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VinFast closing Port Melbourne design and engineering office, but former Holden test track safe, say industry insiders.
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The closure of the VinFast Port Melbourne design and engineering office would impact approximately 50 jobs.
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Vietnamese start-up Vinfast hired a bunch of engineers from Holden and Ford to work on cars to be built overseas, but the company is set to close one of its Australian divisions.
VinFast, the little-known Vietnamese start-up car company that bought the iconic Holden test track and hired dozens of its former employees, is reportedly about to close one of its Australian operations – barely a year after being established locally.
Unsubstantiated reports from industry insiders claim VinFast is about to close its Port Melbourne design and engineering centre, which was staffed primarily by former Holden, Ford and Toyota workers who lost their jobs after the end of local car manufacturing.
The closure of the VinFast Port Melbourne design and engineering office would impact approximately 50 jobs, say industry insiders.
CarAdvice understands the jobs of approximately 60 engineers employed and based at the former Holden proving ground and test track (known as Lang Lang) in the south-eastern outskirts of Melbourne are safe for now.
VinFast is owned by one of Vietnam’s richest men, and plans to make luxury cars based on previous BMW architectures, as well designing some of its own vehicles from the ground up.
The Australian division of VinFast had primarily been focussing on three new passenger cars dubbed VN34, VN35 and VN36.
The vehicles were initially going to be sold in Vietnam, China and in other parts of Asia, but could have eventually been sold in Australia.
CarAdvice has, via a third party, reached out to Joseph Basile – who is listed on the social media site LinkedIn as the head of VinFast vehicle engineering in Australia – for a comment on the unsubstantiated reports.
We will update this story as more information becomes available.
Source: caradvice.com.au