A LONG-forgotten car brand will sell cars in the UK again after a decade out of showrooms.
The firm will debut a bevvy of new models, including a stylish SUV, shortly.
Malaysian carmaker Proton was common on British roads until bosses pulled out of the market in 2014.
The brand specialised in affordable small cars well before rivals, such as Smart Car, since its UK debut in 1989.
Originally set up in 1983 by the Malaysian Government, it sold rebadged Mitsubishis before starting its original production line in 2000.
Despite withdrawing from the European market, the manufacturer has retained its popularity in Asia.
Indeed, today the manufacturing division is run out of the firm’s city in Malaysia, named Proton City, where the 2,000-strong workforce lives.
After some financial woes in the mid-2010s, owners DRB-HICOM sold half to Chinese car giant Geely, which itself owns brands like Volvo, Polestar and Lotus.
A £7.9 billion investment from the new joint owners is set to fuel an international expansion for Proton, according to Autocar.
Both Proton and Geely planted the seeds to expand their Tanjong Malim production base, which aims to ramp up production to 500,000 units annually, with 50 percent earmarked for export.
This will reportedly include a return to UK shores, as well as South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
Bosses hope to supercharge Proton’s international sales to secure sustainable, long-term profitability.
A source told Autocar: “With the investments in place, Proton will have the means to return to markets it departed, while also entering new markets.”
The move is expected to bring much of Proton’s current catalogue overseas.
Currently, the brand produces a lineup of four models based on Geely cars, renamed as the X50, X70, X90 and S70.
In addition, it has retained three Mitsubishi-based motors in the form of the Saga, Person and Iriz.
Perhaps most intriguing, though, is the potential export of Proton’s range of EVs under the e:MAS name, starting with the stylish e:MAS 7 SUV.
The electric 4×4 is a close relative of the Geely Galaxy E5, which only came out in May this year.
However, the new car is co-developed by Proton and Geely using “intelligent AI architecture” rather than simply rebadging the E5.
It comes after a beloved Japanese sports car was revealed to be on the comeback trail years after it was banned.
