UK fans tell us why old Proton Sagas and Iswaras are getting a bit of a renaissance in Britain
CY Foong · Apr 8, 2022 11:30 AM
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Proton’s tag as a national carmaker may no longer be accurate but during its inception in the 1980s, it was a sense of pride and achievement. As controversial as it might have been, Proton effectively placed Malaysia on the automotive world map and it was quite an ambitious project.
The Malaysian carmaker would spread its wings abroad and that included Europe. Ireland was the first European market that Proton was exported to, but it was the neighbouring island that Proton was keeping an eye out the most.
In 1989, Proton made its launch in the United Kingdom but dropped the Saga name for its models and instead, simplified it just by the engine displacement and trim. A whopping 10 variants were offered but that ambitious strategy paid off as Proton became the fastest-growing carmaker in the UK.
It even garnered mainstream appeal when a maroon-coloured Iswara (called the Proton MPi in the UK) appeared in one of the final episodes of Mr. Bean. What stood out for Malaysians wasn’t just the fact that a Proton was featured in a popular show overseas, it was the interesting hue that wasn’t available here.
Even though it was used as a comedy prop, Proton pulled through in the UK market but its early successes wouldn’t continue as the years moved on. Struggling to get past its image of being associated with retirees and pensioners, as well as later models being more inferior to the competition, Proton would exit the market in 2016 having sold 141,209 units in total since 1989.
Despite being absent for 6 years, Protons are still being fondly remembered by a certain group of British fans that admire the quirkier side of the automotive world.
Twitter is not exactly the prime location where you would encounter a wholesome collective but if there’s one group of Twitter users that you should appreciate, it must be #WeirdCarTwitter. The history of when or how it got started might not be accurate, but the main account attributed to this hashtag would probably be @weirdcartweets.
I’ll gladly take the #weirdcartwitter spot crown for today, thank you very much.
This local hero is utterly marvellous. I see it about surprisingly often, great condition too.
Would happily give it a new home. pic.twitter.com/thLoYlB6yM
As described on their Twitter profile, #WeirdCarTwitter is a sort of virtual gathering or community for those who “appreciate the weird cars that are under appreciated (sic) in everyday life”. A quick look on the hashtag feed and you will notice that these cars are mostly mundane, everyday cars and most of them don’t look to be in a well-kept shape.
Perhaps that’s the beauty and humility of the folks at Weird Car Twitter because these cars were once so common and most users probably even grew up with one, there is a sense of nostalgia. Sadly though, as these cars become older and more difficult to maintain in order to keep up with roadworthy regulations, they slowly become extinct.
According to the UK data website, How Many Left, only less than 80 units of the Proton Saga remained registered in the UK down from a peak of 53,400 in 1995. Two of those 80 survivors belong to one man who probably needs no introduction among local hardcore Saga/Lancer Fiore fans.
The Proton “Guru”
Festival of the Unexceptional (FOTU) is an annual celebration of the unexceptional and the mundane side of car culture. It’s #WeirdCarTwitter but in the flesh and it’s all done in good fun. You won’t be seeing any supercars or exotics here, most of the cars on display are cheap econoboxes that still maintain a sheen as if they just left the showroom floor.
Jon Coupland’s 1989 Proton Saga 1.5 GL Black Knight Edition is one of those prim and proper-looking cars that you might not even bat an eye at unless you’re a Malaysian student back in 1989. But it won the 2021 Concours de l’Ordinaire beating the likes of a Kia Pride, a Peugeot 106, and a Volvo 340.
Coupland, who’s a police detective by trade, owns not just one Saga but two. Actually, he owns four Protons with his latest addition being a 1994 Proton Saga Iswara 1.3 GE which is a base-spec model with only one driver’s side mirror.
Coupland's own mini-Proton garage (Photo credit: Jon Coupland)
Aside from the Black Knight Edition and the 1.3 GE, the other two Protons in his stable are a 1990 Saga 1.5 SE LE and a 1993 Iswara 1.3 GLS. The SE LE was the first Proton that he owned and since then he was hooked on Proton.
#13 - 2007 Perodua Kelisa - Acquired recently AGAIN from the FB Marketplace. Knew of the car when first offered for sale by the original owner, kicked myself for not buying it. 11,000 miles from new. Timewarp thing! pic.twitter.com/ErQa3YrOPR
Coupland is infatuated with unusual and weird cars and has owned at least 15 cars, some of which remain in his ever-growing garage. He even owned a Perodua Kelisa but has sadly sold it to make room for his collection.
Coupland's first Proton, the 1.5 SE LE and the one that got him hooked on Protons (Photo credit: Jon Coupland)
He told WapCar that his love for Proton was accidental when he stumbled across one for sale in 2017. Prior to that, he had never heard of the carmaker but once he got home, he realised how brilliant and special Proton was.
From relative obscurity to the prestigious Rotunda (Credit: Jon Coupland)
“Since then, I fell in love with them, their style, and everything about them, I like the fact that over here in the UK they are so rare and are now nearly extinct,” Coupland told WapCar. “For me the thrill is in finding them and bringing them back to their former glory.”
Coupland's 1.3 GLS, not quite concourse condition but he still loves it (Photo credit: Jon Coupland)
To many folks around Weird Car Twitter, Coupland is the person they would seek if they’re interested in getting a Proton. Ever since his Black Knight won FOTU's top prize, awareness for older Protons have only grown.
Coupland’s love for Proton is what makes Weird Car Twitter such a great place to be in. There’s no judgement for the wheels that you’re interested in or even ones that you’ve owned.
Ruffian is a young British car writer who is passionate about obscure brands of cars especially those from the Far East which includes Korean and Malaysian cars. He currently owns a 1994 Proton Saga Iswara 1.3 GL that is affectionately named Bill.
He bought Bill the Proton from another fellow Weird Car Twitter member, Chloe Anastasia Phillips and it is also his first-ever car. Needless to say, Coupland was mentioned as one of the key people (in his words, the Proton guru) that influenced him in purchasing a Proton.
It’s not just younger buyers that are starting to get hooked on the desirability of an old Proton. A few established classic car connoisseurs have started to appreciate Protons for more than just a cheap banger or as some might call it, a “chod”.
Steph Holloway who hosts the idriveaclassic YouTube channel, once featured Coupland’s pair of Sagas in one of her videos. Since then, she became hooked on Protons and found herself as the owner of a “barn find” 1993 Proton Iswara 1.5 GL with very low mileage.
Steph and fellow classic car YouTubers, Ian Seabrook aka HubNut and Matt Richardson aka furiousdriving at the NEC Classic Car Show 2021
Steph has since added another 10,000 miles (~16,000 km) to her Proton and has been admiring how flawless the nearly 30-year-old car has been. Even when it was first discovered in a shed, untouched for a decade, the car started effortlessly, only needing a new battery.
That’s probably a testament to the strong reliability these old Protons have.
Another British classic car enthusiast who became a recent owner of a Proton is Gav from PetrolBlog. His model is a 1993 Proton Iswara 1.5 SE Aeroback which comes with yet another feature that you don’t get in Malaysia aside from the sunroof – a lightbar in front!
Unlike other older and even more obscure cars, owning a Proton in the UK isn’t quite as costly and since they run on borrowed Japanese technology from Mitsubishi, they are generally reliable. Most of the owners that we have asked for this article remarked on how few issues they have despite their age.
Steph added that there is a strong Proton community in the UK and there's even a Facebook group! She also says that younger fans are particularly more interested in Proton but the older folks who knew about them generally remembered Proton for their reliability.
Can the "kosong"-spec Iswara win the 2022 Festival of the Unexceptional? (Photo credit: Jon Coupland)
As for Coupland, his crusade to show car fans in Britain the gospel of Proton isn’t quite over. He will be participating in FOTU 2022 with his latest Proton addition. Here’s hoping it will be a second time coming for Coupland and Proton at this year’s Concours de l’Ordinaire.
The old Proton Saga and Iswara are ubiquitous in Malaysia and they are still commonly found here but in the UK, they are getting rare. Still, used Protons are still quite cheap to buy and will never go up in monetary value.
But in terms of sentimental value, it has truly peaked. Proton might bring a sense of patriotic pride to some Malaysians or absolute scorn to others, but to the Weird Car Twitter crowd, the Malaysian carmaker is a goldmine of nostalgia and humility.
Traded advertising for a career that fits his passion for cars. Enjoys spotting cars during his free time and has a soft spot for Japanese Kei cars but drives a thirsty manual sedan.
