Man Finds 28-year-old Proton Iswara In A Barn In The UK

Youtuber finds 28-year-old Proton Iswara in the UK

We often associate Malaysian pride overseas with traditional foods that are raved by foreigners such as this nasi lemak Amsterdam in the Netherlands made by a Malaysian-born woman or remarkable individuals like Datin Sue Ding who ran 250KM across the Sahara to raise funds for charity.

As we are in the mood to celebrate the formation of the country on Malaysia Day, here comes a perfect moment of pride and nostalgia as a Youtuber finds a Proton Iswara in a barn in the UK and was impressed that it still works even after 28 years.

Youtuber Matt Richardson discovers an old Malaysian car in a UK barn

28 years old Proton Iswara in the UK
Image credit: @furiousdriving

On 13th September 2021, Matt Richardson from the YouTube channel Furious Driving posted a 25-minute-long video of him visiting a garage in a barn somewhere in the UK where he found a 28-year-old Proton Saga Iswara 1.5GL triple valve.

Richardson is a car enthusiast who posts videos of himself discovering old cars and then test driving them. In this particular episode titled “10,000-mile 1993 Proton Barn Find!” Richardson discovered the old Malaysian-made car that had a mileage of 10,724km on the odometer and was left unused for more than a decade.

Inside 1993 Proton Saga
Image credit: @furiousdriving

With the first few looks into the car, Richardson could be seen surprised as he said the vehicle looked and smelled new, presumably because it was not heavily used and was kept safely in a garage away from harsh weather.

He proceeded to open the bonnet to check the condition of the engine and other parts such as the battery to see if the car was still in working condition. Richardson then returned to the site a few days later, having learnt that the car was sold to a friend named Steph Holloway from the I Drive A Classic YouTube channel who only got to have her first look at the car days after Richardson.

1993 Proton Iswara engine parts
Image credit: @furiousdriving

Holloway was also equally surprised to find the old car in a good condition. They then moved the car out of the garage, gave it a battery replacement and tried starting the engine to see if it really worked. To their surprise, the Proton started quickly without a problem, suggesting that it was working well. They then checked the breaks and windshield washers, all of which worked smoothly without any problems.

Video credit: @furiousdriving

“I’m so impressed with this car. When I was told that there’s a Proton in a barn, I was thinking yeah I’ll go and look. I’m interested in a car in a garage, it’s been set for a decade, just a piece of history and it’s gonna be interesting. But now it’s actually out here idling and everything’s working – even all four washer jets are squirting, I’m just like, how’s this so good and why have I never wanted a Proton before,” Richardson said.

He then asked his friend Holloway how she felt about buying the car, to which she replied, “Everyone in Malaysia is so jealous of me. They all love Protons, they can be all over there,” and added what she planned to do next with the car – bringing it for an MOT test, changing tyres and so on.

If you haven’t watched Matt Richardson’s and Steph Holloway’s full discovery of the 1993 Proton Iswara, you can do so here.

Man finds Proton Iswara in a barn in the UK

It’s pretty cool to watch one of Malaysia’s earliest cars in all its glory in the UK. While not many of us are interested in old cars, especially the ones that are made in our country, here’s one that making us all proud as it withstood the test of time, thanks to its owners for storing it safely.