Vietnamese automaker VinFast signed an agreement to acquire the GM Holden test floor in Lang Lang, Victoria.
VinFast’s interest in the site was manifested exclusively through car sales in February, when it also revealed that the ambitious startup had established a product progression workplace in Melbourne and had hired many former engineers. via Holden.
“Currently, VinFast’s product research and development is making a rapid progress,” said Kevin Yardley, the director of VinFast’s Melbourne development centre.
“Therefore, owning a modern testing centre like Lang Lang helps a lot for our activities. Many employees in VinFast Australia are currently recruited from Holden and they are all very happy to continue working here.
Lang Lang was offered for sale after General Motors axed the Holden brand in February.
VinFast was established in 2017 by Vietnam’s richest man Pham Nhat Vuong. It has hired a slew of senior GM and Holden executives to run the business.
While only launched in Vietnam currently, VinFast plans to expand into the USA with a new electric vehicle in 2021.
At the moment its line-up consists of a sedan based on the BMW 5 Series architecture, an SUV based on the BMW X5 architecture and a small car based on the Opel Karl.
It has recently launched the limited edition President SUV, which is powered by a 320kW Chevrolet V8 engine and costs a minimum of $227,000.
Located on Westernport Bay, 90 minutes drive south-east of Melbourne, and established in 1958, key Lang Lang assets include a 4.7km high-speed oval, a 5.5km ride and handling course and an emissions laboratory.
More to come.