The Malaysian government is about to sell its 42.7% stake in Proton Holdings to car distributor and importer DRB-Hicom in a deal worth 410 million $. For those who don’t know it, Proton is a Malaysian automobile manufacturer specialized in economy sedans and hatchbacks, and also the owner of Lotus. The deal is expected to be completed by the end of the second quarter of 2012.

DRB-Hicom is a Malaysian car builder, distributor and importer that works primarily with Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen vehicles, and apparently they are more interested in Proton’s volume passenger car business rather than super light high-end sports cars, leaving the future of the British automaker uncertain. Proton never made a profit on Lotus during its 16-year ownership, and the brand remains well short of profitability targets.

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