For many car enthusiasts, what typically sparked their vehicular breakthrough is the small 1:64 scale Hot Wheels toy cars and most of them are made right here in Malaysia. Mattel which is the parent company of Hot Wheels first established its Malaysian base back in 1982 and a year later, Proton was incorporated.

To celebrate both companies’ anniversary, Hot Wheels announced that it would be creating a 1:64 scale of Malaysia’s first national car, the Proton Saga. Over the weekend at Art of Speed 2023 in MAEPS Serdang, Mattel Malaysia and Proton revealed a unique special edition packaging of the miniaturised Saga which was designed by a 9-year-old Penang girl.

Saw Jane Harn was named the winner of the Hot Wheels x Proton Kids Design Competition 2023 which saw 386 hopefuls from across Malaysia aged 4-12 years old submitting their entries to be a part of history in creating the first Hot Wheels blister package designed by a child.

The 9-year-old Penang girl’s design captures and celebrates a range of Malaysia’s natural features and achievements from the national flower, the hibiscus to the National Monument. Her design will be featured as a limited-edition package exclusive to Malaysia and available for purchase in 2024.

Also read: Evolution of the Proton Saga in 35 years - The pride of Malaysia or wasted potential?

However, the red Proton Saga Hot Wheels will not be solely for Malaysia as it will be available worldwide across 150 countries from December 2023 as a mainline model. Collectors and scalpers, be ready for this historic toy car!

Following the unveiling of the Saga Hot Wheels packaging and what the car will be like when it goes on sale at the end of the year, the media was invited to a press conference. When asked if there will be potentially more collaborations between Proton and Hot Wheels in the future, it depends if the former is open to further partnerships.

Also read: Blow your money on the Hot Wheels 1985 Proton Saga, Satria GTi and Wira next

“This is the first collaboration between Proton and Hot Wheels,” said Roslan Abdullah, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Proton. “Even if Proton has many models over the years, we see how the market reacts to the current collaboration first before we decide on launching other models. For now, we just focus on the Saga and hear the response from the collectors.”

As for those looking forward to other variations and colours of the Saga Hot Wheels, that will be mainly based on Proton’s approval. “At this stage, it’s quite challenging. As you can see, we had chosen the most iconic colour (red) that is aligned with Proton,” said Murat Ariksoy, General Manager of Mattel South Asia.

Seeing the miniaturised Proton Saga up close, I do admire a lot of the details being placed on the toy car that will either be kept in the packaging for the rest of its life or opened up and being trashed played by kids. Details like the interior with the angular dashboard and the small Saga emblem on the rear doors make this not just one for the collectors but those who grew up in one.

Also read: This restored 1990 Proton Saga Megavalve is a tribute to every Malaysian childhood

Expect this Hot Wheels to be highly sought after and virtually unattainable at the racks unless you are extremely lucky or you can afford to pay a massive mark-up from scalpers resellers.