Historic Holden test track up for sale – again
Expressions of interest opened for former Lang Lang proving ground, with sale led by former Bathurst 1000 championThe former Holden proving ground at Lang Lang in Victoria is back up for sale by current owner VinFast.
And leading its sales campaign is former V8 Supercars driver and 2021 Bathurst 1000 winner in a Holden Commodore, Lee Holdsworth.
The Vietnamese electric car company bought Lang Lang, including its famous speed bowl, for $34 million in 2020 during a brief period when it also had a research and development facility in Port Melbourne primarily staffed by ex-Holden engineers.
The R&D facility closed in 2021 during COVID and VinFast has effectively had Lang Lang on sale formally or informally ever since.
It was last officially listed in 2021, but failed to gain a buyer.
While the site continued operating as a test venue throughout, the official website for the proving ground is no longer in operation.
This time around, May 3 is the deadline set for expressions of interest in the site, unless it is sold beforehand.
The move comes as VinFast edges closer to selling cars in Australia, having just announced plans for right-hand drive production in Indonesia.
An Australian-designed VinFast electric ute was also revealed at CES last January.
Lang Lang opportunity highlights noted in the advertisement posted by real estate firm CBRE Asia Pacific include:
- Significant landholding of 877ha
- 11,920sqm of high quality testing, storage and office buildings
- Combination of lab and proving ground capabilities
- 44km of vehicle testing tracks for all different purposes
- 1h drive from Melbourne’s CBD within the Bass Coast Shire
- Bass Coast Shire boasts significant growth and investment potential due to improving infrastructure and population growth
Holdsworth, who scored a clear win in a WAU Commodore with Chaz Mostert at Bathurst, is CBRE’s manager of capital markets (energy and renewables). He is one of four contact points for enquiries about the sale.
Holden built the facility south of the village of Lang Lang on the Westernport coast in 1957.
It was originally slated for closure when Holden ceased local manufacture and development of cars in 2017, but was saved after intervention from management of parent General Motors.
It was put up for sale in 2020 when GM shut down the Holden brand.
The sale will refire the speculation that it will be purchased by the Linfox group. Local sand miners are also said to be interested in the site, but that course of action would face environmental protests.
The Belgian entrepreneur Guido Dumarey, who investigated buying Holden’s Elizabeth plant in 2016, has also previously expressed interest in Lang Lang.
Another proposal that did not succeed previously was to turn Lang Lang into a private motorsport park like Ascari in Spain or Monticello Motor Park in New York.
Related: VinFast reveals full range of right-hand drive models
Related: New VinFast electric ute and SUV designed in Australia
Related: VinFast exits Australia due to COVID
Related: VinFast buys Holden proving ground
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