Vietnamese auto startup Vinfast (previously GM Vietnam) recently purchased the General Motors Lang Lang Proving Grounds in Australia, reportedly outbidding other interested parties for ownership rights. Vinfast will use the facility to develop new vehicles for the Asia-Pacific region.
As GM Authority reported back in February, General Motors announced it would retire the Holden brand in Australia and New Zealand. As a follow-up, GM Authority was the first to report on new GMSV (GM Special Vehicles) trademark filings which confirm that the GMSV brand would replace Holden as the new GM brand in Australia.
With the new brand, General Motors is reportedly interesting in liquidating its assets in Australia, one of the largest of which is the Lang Lang test facility located east of Melbourne. Stretching out across some 2,155 acres, the Lang Lang Proving Grounds was previously owned by General Motors Holden, which utilized the facility to develop a variety of Holden vehicles.
Although General Motors sold the Lang Lang test facility to Vinfast, GM also reportedly secured the rights to use it for development with regard to its latest GMSV line of vehicles, including the all-new Chevrolet Corvette C8, per a report from Practical Motoring.
Vinfast will also reportedly keep the site open to enthusiasts for track day events.
“The Lang Lang Proving Ground will continue to shape the global automotive industry,” said Kristian Aquilina, GM Holden Interim Chairman and Managing Director. “Over the past five years, GM has invested in the laboratories and tracks at the site, which will now be well utilized by its new owners.”
“This deal hits a sweet spot of a fair sale value, a ready-made facility for VinFast’s needs, ongoing employment for departing Holden employees and the preservation of amenity for the community,” Aquilina added.
Aquilina also stated that while the sale marks “the end of an era,” the sale to Vinfast secures “a bright future” for the facility as well.
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Comments
Vietnam and Melbourne are separated by roughly the same distance as Detroit and La Paz, Bolivia.
Isn’t that somewhat too far for a productive technical development process?
The exceptionally talented Holden engineers did many development programs for overseas manufacturers including among others, Korean, Chinese, German, English and American. Caprices that went to the Middle East and the Chevy Police cars were very well received. The Engineers that have been sought after by Vinfast will make a great success of the venture because they are some of the best in the World.
Wasn the Holden technical development center being shut down?
Which means, in my understanding, making all those engineers unemployed.
Or did Lang Lang (not the pianos player!) have their own engineering shop? So, like test engineers?
Vinfast have a new R&D centre in Port Melbourne and have recruited/headhunted many experienced Holden engineers (among others) that were made redundant or saw the writing on the wall. Many will work out of the Lang Lang PG and will be quite comfortable in doing so, in fact for most, it will be like a home coming!
Interesting.
Thank you for the info!
We’ll see what comes out of it.
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