PETALING JAYA: The launch of the Proton Saga on July 9, 1985, is still fresh in Ho See Peng’s mind. It was the moment that inspired the now 61-year-old to buy her first car.
“I felt an overwhelming sense of pride when I saw Malaysia’s first car being launched. I bought the Proton Saga then for about RM30,000,” she recalled.
Ho was 21 when she bought the car – a milestone made possible by its affordability compared to European and Japanese-made cars at the time.
“The launch of the Proton Saga was a huge deal because it allowed many ordinary Malaysians to own their first car at an affordable price,” she said.
“I drove the car for about eight years before upgrading to the bigger Proton Wira in 1993.”
Ho’s sense of pride was a sentiment shared across the nation – a momentous occasion perfectly captured on the front page of The Star on July 10, 1985.
Few front pages in the archives of The Star, which celebrates its 55th anniversary this year, stand out quite like the edition that heralded this bold new era for Malaysia: the launch of the country’s first national car.
On July 9, 1985, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, then in his first tenure as prime minister, officiated the rollout in a highly anticipated ceremony in Shah Alam attended by 1,000 guests.
To mark the occasion, Dr Mahathir planted a saga tree in front of the Proton Holdings Bhd administration office.
He said the Proton Saga proved the capability of Malaysia and its people, emphasising that the success of the national car project would give the country’s economy a great push.
“The national car factory and the production of the Proton Saga are proof of our willingness to achieve the objective of national industrial development,” Dr Mahathir said.
The name Saga, after all, stood for “Safety, Achievement, Greatness and Ability”.
At exactly 10.30am, Dr Mahathir pressed a button to officially roll the car off the assembly line. Minutes later, he received the keys to the very first Proton Saga.
Accompanied by then Hicom chairman, the late Tan Sri Jamil Jan, Dr Mahathir took the metallic sedan for a highly publicised test drive.
His final verdict?
“It’s a lively car.”
A few months later on Sept 14, Dr Mahathir drove a Proton Saga across the Penang Bridge to mark its opening.
The launch of the Proton Saga laid the foundation for a booming domestic automotive industry.
Proton went on to produce over four million vehicles at its Shah Alam plant, operating there for 40 years.
It produced its final Saga there on Sept 30 last year before moving to the state-of-the-art Tanjong Malim facility in Perak.
Seven years after Proton commenced operations, Malaysia’s second local carmaker, Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (Perodua), was established in 1992. It launched its debut model, the Perodua Kancil, in August 1994.
For Proton, the ensuing decades were marked by remarkable milestones and steep challenges.
The national automaker navigated a series of ups and downs, forging early partnerships with French car manufacturer Citroen and Japan’s Mitsubishi and Honda, acquiring British sports car manufacturer Lotus, and later finding renewed commercial success through a strategic partnership with Geely.
Today, the automotive landscape looks vastly different from the way it did in 1985, but Proton is again making front-page news.
Since last year, Proton’s eMAS 5 has dominated the market as a best-selling electric vehicle (EV). Coming into 2026, the automaker is set to retain its top position for EV sales nationwide.
Coming just in time for Proton’s 40th anniversary in late 2025, the national automaker launched the all-new Advanced Modular Architecture (AMA)-based 2026 Proton Saga.
It is a historic milestone in its own right – the first model to be fully designed, engineered and validated by Malaysian talent, with Proton holding the full intellectual property rights.
From the first turn of the Saga’s ignition in 1985 to today’s electrified vehicles, Proton has come a long way.
In many ways, it mirrors Malaysia’s own path – shaped by ambition, tested by challenges, and still evolving.
It is a story that The Star has chronicled from its inception.
