Another hit for Holden workers with Lang Lang Proving Ground to close in September as VinFast abandons Australia
CarsGuide contributing journalist Andrew Chesterton is an award-winning Australian automotive reporter with more than 20 years of experience across newspapers, magazines, digital publishing and automotive corporate communications. Andrew began his journalism career at Sydney’s The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph, reporting across business, courts, crime, property and state politics before moving into automotive journalism. He joined TopGear Australia as its online editor in 2008, later being appointed editor of Top Gear New Zealand. He subsequently worked as an assistant editor during the Australian launch of the Daily Mail Australia, and as communications manager at FCA Australia, now Stellantis. His experience on both sides of the media industry gives him an unrivalled understanding of the automotive industry, and the relationship between car manufacturers, the media, and Australian consumers. Andrew’s work has appeared across leading automotive, news, business, luxury, travel and lifestyle publications, including CarsGuide, EV Central, DMARGE, The Sydney Morning Herald, Marie Claire, Top Gear, GQ Australia, The Australian, WISH Magazine, Boss Hunting, The West Australian, The Nightly, Women’s Day Australia, Carsales, NRMA, Men’s Health, CEO Magazine, Australian Financial Review and more. Andrew specialises in industry news, vehicle reviews, policy, performance and luxury cars, electric vehicles, automotive technology, EVs hybrid and plug-in hybrids, and the broader Australian new-car marketplace. In 2025, Andrew was named Newspress Australia News Journalist of the Year and was a finalist for the overall Journalist of the Year award. Earlier honours include Website of the Year wins at the Australian Magazine Awards and ACP Awards, the ACP Rising Star Award and recognition in the Bauer Media and News Ltd journalism awards. Expertise Electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles Performance, luxury and supercars New-car reviews and road testing Australian automotive industry and new-car sales Chinese automotive brands and emerging manufacturers Utes, SUVs and family vehicles Automotive technologyPolicy Featured Publications CarsGuide EV Central DMARGE The Sydney Morning Herald Marie Claire Top Gear GQ Australia The Australian WISH Magazine Boss Hunting The West Australian The Nightly Women’s Day Australia Carsales NRMA Men’s Health CEO Magazine Australian Financial Review The Daily Telegraph The Sunday Telegraph Note: The author, Andrew Chesterton, is a co-owner of Smart As Media, a content agency and media distribution service with a number automotive brands among its clients. When producing content for CarsGuide, he does so in accordance with the CarsGuide Editorial Guidelines and Code of Ethics, and the views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
Read full bioCarsGuide puts every effort into ensuring the accuracy of the information it publishes. Double-check the details that matter to you before buying. Learn more about how we fact check.
The former Holden workers now employed by VinFast at the iconic Lang Lang Proving Ground have once again been abandoned by a manufacturer, with the Vietnamese automotive company to leave Australia and close the site.
CarsGuide has been told that around 50 people - engineers and technicians, mostly ex-Holden - will be impacted by the move, with VinFast to cease operations by the end of September.
And while Holden and Ford were both regarded as fairly generous with their severance packages, CarsGuide understands that is not the feeling this time around.
Read more
- Holden HQ at 50: 'Celebrations' marked by GM erasing Holden from history with shuttered media website and expected rebranding of service centres to ACDelco
- Holden's Lang Lang proving ground sold to Vietnamese car maker VinFast
- Is this the long-awaited spiritual successor to Holden Commodore SS? Chevrolet to replace Camaro with new electric sports sedan: report
It proves a quick turn around for VinFast, with Holden's iconic Lang Lang Proving Ground only sold to the Vietnamese car maker in September last year, in a move GM said at the time would "continue to shape the global automotive industry".
“The Lang Lang proving ground will continue to shape the global automotive industry,” GM Holden's then Interim Chairman and Managing Director, Kristian Aquilina, said at the time. “Over the past five years, GM has invested in the laboratories and tracks at the site, which will now be well utilised 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."
It also marked a significant investment for VinFast, which had chosen Lang Lang and Port Melbourne as its design and engineering hubs, and handed over $36.3m for the vast vehicle development site.
But the 877-hectare site will soon be on the market again, with VinFast closing its Port Melbourne facility in May.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Stay up to date with the CarsGuide weekly newsletter
By subscribing you agree to our Privacy Policy.
The historic Lang Lang proving ground was given a stay of execution beyond the 2017 closure of Holden’s Australian manufacturing facilities, with a pledge to continue using site to refine new models destined for the Australian market. But with GM's departure from Australia leaving Holden now closed, the original sale to VinFast was inevitable.
First opened in 1957, Lang Lang’s 44km of sealed and unsealed test roads, skidpan, and 4.7km banked high-speed circular track have been used to test every new locally-developed Holden since the 1958 FC, plus an untold number of models for international market.
It now faces a very uncertain future, as a new owner is once again sought for this undeniable piece of Australian automotive history.
Why you should trust us
Read More
-
Australia's favourite vehicle recalled: 2026 Ford Ranger dual-cab ute recalled due to a potentially faulty side curtain airbag
-
Toyota, BYD and Tesla are winning 2026, with several newcomers shooting up the charts
-
Mercedes-Benz has discontinued 2026 Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 plug-in hybrid models in Australia in favour of six-cylinder GLC53 AMG SUV
-
XPeng’s new Zeekr 8X hunter priced to thrill: 2026 XPeng G9L big SUV undercuts key rivals in China ahead of its Australian arrival
CarsGuide contributing journalist Andrew Chesterton is an award-winning Australian automotive reporter with more than 20 years of experience across newspapers, magazines, digital publishing and automotive corporate communications. Andrew began his…
About Andrew