Holden's Lang Lang proving ground sold to Vietnamese startup

Vietnamese startup VinFast has snapped up Holden’s iconic proving ground in Lang Lang, Victoria.

The proving ground contains a high-speed test track, engineering facilities, and a network of roads designed to simulate some of the toughest, most unique conditions cars face in Australia.

VinFast outbid trucking mogul and noted car collector Lindsay Fox for the proving ground, and will use it to develop cars for Asia Pacific.

General Motors Specialty Vehicles (GMSV) will “continue to access the Lang Lang site for testing and engineering validation”, and the new owner plans to “honour Holden’s heritage at the iconic site by allowing access for Holden car clubs and former employee open days”.

The Lang Lang Proving Ground was opened in 1957 and treated to a $15.9 million upgrade as recently as 2018, when Holden resurfaced the high-speed bowl and installed a state-of-the-art emissions testing lab.

It has been used to develop Holdens since the FC. Even when local manufacturing stopped in October 2017, the Lang Lang site was still used to develop suspension and steering tunes for imported General Motors products along with emissions calibration for GM’s global V6 product portfolio.

The proving ground’s new owners were founded in 2017, in Hanoi, Vietnam as a part of Vingroup, a conglomerate owned by the richest man in Vietnam.

The first VinFast cars are based on previous-generation BMW products but feature new exterior and interior designs. Along with the BMW-based LUX A2.0 and LUX SA2.0 models, VinFast last year revealed the Fadil city SUV based on the Opel Karl.

It’s already the fifth-best selling carmaker in Vietnam, behind Hyundai, Toyota, Kia, and Honda.

The brand has exclusive rights to sell Chevrolet products in Vietnam, and bought a General Motors factory in Hanoi.