Through the 1970s and 1980s, the cheapest new cars on the UK market, and in many European countries, were from behind the Iron Curtain – Skoda from Czechoslovakia, Polski-Fiat from Poland and, the best known, the Lada from Russia. Equipment levels tended to be high, performance and handling less so, the value was clearly evident in the brochures and advertising, as was the age of the basic designs. The Skoda was derived from 1950s Renaults, the Lada from and Polski-Fiats from 190s Fiats. Not necessarily bad places to start, but by the late 1980s the ages of the starting points were showing.
The late 1980s saw the start of the end of this pattern. The opening up of Eastern Europe saw Skoda fall into VW’s arms in 1990, Polski-Fiat was absorbed by Fiat in 1992 and Lada faded as the car aged, newer models were not offered in the West and competitors emerged offering the similar value in a more modern and easier to own package. Cars like the first Hyundai Pony and Kia Pride (Ford Festiva), and ironically, the VW developed Skoda Felicia, raised the standards and ease of use enough tog justify a price in between the Eastern Bloc cars and entry level Western brand offerings.
One player who didn’t go as far into Europe was Proton from Malaysia. While the original Hyundai Pony used a Mitsubishi engine, some Giugiaro styling and a team of ex-BL development engineers and senior leadership, the original Proton Saga was little more than a licence built 1983- 88 Mitsubishi Mirage/Colt/Lancer (and Dodge Colt, Plymouth Champ, Eagle Vista – the range of names is slightly mesmerizing). Visually, it was the Mitsubishi saloon, with a 1.3 or 1.5 litre engine and minor styling changes.
Paul showed us a Colt hatchback in January – here is an Dodge badged estate I saw in France last year, not that it was ever sold there, and looking a little tired but with those taillights still evident. Actually, this is worth an Outtake all of its own, so watch this space.
Proton was a start up company, as part of Malaysia’s ambitions for industrial growth, owned by a local conglomerate HICOM with a minority stake held by Mitsubishi. The major market was local but exports were also shipped, most notably to the UK from 1989, also a right hand drive market of course.
The hatchback, in a form different to the Mitsubishi or American brands, came in 1987 as the Aeroback. The triple valve (or 12 valve for 4 cylinder engine) came in 1990, from Mitsubishi.
Autocar tested one in 1991 (£8990 is now about £19500, or 10% less than a basic Ford Focus) and whilst some positives are found, there’s a fair bit of faint praise and some critical observations about everyday things like space and ergonomics, not to mention driving pleasure. I doubt many were taken to 6000rpm or bought for the back road experience though.
Perhaps surprisingly, Proton continued production of the basic car until 2005, latterly as the reskinned Proton Saga Iswara and Saga LMST and alongside a growing range of value for money products, although the brand left the UK in 2005 having failed to secure a tie up with MG-Rover. UK survivors are now in the low hundreds, many no longer registered for on-road use.
Proton is now 49.9% by Geely of China and 50.1% by Malaysian conglomerate DRB-Hicom, with a range of vehicles now based on Geely products.
A former Lada dealer took the brand on at launch in 88 and enjoyed good sales backed up.by the first 3 year service n warranty package in the UK.
Wow – before even reading this article, it didn’t take me long to identify this car’s greenhouse as belonging to the Mitsubishi Mirage. The styling of this Proton 1.5GL Aerodeck looks somehow better to me.
I remember reading that the Proton Saga was the next car Malcolm Bricklin had intended to import to the U.S. as the next Yugo model before that whole thing collapsed. Roger thanks for writing about a car I didn’t even know existed before today.
I also recall reading of plans to import this Proton to the US, back in that era. I didn’t know or remember that it was Malcolm Bricklin.
A remember a few Protons from visiting the UK in the 90s. I always thought they were unique, interesting and pretty decent looking. I did not the Colt connection by then but now it seems like an obvious nose job. I do remember a light blue-green colour being offered that suited them well.
They sold them in NZ but are a rarity now nobody with even a basic credit rating wants cars like this when theres lots full of shiny Japanese imports, The last Proton I saw was among a load of other scrap cars having their last look at the roads before being munched at Pacific steel its probably rebar by now.
There’s one still on the road here in Taumarunui Bryce. Used to be a reasonable number in the Waikato back in the day too – must have been a good dealer somewhere around.
Roger, I hadn’t heard that the Skodas they were Renault-derived, did they share any parts or was it the general theme?
He may have mixed up with the Dacia from Romania, which was the same as the Renault 12. Some other observations: the Lada was based on the Fiat 124 (with plenty of changes to make it suitable for the harsh conditions) and the Polski-Fiat 125 and 126 were based on the Fiat 125 and 126 (on an unrelated note, before WW2 there were Polish-built Fiats already, so this cooperation was not too unexpected). The Skodas shared nothing with Western cars until the VW takeover in the early 90s.
Hi Scott,
“Renault derived” may be putting it a bit strong, and I blame me for that impression.
Yes, it was a shared general theme – a rear engined air cooled 4 door saloon, all very Dauphine-ish, rather than air cooled and swing axles a la Beetle – as far as I can tell there was some technical assistance/inspiration/consultancy but no actual design commonality or component share.
And as SwindonSwine notes, the Romanian Dacia was a directly licence built Renault 12.
But my point was that the Proton was the entry level of the market, replacing the Iron Curtain cars in the market place, and also achieved by re-cycling older basic designs, but from Japan and built in an emerging economy
We didn’t get this one, but the ’91-’95 Lancer-based ones.
Rather intriguingly, Proton sold cars here up till 2018, not that you would. No particular name for being bad cars as such, just no dealers or parts. Or resale. Or sales, come to that.
When I used to thumb through “Car” magazine on the bookstore stands, of course never buying them because they were pretty expensive in the US, the good the bad and the ugly section always had scathing and snarky reviews of the Protons you had available in the UK.
Never seen this particular model, but am impressed that this one is still providing basic transportation to someone.
Protons were pretty common sights over here in Sri Lanka in the 90s and early 00s. The Mitsubishis they were based on were also very common and liked so getting the same car a few years after for cheaper was a good deal.
The first generation cars were less numerous than the later models (called the Wira and based on the CB series Lancer), And you don’t really see any first gens any more, but the later ones are still around.
My mother had a 2002 or so Wira for a short while as a company car. For some odd reason it had a big bore exhaust fitted, which made it sound rather nice to my teenaged ears. Drove relatively nicely too and I enjoyed thrashing it a bit when I could wrangle the opportunity. The drone annoyed her though, so it was got rid of quite soon.
A housemate was given one of these by an uncle who was emigrating from the U.K. It was the base model, only a year old and in non-metallic dark blue. It left a deep impression on me as I can remember absolutely nothing else about it. He was deeply embarrassed by it (it was a saloon not a hatchback, so even less cred…) but a free car is a free car, especially when you’ve just left uni. No idea what came of the car, but bumped in the housemate many years later in a bar in Dubai.