JAPANESE ROOTS

PROTON SALOON / AEROBACK (1988-96)

ntroduced to the UK in the late ’80s was Malaysia’s first ever ‘national car’, known in its homeland as the Proton Saga but sold here simply as the three-box Proton Saloon and the five-door Proton Aeroback hatch. Both were Malaysian-built versions of the old Mitsubishi Lancer, powered by 1.3- and 1.5-litre engines from the same Japanese manufacturer. It didn’t take long for budget-conscious British buyers to appreciate Proton’s great value for money, decent build quality and brilliant reliability, hence the UK