An Unlikely ‘Protonholic’ — This Briton Owns 13 Protons After Falling For A Saga In 2018

Jon Coupland, 35, lives in Boston, Lincolnshire, in the UK, where older Protons have become increasingly rare since the carmaker exited the British market in 2014.

What began as an interest in unusual cars has since turned into a passion for preserving a little-known part of Malaysia's automotive history overseas.

Coupland calls himself a "Protonholic" on his Facebook page, Jon Coupland Cars, where he shares pictures and videos of his collection with around 64,000 followers.

Coupland's obsession began when he spotted a 1990 Proton Saga 1.5 SE LE UK Special Edition at a local car marketplace in 2018. The car was going for 700 pounds (about RM3,800 at the time), and its angular styling caught his attention.

Having grown up with a father who worked as a mechanic, Coupland already enjoyed buying unusual cars. But the Saga was unlike anything he had owned before.

Speaking to CNA in May this year, he recalled driving about 30 minutes to the town of Skegness to see the car and buying it that same night.

He soon found himself learning more about Proton and its history in Britain, where the Malaysian marque had once enjoyed considerable success.

Coupland realised that many of the cars had disappeared from British roads, while those that remained were often used as inexpensive runabouts rather than carefully maintained classics.

He decided he wanted to help keep the brand alive by collecting and restoring its older models.

Coupland's collection has grown considerably since that first purchase. He recently confirmed that he currently owns 13 Protons.

His collection includes four Satria hatchbacks, according to the CNA report, and he has separately revealed that two of them are Satria GTis.

The performance hatchbacks remain among his favourite cars to drive.

Another prized possession is his 1985 Proton Saga Black Knight edition, which won the top award at a classic car show in 2021.

Over the years, Coupland has spent around 10,000 pounds (approximately RM55,000) on his Proton collection, including restoration costs, according to CNA.

His latest addition at the time of the report was a Proton Wira, which he bought in February 2026. He praised the Wira for being "very comfy to drive and actually very well built".

Despite having 13 Protons, Coupland does not simply keep them parked away as display pieces. He uses a white Proton Saga Iswara as his daily driver, while his other cars are reserved for special occasions and automotive exhibitions.

Maintaining the collection is a family effort, with his father helping him work on the cars.

Finding replacement parts can be a challenge, particularly interior and exterior trim components. Coupland told the New Straits Times that he often salvages these parts from scrapped vehicles when replacements are difficult to find.

He also documents his cars through his Facebook page and YouTube channel, where he introduces viewers to models that many people in Britain have long forgotten.

Beyond his personal collection, Coupland recently became an administrator of the Proton Owners Club UK Facebook group, which has just under 10,000 members.

The Malaysian carmaker entered the British market in 1988 and became the country's fastest-growing new car franchise by 1992, with annual sales reaching 15,000 units.

Its affordable and reliable cars, built using older Japanese technology, found buyers throughout the 1990s. However, declining sales, tougher competition, and difficulties meeting stricter European Union emissions regulations eventually led Proton to withdraw from the UK market in 2014.

According to figures cited by CNA from a UK vehicle-registration database, around 1,300 Protons remained on British roads at the end of 2025, representing less than 1% of the roughly 140,000 cars the company had sold there.

That dwindling presence is one reason Coupland wants the brand to return.

He told CNA that some of the brand's newer models, including the Gen-2 and Savvy, struggled to attract buyers as competition in the compact-car market intensified.

He also believes the original generation of Proton owners grew older without enough younger buyers taking their place, contributing to the disappearance of many Wiras and Impians from British roads.

Despite his affection for older petrol-powered Protons, Coupland is not opposed to electric vehicles or the company's relationship with China's Geely.

However, he has yet to drive a modern Proton, and said he would rather judge the cars on their merits than dismiss them because of their origins.

For now, he continues to maintain his collection and introduce Britain's remaining Proton enthusiasts to the cars that first made the Malaysian marque popular there.

He also hopes to visit Proton City in Tanjong Malim, Perak, as well as the company's factory and museum at the Proton Centre of Excellence in Subang Jaya, Selangor.