Malaysia's government is selling its stake in Proton. What will happen to Lotus?

The sale of Proton was already an announced and well-known matter, given that the Malaysian government had been doing everything possible to distance itself from the country’s automotive group. Not that it isn’t almost as significant as the sale of Saab (to give a recent example), but this case involves another storied brand such as Lotus.

Specifically, the Malaysian government has sold its majority stake in Proton, which amounted to just over 30% of its shares, to a vehicle manufacturer based in the country called DRB-Hicom. The sale has been rather meagre and at a discounted price by the standards of this sector, as it was agreed at €324 million.

It remains to be seen what will happen to Lotus and how the Hethel brand will benefit or suffer as a result. A few days ago, Danny Bahar said that they would do whatever the new owners decided, since quite simply they have no other option. But for now, it is too early to say whether DRB-Hicom will get rid of Lotus or not.

Source | Inautonews