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The first generation Proton Saga is the first car to be produced by Malaysian automobile manufacturer, Proton.〔 It is based on the 1983 Mitsubishi Lancer Fiore saloon as a result of a joint venture between the Malaysian government and Mitsubishi Motors of Japan. The Proton Saga was officially launched on 9 July 1985 by the former Malaysian Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad. It was initially available in a 4-door saloon guise, but was later complemented by a 5-door hatchback variant in 1987. The first generation Proton Saga was the longest reigning of all Proton cars, having been produced for 23 years until it was finally replaced by the second generation Proton Saga in early 2008. More than 1.2 million units of the first generation Proton Saga were sold, making it Proton's most successful offering to date. The Proton Saga is best known to have been named after the tiny red seed of the ''Saga'' tree (''Adenanthera pavonina''), commonly found in Malaysia. However, Ismail Jaafar, a retired military soldier who won the car's pre-launch naming contest claims ''Saga'' was originally an acronym for ''safety, achievement, greatness, ability''.〔 The Proton Saga is also a well-known national symbol of Malaysia. == First Iteration (1985 – 1992) == The concept of a National Car was first conceived in 1979 by Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad, the former Prime Minister of Malaysia with the goal of enhancing Malaysian industry. The National Car Project was approved by the Cabinet in 1982, leading to the official founding of Proton on 7 May 1983. The company was initially wholly owned by the government of Malaysia through Khazanah Nasional and was headed by its founder, Dr. Mahathir. Proton approached Mitsubishi Motors between 1983 and 1984 and brokered a joint venture between both companies for the production of the first Malaysian car. The result of the collaboration was the Proton Saga, which launched on 9 July 1985.〔 It was based on the 1983 Mitsubishi Lancer Fiore saloon and was powered by a 1.3-litre Mitsubishi Orion 4G13 engine. The first known Proton Saga to roll off the production line in Shah Alam is preserved at the Muzium Negara as a symbol of the beginning of the Malaysian automotive industry. The Saga became an instant national symbol of Malaysia. Dr. Mahathir later drove a prototype Proton Saga fitted with a 2.0-litre Mitsubishi Sirius 4G63 engine and a Jalur Gemilang across the Penang Bridge during its opening ceremony on 14 September 1985. Initially, Saga supplies were low, with just 700 vehicles produced in time for the launch. The cars sold quickly, and Proton was unable to meet public demand. However, by mid-1986, the Saga had captured a 64% majority domestic market share in the ''Below 1600cc segment''. Proton first ventured into export markets in 1986, with Bangladesh receiving the Proton Saga on 26 December 1986, followed by New Zealand, Brunei, Malta and Sri Lanka in 1987.〔 The 10,000th Saga was also produced in 1986. Proton attempted to sell the Saga in the United States as early as 1986 with the help of American automotive entrepreneur Malcolm Bricklin. Dr. Mahathir, brainchild of Proton, had been impressed by Bricklin, who was advised to work with Proton on orders from the former U.S. Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, who had previously taught Mahathir at Harvard University. Soon after the first Sagas were imported into the United States, Bricklin revealed that he had not gained approval from the authorities. This resulted in the termination of all investments between the involved parties and proved a major financial loss for Proton. In January 1987, the Proton Saga 1.5L saloon was introduced.〔 It was powered by Mitsubishi's 1.5-litre Orion 4G15 engine, but remained largely unchanged exterior-wise to the 1985 Saga. Later in October 1987, a hatchback variant called the Proton Saga Aeroback was launched. It shared the same 1.5L engine found in the saloon variant, but featured a redesigned rear end which was unique to Proton. 1987 also witnessed the production of the 50,000th Saga.〔 The Proton Saga Magma was introduced in mid-1987, offering mild mechanical and cosmetic upgrades. The Magma suffix denotes the updated engine, and the Magma-powered Saga can be differentiated from the original Orion-powered models by its slightly different front grille design and the inclusion of bumper protector mouldings.〔 Additionally, the first Saga models with automatic transmissions were made available in 1987.〔 The Proton Saga made its European début on 11 March 1988 with its launch in Ireland. Both Aeroback and saloon were made available at a cost of between £8,999 and £10,799.〔 Proton managed to launch the Saga in Ireland before the United Kingdom as only minimal changes and modifications were necessary to pass Irish automotive and safety regulations.〔 Additionally, the Irish automotive market was small at around 50,000 units a year at that period, as opposed to the much larger U.K. market at 2 million units. Proton launched the Saga in several small Commonwealth countries while they prepared for their large scale launch in the U.K. with over 100 dealers.〔 In October 1988, the Proton Saga made its English début at the 1988 British International Motorshow, where it won three Prestigious Awards (two gold medals and one silver) for quality coachwork and ergonomics.〔〔 The Saga was also voted among the Top 10 best cars at the show.〔 1988 witnessed Proton's entry into the Jamaican market, along with the 100,000th Saga produced. On 16 March 1989, Proton officially launched the Saga saloon and hatchback duo in the United Kingdom.〔 The Saga models were renamed Proton 1.3 and Proton 1.5 respectively according to their engine displacement in addition to a suffix such as S.E. or G.L. which denoted its trim. The U.K. models also differed slightly from their Malaysian counterparts. All U.K. models were equipped with the original Mitsubishi Lancer dashboard and rear reflector lamps to pass U.K. safety regulations. Britain also received many limited edition models such as the Proton Puma, Lynx, Emerald, Prism and SE Le Mans, all of which were Proton Sagas with higher trim levels and more equipment. Proton advertised their models with the slogan ''Japanese Technology, Malaysian Style'' in the United Kingdom. Proton later went on to set the record for the ''Fastest Selling Make of New Car Ever to Enter the United Kingdom''. Prior to its launch, the Saga underwent a strict homologation process to be allowed entry and sale in the U.K. market.〔 The process included various quality, safety and emissions tests and over 400 modifications where necessary, as well as a 1,000 mile-trial on British roads and weather conditions.〔 The Saga also went on sale in Singapore in October 1989. On 12 August 1990, Proton introduced the Proton Saga Megavalve for the domestic market.〔 The Megavalve nameplate represents the third engine variant after the Orion (1985–1987) and Magma (1987–1990), all three of which are based on the Mitsubishi 4G13 and 4G15 engines.〔 The Megavalve engines featured 12-valves or three valves per cylinder, which is an upgrade over the older 8-valve engines. The four additional valves made the new Megavalve engines between 11% and 15% more powerful than the previous Magma engines.〔 The Megavalve engine was produced in both 1.3-litre and 1.5-litre configurations and both were fitted with carburettors. In addition to the updated engines, the Proton Saga Megavalve was also fitted with a new front grille, wrap-around bumper protector moulding and two new exterior colours, namely maroon and green, as well as several minor changes on the interior.〔 The 1.5S model also received new full wheel covers, and Proton reintroduced the Saga Aeroback 1.5I model due to popular demand.〔 Safety standards were also raised with the inclusion of rear seat belts and a third brake light as standard equipment. The Proton Saga Megavalve ranged from RM28,000 to RM36,000, or an increment of RM2,000 over the previous Proton Saga Magma range.〔 A unique limousine version of the Proton Saga was also produced and it was used by the then Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamad. It was 25 percent longer than the Proton Saga saloon and featured a built-in freezer, in-car entertainment system and a television. The 200,000th Saga rolled off the production line on 16 May 1990. Proton launched the facelifted Proton 12-Valve in the United Kingdom on 10 January 1991. The power output from the 1.3L engine was upped to 77 bhp and the 1.5L offered 85 bhp. On 22 September that year, the Proton Saga won two gold awards at the British International Motorshow for the second time.〔 The Saga was also launched in the small African nation of Malawi in December 1991. By then Proton had managed to export 40,151 units, of which 33,291 were to the United Kingdom, with 3,699, 1,160 and 847 to Singapore, Ireland and New Zealand, respectively. The 300,000th Saga was also produced in 1991, and locally manufactured Saga parts rose to 69% after the opening of the Engine and Transmission Factory in Shah Alam in that same year.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Proton Saga (first generation)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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