Proton July Car Sales Up 21 Per Cent TEAMCAR - Proton's car sales in July rose by 21 per cent from June helped by its fresh marketing campaigns and purchase schemes.

Registration of Proton cars with the Road Transport Department in July stood at 10,018 units compared with 8,328 units recorded in June, and its total industry volume (TIV) increased by five per cent to 32 per cent from 27 per cent in June.

According to a car analyst with a Kuala Lumpur-based European brokerage, Proton's positive numbers for July would enable it to recapture its number one position.

He said Proton's aggressive marketing campaigns and push for quality had bore fruit."It has climbed to the top spot again. It will be interesting to see if Proton can deliver the same result over the second half of the year," he added.

The Malaysian Automotive Association has projected a contraction in car sales this year, dipping by six per cent to about 520,000 units. It had earlier forecast TIV sales of up to 565,000 vehicles.

He said Malaysia's passenger car market was the largest in Southeast Asia.It is estimated that there are 7.5 million vehicles in Malaysia, a relatively high ratio of almost two vehicles for every seven people.

The analyst said Perodua led the sales in the first half of the year with 42 per cent market share and Proton was number two with 33 per cent.

"Indications from Proton points to encouraging sales from its new model Satria Neo," he said.Since its launch in June, 2,750 vehicles were sold and 4,000 orders in hand, surpassing Proton's expectations for the two-door saloon.  ¶ 5:18 PM