Proton prefers a foreign partner

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Proton logoProton’s managing director Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir said that Proton prefers a foreign partner rather than a local one, as an established foreign automaker provided more value in terms of technology, marketing and other areas. However a partnership would most likely only happen when Proton becomes stronger and the time is right.

During the great “find Proton a partner” saga that happened a few months ago, there were a few local and foreign possible partners for Proton. Local partners included the Naza Group, DRB-HICOM and Mofaz, while the possible foreign partners were PSA Peugoet Citroen, the Volkswagen group and General Motors.

PSA came and went first, then it was Volkswagen and GM. The Volkswagen deal almost happened but got called off by the government at the very last minute. Apparently talks with GM are still ongoing, but these talks are said to be at extremely preliminary and exploratory stages.

Source

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About the Author

After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history. An avid electronic gadget aficionado as well as big-time coffee lover, he's also the executive producer of the Driven motoring TV programme.

Comments

  1. gajen says:

    I wonder when will proton be able to stand by themselves.
    anyway what happen to the mitsubishi thingy? i tot tht partnership is back…furthermore with rumours of the new perdana taken from mitsubishi galant or sth…hmm…

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  2. azrai says:

    Wah foreigners what? No, they will not. just look and see, just stop and stare.

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  3. ahmadmckk says:

    huh, this is what happened when we were given a huge opportunity and then rub it away like dust.

    proton has snubbed vw before, other foreign carmakers have taken noten on that, so it will be hard for proton to get a partner.

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  4. ahmadmckk says:

    well, gm now the best bet for proton to have a partnership with. vw and peugeot have walked away.

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  5. jaygan says:

    Too bad Proton is still thinking the next course of action: What to do next and what Proton needs.

    Reply Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  6. mcwk says:

    If Proton does not want a local partner, why does it think any one (especially foreign company) want to partner with it, since it is a local company as well?

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  7. delos3nos says:

    Proton want to think BIG but no experience in all expect and they are only good to screw thing up when thing about to happen.Why cuss they want to be in the wining and make use of other resources and treat other like stupid. tht y they can cry from gov for help
    Now they can go back to vw and fall on they knees and ask for forgiveness…..and we can see the saga contu…………….eee but share are not going to go up cuss we know your drama already

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  8. ys says:

    oh no.. not the same old news again..
    what to expect… proton going to tie up with xxx … share price goes up then announce didnt make it..
    oh dear… i have enough on all this.

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  9. 4G63T DSM says:

    eh..what is proton thinking…or engaging in wishfull thinking.

    If they are so tight arsed in keeping controlling interest, no foreign partner in its right mind will invest any money in proton, given the flip flopping “government” and its linked “controlling interests”.

    The core of Proton is rotten. Syed Zainal is just a puppet.

    Proton jsut missed the golden opportunity. With market contraction being expected, no one is going to throw out any money on Proton (except maybe buy it for cheap when it goes under)…a relatively nobody in the automotive industry.

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  10. Roti Naan says:

    What’s going on here??!!

    Tak nak,

    Nak,

    Tak nak and Then Nak,

    then Nak partnership again.

    Keep on going like this, I would see Proton going to gulung tikar very soon.
    Time and tide wait for no one. Definitely not for the proton. Loser!

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  11. farghmee says:

    my intuition says that this time it will be successful.

    or…i’m wrong? ;)

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  12. lchan says:

    This is classic case of “piddling around”.

    Reply Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  13. lchan says:

    This is classic case of “piddling around”

    Reply Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  14. jolly_idiot says:

    huh? still look for buyers? I tot they oledi rejected VW and planned to work on their own with G support? Summore they declare making profit to show public they’re growing? Still look for partners? To cover their ass?

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  15. Auto_crat says:

    When it’s ready and strong? When it’s going to be? We had been given the chance but blew it. Still going on with GM??? Ditch it find another foreigners.

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  16. mystvearn says:

    GM is loosing money as we talk here. Proton wants a same partner which is not as “healthy” as it is to get better deal is it…
    I want to say this malay proverb: ukur baju diri sendiri dulu. Small car firm want to partner big car firm and want to be treated equal. Sure big car firm say this car firm only parasite to me

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  17. mokkf82 says:

    Guys, since we all got our finest comments on protons. So why care much on which or who are the foreign company that they going to partner? They just looking for “pelampung” to help them float before they got sank under own management…
    Foreigners are not stupid. if proton want to use them, they will not be easy to let u used them as well.
    Let’s sit tight and see how it goes then…

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  18. kruzer says:

    Hmm…now that VW is finalising talks with Thailand about the plant there, does P1 think that by issuing this statement, VW would come back to the tables to talk about JV with P1 again? Wishful thinking!

    If P1 needs a partner, let them be bought over by P2. Then they can have access to Toyota/Daihatsu/Subaru, etc technology and fuel economical VVTi engines, instead of its fuel thirsty Cam-macam-pro. Guess the recent fuel hike will expose them as a bad choice when it comes to the pumps.

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  19. csv says:

    no it will not happen.

    1st reason: proton will never shine until another 100 years later, most of us reading this are probably up in heaven already. so don’t bother.

    2nd reason: proton too cocky, just because of a few increased sales, they snubbed VW, Peugeot.

    3rd reason: snubbing one of the most distinguished autocarmakers in the world, is inviting other car makers to react the same way.

    for goodness sake, the technical expertise, engineering experience, platforms and management style are almost ready to be implemented through the talk. but a last minute cocky shot, called everything off.

    anyway, even if the best carmaker were to partner with proton, it won’t survive as long as the mentality and attitude of the people inside Proton is bad.

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  20. shooter says:

    here we go again… somebody shoot me….

    Reply Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  21. ferox says:

    Cockroaches are hard to kill.

    Reply Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  22. japankiller says:

    Tokok la Proton.

    You searching for foreign partner those who can help to increase your own personal wealth.

    Reply Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

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