In conjunction with its 40th anniversary, Toy car manufacturer Hot Wheels, Mattel Inc has announced a collaboration with Proton to produce their latest model which is the first national car in Malaysia, the 1985 Saga.
FYI, the 1985 Saga or better known as the first generation Proton Saga is the Proton vehicle that has been produced the longest, lasting more than 22 years before being eventually replaced by the second generation Saga in early 2008.
@hotwheels.malaysia The worst part of life is waiting. The best part of life is having something worth waiting for. Celebrating Mattel 40th Anniversary by producing our very own 1985 Proton Saga #proudtobemalaysia | Hotwheels® Die-Cast #hotwheels #hotwheelsmalaysia #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #streamer #fastcars #carsoftiktok #gaming #love #wednesday #netflix #wc2022 ♬ SWIPE – ALYPH
The first generation Proton Saga was the company’s most popular product to date, selling more than 1.2 million units.
“This is an exciting license partnership as we join to develop a Hot Wheels car, modelled after the original Proton Saga, the first model manufactured by Proton, which will now become a part of the Hot Wheels singles collection,” said Steve Totzke, president and CCO of Mattel Inc, the parent company of Mattel Malaysia (MMSB), in a report by Bernama.
“This license partnership aims to uphold the proud legacies of both Mattel and Proton to continue to provide high-quality vehicles to fans of all ages worldwide,” he added. The Saga Hot Wheels is expected to start shipping and be sold worldwide by the end of next year.
The partnership was also revealed at the same time that Mattel Malaysia disclosed plans to expand its plant; work on the expansion is scheduled to be finished in January 2019. This will play a crucial role in the company’s ambition to raise manufacturing capacity from the present average of nine million units per week by an anticipated 20% by 2025.
