The History of Proton and its Legendary Saga, From 1985 To 2022

To mark our nation’s 65th Independence Day, Caricarz is inviting you to walk down the memory lane together with us through this article that shares tales of honorable events as part of its journey in making our homeland a great state.   

Although our country has not yet reached the level of a well-developed country, it does not mean that we are far behind. One of the proofs we had was the establishment of PROTON, the first Malaysian car manufacturer to successfully penetrate the overseas market.

FROM IDEA BECOMES REALITY

Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Sdn Bhd (PROTON) was the brainchild of Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad. This proposal was presented to the president of Mitsubishi who visited Malaysia in 1981. It was not just 'empty words' as in February 1982, a project team at Perbadanan Industri Berat Malaysia Berhad (HICOM) was constituted in February 1982 to carry out a research study before agreeing with Mitsubishi.

On May 7, 1983, with capital amounting to RM 150 million, PROTON was introduced officially as the first national car manufacturer brand which at that time the mission was to achieve the country's aspirations towards industrialization.

 FIRST PRODUCT: PROTON SAGA

Malaysia’s first national car, PROTON SAGA, began its creation from just a sketch on a blank piece of paper and was first launched on July 9, 1985. On top of that, Proton Saga also had its entry in the United Kingdom on March 16, 1989, and became an extremely popular model after having a 12-month sales target achieved in just six months!

Proton Saga exported to the United Kingdom

HOW THE COUNTRY'S FIRST CAR GOT NAMED?

The name 'Saga' sounds pretty straightforward, but the tale behind the name of Malaysia's first car is rather complex. The name Proton Saga was chosen through Proton's 'National Car Naming Contest' which the competition received an overwhelming response with over 100,000 entries.

'Saga' was given by not one, but 11 participants. 

Surprisingly, a sergeant who was on duty at the Two Division Army Headquarters, Penang won the contest. Therefore, what might be the reason Sergeant Ismail Jaafar was selected as the winner?

Here’s why. Back then while he was playing Scrabble with other colleagues, he came up with the phrase 'saga' which in English means a long story. From this phrase, he inspired our BM author to translate each letter in the phrase into the following:

S = Safety, Stability (keselamatan, kestabilan)

A = Achievement (pencapaian)

G = Greatness (keagungan)

A = Ability (kebolehan)

The meaning behind 'saga' included in his participation made him stand out compared to other participants. (Before you think further…..no….. it is not from the seeds of the 'saga' fruit)

It was also chosen as the name does not carry any negative meaning either in Malay or English on top of easy pronunciation by speakers of other languages. As a reward for his victory, he brought back a single unit of the Proton Saga as a reward.

[READ: Happy 37th Birthday Proton Saga!]

[READ: 2022 List of Cars Model That Price Remains the Same]

THE EVOLUTION OF THE PROTON SAGA

PROTON SAGA FIRST GENERATION

PROTON SAGA (1985-1992)

Here’s the interesting part. Under the hood, the first-generation Proton Saga was built on the Mitsubishi Lancer Fiore platform.

Mitsubishi Lancer Fiore

Powered by the 1.3L 4G13 Orion II and 1.5L 4G15 Orion II engines, respectively at the time being offered at a potent price of RM17,575 and RM19,000.

Tun Dr. Mahathir presented the first edition of Proton Saga with the registration number Proton 1 to the late Sultan Iskandar Sultan Ismail who was then the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. 

In 2019, the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim, agreed to send the Prime Minister to Senai Airport by personally driving a Proton Saga car that Tun Dr. Mahathir had gifted to the late Sultan Iskandar in 1985.

PROTON SAGA AEROBACK (1987 – 1992)

Launched In 1987, the Proton Saga was given a facelift in the hatchback version and was initially named Proton Knight before it was later known as Proton Saga Aeroback.

PROTON SAGA ISWARA (1992 – 2006)

On 15 August 1992, the new Saga facelift was launched at Dataran Merdeka with the name Proton Saga Iswara. The name is derived from one of the Helen butterfly species (Papilio iswara) found in Sarawak. This model is built on the Saga Megavalve platform with an exterior design renewed by a British firm.

Proton Saga Iswara came equipped in 4-door sedan and 5-door hatchback body styles, with two engine options: Orion 1.3L and 1.5L. As an option, there’s a 5-speed or 3-speed transmission which is widely known especially among Malaysian taxi drivers.

PROTON SAGA LMST (2003 – 2008)

What exactly is this LMST? The 'Lotus Meter Saga Trim,' or Saga LMST, is a hatchback built on the same platform as the previous model except for the interior looks more modern with a new dashboard. The outer corner has also been given a new touch and is powered by Mitsubishi's 1.3L 4G13 carburetor engine.

SECOND GENERATION PROTON SAGA

PROTON SAGA BLM (2008 – 2010)

Proton introduced Saga BLM (Base Line Model), the second-generation Saga on January 18, 2008. This was the first Proton model to feature the company's most recent corporate logo. 

Available in three variants: N-Line, B-Line, and M-Line, with prices ranging from RM31,498 to RM39,998, and powered by the 1.3-liter CamPro IAFM engine powers for all variants.

PROTON SAGA FL (2010-2011)

The public first saw the Saga FL (short for facelift) on November 30, 2010, at the Thai International Motor Expo. There were a few changes made to the car's technical and cabin space, but it appeared more modern with a new Clarion audio system, as well as USB and AUX ports.

Even so, the highlight on its exterior has received more attention having visible changes to the rear bumper, rims, grille, and headlights.

PROTON SAGA FLX (2011 – 2016)

Proton introduced the Saga FLX, powered by the CamPro IAFM engine, less than a year and eight months after the Saga FL. The Saga comes standard with airbags, an anti-lock braking system (ABS), and electronic brake force distribution (EBD). 

The Saga FLX, which comes with a body kit, a spoiler on the boot lid, and 14-inch six-spoke alloy wheels, is said to be better for long-distance driving than the FL.

THIRD GENERATION PROTON SAGA

The Saga, which debuted on September 28, 2016, is built on the Saga FLX platform and uses the same engine as the Iriz, a 1.3L VVT. This model has been given a new look both on the outside and inside. The third generation Saga received a 4-star rating from ASEAN NCAP. 

FOURTH GENERATION PROTON SAGA (2022 LATEST EDITION)

On May 12, 2022, the fourth generation Proton Saga, which includes several improvements, was unveiled at the Proton headquarters in Shah Alam. The Premium S variant has been added to the product line for this generation. It also features the new round Proton logo.

A 1.3L four-cylinder 16-valve DOHC VVT engine with a maximum output of 94 hp and 120 Nm powers the Proton Saga 2022. The price includes SST and ranges from RM 35,914.55 to RM 46,162.60. Click here for more information on the Proton Saga 2022.

PROTON REJECTS PEOPLE'S 'CYNIC VIEWS'

It is not easy to be the "first" or "pioneer" of something new, especially when the country is still not very advanced in terms of technology and lacks experts in the automotive field.

While some may accuse Proton of rebranding Mitsubishi vehicle models, this is not the case.

Proton's collaboration with Mitsubishi is seen as one of the strategies for transferring automotive expertise to local engineers and car designers. 

The proof can be seen on  Proton vehicles, such as the Proton Gen-2, Persona, Savvy, and Iriz, which manufactured entirely by locals.  

Hopefully, more proud accomplishments will color our country's history. Hereby, Caricarz wishes everyone Happy 65th Independence Day!