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| Ross Starkey Proton
About ProtonOriginally conceived by Malaysia's Prime Minister of the day, Dato Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad, PROTON Bhd was incorporated on 7th May 1983 with the aim of building a national car. Two years later, On 9th July 1985 the Proton Saga (later known in the UK as the MPI) was officially launched. It was Malaysia's first domestically produced car and is still sold in Malaysia and other countries today. The original factory plant, covering 99,400 sq m, is situated at Shah Alam near Kuala Lumpur in central Malaysia. The site also houses an engine and transmission factory, a castings plant, R&D centre and a semi-high speed test track. The factory is currently producing 240,000 units per annum. Opened in 2005; a state-of-the-art assembly plant was constructed at Tanjung Malim, 60 miles north of Kuala Lumpur. This area has been named Proton City and consists of a 500 hectare site containing the factory, plant, housing, a university and other commercial buildings to accommodate component suppliers. This plant produces the three newest model ranges, the GEN-2, Savvy and Satria Neo. Proton's total workforce in Malaysia totals just over 6,000 personnel working in all areas of vehicle design, R&D, production and manufacturing. With a solid base built up since 1983, Malaysia's car manufacturing industry is progressing rapidly. Proton took a major step forward in upgrading its engineering capabilities when it acquired a share in Lotus Group International in October 1996. This stake was increased to 100% in 2003. Since the acquisition, personnel from Lotus are closely involved in Proton's new model development, with a team of engineers permanently based at the design and development centre in Malaysia. The company has come a long way since 1983; PROTON was publicly listed on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange in 1992, and today, Proton cars are exported to more than 50 countries worldwide. Key export markets include Australia, Singapore, the Far East and the UK; where during 2009 it celebrates 20 years in the market place. Company Timeline:1995 - PERSONA was launched in Australia Why ProtonWe know why owning a Proton is a rewarding experience and now we have made it easier for you to feel confident about buying a new Proton. Here are ten reasons why... Fun to driveProton owns renowned sports car manufacturer Lotus. So you can be assured of a level of ride, handling and steering second to none. This makes all new Protons lots of fun to drive. Competitive pricingAll new Protons come with a competitive price. This means the customer doesn't need to worry about hard negotiations. Buying a car is a big decision and we want to make sure you have an enjoyable purchasing experience because you will certainly enjoy owning a Proton. ReliabilityAll new Protons come with a competitive warranty to give you added confidence. All Proton vehicles are backed by a comprehensive 3 year warranty. Plus you will also receive free roadside assistance in the case of a breakdown. QualityWith Proton's new state of the art manufacturing facility you can be sure each new Proton is manufactured to the highest quality. In fact in 2003 Proton achieved ISO:9001:2001 Standard of Quality. Plus all new Protons are built to certified quality standards and implement continuous improvement procedures. Standard featuresProton is dedicated to incorporating as many features into their vehicles that customer can truly benefit from. At Proton it's all about meeting customer needs. So we have made many features standard that most manufacturers offer as options at extra cost. We are confident that when you compare our standard features with our competitors you'll notice the exceptional value for money Proton vehicles offer. Low running costsProton knows the price of fuel isn't getting any cheaper. That's ok because you'll use less fuel driving a Proton. The Proton Savvy uses just 5.7 litres per 100km combined city and highway driving (as per ADR81/01). Check out the fuel consumption of our other models in the showroom. Peace of mindProton's technology helps make safer cars by using strong materials for the chassis and Lotus engineering. It is important for us that in the unfortunate case of an accident or collision Proton passengers are kept safe within the protection of the safety cell incorporated into every car. Proton also gives you added security for peace of mind with alarm and immobilizer standard in every Proton. For more information on the technology that makes our cars safe request a brochure or contact an authorized Proton dealer. Research & DevelopmentIn this fast paced, competitive world of automotive manufacturing, the ability to maintain a competitive edge makes all the difference between success and failure. With this in mind, from 1997, PROTON began preparing for the future by boosting its Research and Development capabilities. Today thanks to intensive R&D, it is a fully fledged automotive manufacturer capable of designing and producing its own car platforms, bodies and engines. Manufacturing capabilitiesOnly 11 countries out of the 146 World Trade Organisation members can design and manufacture a vehicle from the ground up with the latest technology, meeting world standards. In 2002, Malaysia became the 11th country. Proton is also in a class apart, having gained a global reputation with Lotus which supplies technology, research and development to 10 car manufacturers. Integrated engineeringOur cutting-edge facilities offer a fully integrated engineering service, capable of creating new concepts and taking those initial concepts through a fully supported process of product design, development, prototyping and testing, right up to mass production. That means every Proton benefits from the expertise and technology our company has gained. | | |||||||||||
