Proton Saga (1985)Manoj Prasad from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Proton Saga

1985 — Malaysia

Malaise Era (1975-1985)
Engine1,298 cc
DrivetrainRWD

Proton Saga

The Proton Saga was Malaysia's automotive declaration of independence, developed with Mitsubishi technical assistance as part of national industrialization policy. Based on the Mitsubishi Lancer platform with locally designed styling, it became hugely successful domestically and was exported to over 30 countries. The Saga's reliability, affordability, and local content made it a symbol of Malaysian pride. It launched Proton as Southeast Asia's first indigenous car manufacturer and remained in production for over two decades.