Proton’s bumpy journey

LOSS-MAKING Proton Holdings Bhd has had its heyday. The carmaker, which came into the market in 1985 with the rebadged Mitsubishi car called Proton Saga, soon became a hit.

It captured two-thirds of the domestic auto market despite a four-month waiting list. In Britain, it sold 10,300 units in its first year, far above expectations.