for Safety, Achievement, Greatness and Ability.

A fitting name for Malaysia’s legendary car, the Saga is Proton’s longest-running and best-selling product. Based on the second generation Mitsubishi Lancer Fiore, this 4-door saloon comes in other versions like the Magma and Aeroback, but it has also seen a facelift in the form of the second and third generation Sagas.

It first launched in 1985 at RM17k-RM19k with no passenger-side mirrors, radios or air-conditioning (Yikes! Bet you’re glad you weren’t born in that generation), but at the time, Malaysians saw it as a great feat since it was the nation’s first car. You obviously can’t get the real Saga for that cheap anymore since the base model now is priced at RM30k+, but you can at least cop the Hot Wheels version?

Proton Wira: The first to have ‘power windows’ for all doors (1993)

Remember when we had to manually lower the windows with that window crank? It was basically an arm workout while driving and sometimes it would get stuck! Well, the Wira was the first Proton to say bye-bye to the window crank by introducing the ‘power windows’ we now use today. Since there are no recorded origins for the name Wira, which means hero, we bet that it was probably because it saved Malaysians from getting heatstroke in the car.

The Wira was introduced as a 4-door saloon based on the 1991 Mitsubishi Lancer and it also comes in an Aeroback variation. Unlike the Saga, the Wira was discontinued in 2009, but its memory still lives on. This is seen through recent auctions of novelty Wiras like the Proton Wira PERT AWD Turbo, which was part of the Proton Eon Racing Team (PERT) in the 80s. If you’re thinking “What dat?” then maybe you might be more familiar with Proton R3 (Race, Rally, Research), which is Proton’s motorsport division.

The Wira has a special place in my heart since it was my dad’s first car. While we didn’t own any of the special editions, our brown Wira stuck with us through over 10 years of balik kampung journeys and special family vacations. Because of its durability and perfect size for a family of three, we made tons of beautiful memories that will linger even after we’ve parted with the car.

Proton Satria (and its variants): The first hatchback (1994)

All the youthful and sporty people will probably remember Proton’s first hatchback, the Satria. Based on the Mitsubishi Mirage, the car was named Satria, which means ‘knight’ in Sanskrit, to reflect the sportiness of the car. While we don’t recommend jousting using the Satria, we do know that the car was used for racing. It was even marketed as the Proton ‘Compact’ in the U.K.

While you’ve probably seen this car drifting on the road countless times, we can bet that you’ve probably never seen the Satria Cabriolet. How are we so sure? Well, that’s because the Cabriolet never made it to the road since it was only a concept car. And a pretty cute one! The OG Satria may be the first hatchback, but the Satria Cabriolet is Proton’s first and only roofless/convertible car.

It appeared at the 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show and there were only 2 units of the prototype available. It never came to fruition because of the global economic crisis that happened the same year, but it was actually sold to Muhammad Jeya Raj, who proudly showed off the car at a Retro Havoc event years later. The car comes in purple and gold and in my opinion, is the best looking Proton concept car thus far.

But if we really want to talk about “sporty”, we have to give a shout-out to the Satria Neo, which was the first Proton car to be sold in Japan. Known for being the mod car, the Satria Neo was also featured on an episode of Top Gear, where the hosts participated in an off-road race challenge. The car also made headlines in 2009 for participating in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, piloted by two-time British rally champion, Guy Wilks and co-driver, Phil Pugh.

Proton Putra: First coupe to almost enter World Rally Championship (1996)

We all know coupe cars from watching James Bond movies, but did you know our first coupe was the Proton Putra in 1996? This prince was based on the Mirage Asti Lancer and was ranked one of the best Malaysian cars ever made despite being discontinued in 2000 – only four years after it launched. The thing is, the Putra is considered ahead of its time, especially since it was supposed to participate in the World Rally Championship (WRC) in the 90s.

Proton, alongside Prodrive, actually made a Putra WRC in preparation for the event, but due to money constraints and the global economic crisis (Damn you! Not again!), the car never had the chance to race. This fact is especially sad when you find out that they spent RM10mil on each prototype.

To make you feel better, the Putra Evolution (with slight mods here and there) had its time on the tracks when it raced in a special Putra-only race called the Proton Coupe Cup in 1998. The race was held at Donington Park in Leicestershire, England and it attracted strong support from clubman and novice racers across Britain. Now, the car has seen a resurgence with fan clubs dedicated to modding the car for racing purposes.

Proton Juara: The first to have ‘electric power steering’ (2001)

Alright, so we’ve talked about some of the most stylish Proton releases, but now, let’s talk about convenience and utility. Upon first glance, yeah, the Juara’s look is probably an acquired taste, but it was actually the first non-saloon, hatchback and coupe to come out of Proton. It was also Malaysia’s first vehicle to have the Electric Power Steering (EPS), which makes it lighter to steer instead of the heavy hydraulic steering that felt like a dumbbell.

Based on the Mitsubishi Town Box Wide, this lifestyle vehicle became Proton’s first ‘Kei’ car, which is short for the Japanese word keijidosha meaning “light automobile”. Since it’s smaller with limited engine specifications, drivers can benefit by squeezing into tight spots (perfect for Malaysian parking spaces) and lower taxes.

At first, the Juara saw a lack of sales which eventually led to it being discontinued, but now, many businessmen seek the minivan (now rebranded as a Camper van) in order to conduct business by the roadside. You probably would have seen people selling coffee or food out of the Juara today, making it desirable enough for its price to shoot up from RM3-4k to RM10-15k within a decade.

Proton Gen-2: First in-house platform and engine (2004)

If you’ve been paying attention, you’d probably notice that we keep mentioning how the Proton cars are based on Mitsubishi models. Well, that’s about to change with the Gen-2, Proton’s first in-house car made in partnership with Lotus. The design came from Proton’s chief stylist, Damian Chia, who drew inspiration from the wau and the handle of a keris for the shaping of Gen-2’s grille. As for the headlights, he decided to give the car “tiger-like eyes” for a fierce look.

The car is known for its contribution to the British Touring Car Championship, when driver, Daniel Welch finished fourth in 2012. The Gen-2 has recently been discontinued, but during its run, it was sold worldwide in countries like the U.K, Turkey, Romania, South Africa, Australia, Egypt and many others.

Proton X70: First SUV & Geely collab (2018)

If you’re thinking, “Why this one look so different from the rest?”, that’s probably because Proton’s X70 doesn’t share any components with its predecessors. This outlier was created after Proton was acquired by Chinese automotive company, Geely in 2017. Basically, the X70 is our version of the Geely Boyue. But wait, we didn’t just copy paste okay!

The X70 distinguishes itself from its Chinese counterpart by using batik and Malaysian ukiran design for the grille and speaker covers. It also has that signature harimau build for additional Malaysian pride. During its launch, Tun Mahathir even added an homage to the launch of the Proton Saga when he handed the keys to his wife, Siti Hasmah, 33 years ago.

Proton is not pressing the brakes anytime soon

In November 2023, Proton announced their newest sedan, S70, which had already surpassed 3,000 bookings within the same month it launched. Alongside that, the brand plans to explore the potential for hydrogen-fuelled cars as part of their move towards sustainability. As of November 2023, over 141k Proton units were sold, breaking their record in 2022.

While we will definitely miss the old skool cars we saw on this list, the brand continues to raise the bar and maybe we might even see some of our favourites make a comeback in the future.