National car maker Proton said that it has begun pitching its engineering and technical expertise to Iran amid expectations of a boom in the auto market there.

Chief executive Mahaleel Ariff is in Iran on a five-day sales mission to offer Proton's help to develop a new generation of Iranian national cars, Proton said in a statement issued to Bernama news agency.

With a population of 65 million, Iran has huge potential with domestic vehicle sales forecast to jump about 32 percent this year to 700,000 units, Proton said.