Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) has been involved in one way or another with Malaysian car maker Proton -- including, until recently, the holding of a 7.9 per cent stake in the state-owned company that was sold in 2004 -- for many years. In fact the first cars to wear the Proton badge were largely Mitsubishi in origin.
Even though the direct connections no longer exist, the two companies are moving closer together again with the signing this week of a contract with Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Sdn Bhd (PONSB) to develop a new Proton vehicle that will also allow the "manufacture a new Mitsubishi vehicle based product" under a new, simultaneously-granted licence. This could result in a Proton-badged Mitsubishi Lancer or Colt.
The closer collaboration with Mitsubishi reportedly stems from Proton's lagging behind competing car-manufacturing countries in terms of quality, model proliferation and customer appeal.
The word is that Proton had been talking with other carmakers -- including General Motors and Volkswagen -- who had baulked at the idea of teaming up without also gaining some stock in the company.
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