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Article: Proton strives to become `niche'.
- Article from:
- Business Asia
- Article date:
- July 19, 1999
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 First Charlton Communications Pty Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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In Australia, Malaysia's Proton is taking on foreign car producers such as Hyundai and Daewoo. RANDOLPH RAMSAY reports on the tough road ahead
When Malaysia's national car maker Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional, or Proton, first entered the Australian market in 1995, its executives were justifiably upbeat.
After all, Korean conglomerates Hyundai and Daewoo had entered the market a few years earlier and carved out a lucrative niche for affordable small cars. The Koreans undercut -- severely in some cases -- the Australian and Japanese offerings.
Proton arrived in Australia with the same "winning formula" -- cheap cars, a steady product, a proven ...