NATIONAL carmaker Proton Holdings Bhd recorded its best sales month again with 15,880 units (domestic and export) sold last month as its production recovery continues.

The company said in a statement that it was the best sales month since July 2013, a gap of 109 months, and that it remains focused on ending 2022 with a fourth consecutive year of volume growth.

For the first eight months of the year, Proton said it registered 87,481 units, compared with 62,637 units for the same period last year – an increase of 39.7%.

Deputy chief executive officer Roslan Abdullah confirmed that with four months to go in 2022, Proton’s production operations have stabilised.

“Critically, our component supply is now more consistent and better managed to ensure we can produce as many cars as possible,” he said.

“With that in mind, we have undertaken an initiative to increase the number of delivery trucks by over 100% by the end of the year.

“This makes it easier to ensure our dealers receive their stock as quickly as possible and in turn, this benefits our customers who have been patiently waiting for their vehicles.”

Proton retains its second position in national automotive sales and achieved an estimated market share of 23.7% for August while the year-to-date market share climbed to 19.5%.

The estimated total industry volume for the month was 66,900 units (36.7% more than July) as automotive brands continued to deliver units to customers who placed bookings during the sales and service tax incentive period.

Proton said its export sales have achieved a near 10-year high and more volume growth is expected later this year as Proton’s official relaunch in South Africa is scheduled for this month.

“Proton’s export sales continue to reach new heights every month and are a testament to how the brand is winning over new customers beyond its home market,” Roslan said.

“Export sales are vital to the company achieving its long-term goals and help improve the balance of trade for Malaysia while showcasing the quality and ingenuity of Malaysian vendors.” – Bernama, September 2, 2022.