The café across from GWM’s growing Australian headquarters in Port Melbourne holds a certain irony that isn’t lost on Peter Jovanovic. From our window seat, the former Holden engineering director gestures toward a building that once served as a Holden facility, now repurposed for a Chinese automaker with ambitious plans for the Australian market.
“Sometimes life comes full circle in ways you’d never expect,” he says, stirring his coffee thoughtfully. “If you’d told me five years ago that I’d be working for a Chinese car company in the same neighborhood where I spent most of my career with Holden, I’d have thought you were dreaming.”
Jovanovic, a 31-year veteran of Holden’s engineering department who led development on some of Australia’s most iconic vehicles, has been appointed as GWM Australia’s new Director of Vehicle Integration and Validation. His hiring represents one of the most significant industry moves in recent years, potentially transforming both GWM’s standing in the Australian market and the future of automotive engineering in a country still mourning the loss of its local manufacturing industry.
In an exclusive interview, Jovanovic shares his journey from Holden’s glory days to this unexpected new chapter, offering unprecedented insight into how GWM plans to leverage Australian engineering talent to create vehicles truly suited to local conditions.
The End and a New Beginning
When General Motors announced the closure of Holden’s Australian manufacturing operations in 2017, it sent shockwaves through the industry. For Jovanovic, who had risen through the ranks from a young engineer to one of the company’s most respected technical leaders, it was devastating.
“That final day at the Elizabeth plant,” he recalls, his voice momentarily catching, “watching the last Commodore roll off the line… that broke something in all of us who’d dedicated our careers to Australian manufacturing.”
Like many Holden engineers, Jovanovic remained with the company during its transition to an import-only business before its complete shutdown in 2020. He then spent two years consulting for various automotive companies, including brief stints with Toyota Australia and Ford’s Asia Pacific operations.
“I was restless,” he admits. “The consulting work was interesting, but there was always something missing. When you’ve spent decades building something, being part of a true manufacturing operation, advising from the sidelines just isn’t the same.”
GWM’s approach came unexpectedly. The Chinese automaker, formerly known as Great Wall Motors, has been steadily expanding its Australian presence, with its GWM Ute and Haval SUV range gaining traction in the market. But the company had bigger ambitions.
“They contacted me with a proposition that initially seemed too good to be true,” Jovanovic explains. “They weren’t just looking for an Australian face to put on their engineering team. They wanted to build something substantial here – a proper engineering and development operation that could transform their products for the Australian market and eventually influence their global vehicle programs.”
After months of discussions and a visit to GWM’s impressive facilities in Baoding, China, Jovanovic was convinced. The role offered something he thought had disappeared forever from Australia’s automotive landscape: the chance to meaningfully influence how vehicles are engineered, tested, and developed for local conditions.
Building an Australian Engineering Footprint
GWM’s plans, as Jovanovic outlines them, are ambitious. The company is establishing a significant engineering presence in Australia, starting with a team of 30 engineers that will grow to over 60 in the next two years. Many are former Holden and Toyota staff who bring decades of experience in vehicle development.
“We’re building a proper engineering operation, not just a validation team,” Jovanovic emphasizes. “This includes durability testing, chassis development, powertrain calibration, and electrical architecture. The goal is to create an Australian center of excellence that will influence GWM vehicles globally.”
The company has already secured a substantial testing facility in rural Victoria, complete with diverse road surfaces that replicate Australia’s challenging conditions. Plans for a more comprehensive proving ground are also in development.
“Australia offers unique testing conditions that are valuable for any global automaker,” Jovanovic explains. “We have some of the world’s most punishing roads and environmental conditions. If a vehicle can thrive here, it can succeed almost anywhere.”
The investment represents a vote of confidence in Australian automotive engineering that comes at a crucial time. Since the closure of local manufacturing operations by Holden, Ford, and Toyota, there have been concerns about the future of Australia’s automotive engineering capabilities and the potential loss of decades of accumulated expertise.
Steve Morgan, an automotive industry analyst I consulted for additional perspective, sees GWM’s move as strategically sound. “Chinese automakers are on a steep learning curve as they expand globally. Acquiring engineering talent with decades of experience at established manufacturers is a shortcut to credibility and capability. For GWM, hiring someone of Jovanovic’s caliber is a major coup.”
The Hometown Advantage
As we drive through Melbourne’s outer suburbs in a GWM Ute that Jovanovic’s team has been modifying for Australian conditions, the conversation turns to what Australian engineers specifically bring to vehicle development.
“There’s something unique about Australian automotive engineering that’s hard to quantify,” he says, navigating a particularly rough stretch of road that’s part of his team’s test route. “We’ve always had to be more resourceful, doing more with less compared to the massive teams in Europe, Japan, or the US.”
This resourcefulness, he explains, was born from necessity. Australia’s relatively small market meant engineering teams had to be leaner while still delivering world-class vehicles. The harsh local conditions also demanded innovative solutions.
“Feel that?” he asks as we hit a corrugated dirt section. “Most vehicles developed primarily for Chinese or European markets would shake themselves to pieces on roads like this after a few thousand kilometers. Understanding how to make cars that can handle these conditions day in, day out for years – that’s specialized knowledge.”
The current GWM Ute we’re driving has received positive reviews in Australia but still falls short of segment leaders in areas like suspension tuning, refinement, and overall durability. These are precisely the areas where Jovanovic believes his team can make the most significant impact.
“The basic platform is actually very good,” he says, pointing out various structural elements. “The chassis is rigid, the powertrain is solid. What’s missing is the thousands of hours of refinement that turn a good vehicle into a great one – the sort of development work that Australian engineers have specialized in for decades.”
From Commodore to Cannon
Jovanovic’s career at Holden saw him work on multiple generations of the iconic Commodore, including the VE – widely regarded as the high watermark of Australian automotive engineering. I ask how his experience with Holden’s rear-wheel-drive performance sedans translates to developing Chinese-designed utes and SUVs.
“Engineering fundamentals don’t change,” he responds. “Whether you’re developing a Commodore SS or a dual-cab ute, you’re still dealing with the same physics, the same mechanical principles. The objectives may be different, but the process of methodically solving problems and finding the right balance of attributes is the same.”
That said, he acknowledges there are significant cultural and technical differences between working for an established American company like General Motors and a rapidly evolving Chinese automaker like GWM.
“The pace is different,” he notes. “GWM makes decisions and implements changes with a speed that would be unimaginable at GM. That can be both exciting and challenging. There’s less bureaucracy, but also fewer established processes. Part of my job is helping to implement the right development methodologies without creating the kind of institutional inertia that can slow things down.”
There are language and cultural barriers to navigate as well, though Jovanovic notes that GWM’s international outlook helps bridge many gaps. “Many of their engineers have studied or worked abroad, and the company has been recruiting talent globally. It’s more internationally minded than people might expect.”
The First Projects
The initial focus for Jovanovic’s team is the next-generation GWM Ute (known as the Cannon overseas) and a new range of Haval SUVs. While he can’t share specific details due to confidentiality requirements, he indicates that his team has been given substantial latitude to modify these vehicles for Australian conditions.
“We’re not just making minor tuning changes,” he emphasizes. “We have the authority to specify significant hardware changes where needed – different suspension components, revised cooling systems, reinforced chassis elements. The level of input we have would surprise many people.”
This approach represents a significant shift from the typical localization work done for imported vehicles, which often involves minimal changes to meet regulatory requirements and perhaps some minor suspension tuning.
“GWM understands that to truly succeed in markets like Australia, vehicles need to be substantially adapted, not just superficially modified. That’s why they’re investing in a proper engineering operation here rather than just flying in calibration engineers periodically.”
The team is currently focused on durability testing, ensuring that the next generation of GWM vehicles can withstand Australia’s punishing conditions over hundreds of thousands of kilometers.
“Durability is the foundation of everything,” Jovanovic explains. “If a vehicle isn’t fundamentally durable in Australian conditions, no amount of refinement or feature content will make it successful. We’re putting prototypes through accelerated durability programs that simulate years of hard use in just months of testing.”
This testing includes loaded operation in high temperatures, extended high-speed running, and punishing off-road conditions – all designed to expose any weaknesses before vehicles reach production.
The Broader Impact
Beyond GWM’s specific vehicle programs, Jovanovic sees his team’s work as having wider significance for Australia’s automotive landscape. As we return to Melbourne and park near GWM’s offices, he becomes reflective about the industry’s future.
“When local manufacturing ended, there was this fear that Australia’s automotive engineering capability would simply disappear,” he says. “That all the knowledge and expertise built up over decades would be lost forever.”
While design and development operations at Ford and Toyota remained, they were reduced in scope. Many skilled engineers left the industry entirely. GWM’s growing engineering presence offers another path for preserving and utilizing this expertise.
“We’re not bringing back mass manufacturing,” Jovanovic acknowledges, “but we are building something that could be just as valuable – a center of engineering excellence that leverages Australian talent and conditions to improve vehicles globally.”
This model is not without precedent. Countries like the UK have maintained significant automotive engineering footprints despite limited local manufacturing. Companies like Jaguar Land Rover, Aston Martin, and even Chinese brand MG have substantial engineering operations in Britain.
“I see potential for Australia to become a specialized hub for vehicle development, particularly for markets with challenging conditions similar to ours – parts of South America, South Africa, the Middle East, and other regions with extreme environments.”
Personal Redemption
For Jovanovic personally, the role with GWM represents a kind of professional redemption. After the heartbreak of Holden’s closure, the opportunity to build something new and meaningful in Australian automotive engineering clearly energizes him.
“There’s a certain satisfaction in taking what I learned at Holden and applying it in a new context,” he admits. “Holden gave me my career, my identity as an engineer. Being able to continue that work, to pass on knowledge to younger engineers and see it applied to new vehicles – that matters a great deal to me.”
He’s also been encouraged by the number of former colleagues who have reached out since his appointment was announced.
“I’ve heard from dozens of former Holden and Toyota engineers interested in joining us. There’s this passion for automotive development that doesn’t simply disappear when the industry changes. People who’ve developed vehicles want to keep doing that work if they can.”
Several key members of his growing team are former Holden colleagues, including specialists in chassis development, durability testing, and electrical systems. This collection of experience gives the operation a depth of expertise that would be difficult to assemble from scratch.
The Australian Consumer Stands to Benefit
For Australian car buyers, Jovanovic believes the establishment of GWM’s engineering operation will translate directly into better products.
“Australians have always been discerning about vehicle quality and capability,” he notes. “We drive long distances, we use our vehicles in challenging conditions, and we expect them to last. Having engineers who intimately understand those expectations and conditions working directly on product development will inevitably lead to vehicles better suited to our market.”
This local input could help GWM accelerate its already improving reputation in Australia. While early Great Wall vehicles were criticized for poor refinement and questionable durability, newer models have shown significant improvements. Adding Australian engineering expertise could help close the remaining gap to established competitors.
“The rate of improvement in Chinese vehicles over the past five years has been remarkable,” observes industry analyst Morgan. “Adding seasoned Australian engineers to that trajectory could potentially accelerate their development even further. It’s not hard to imagine GWM vehicles challenging established Japanese and Korean brands for market share if this trend continues.”
Looking Forward
As our conversation concludes, I ask Jovanovic about his long-term vision for GWM’s Australian engineering operations.
“In five years, I want us to be recognized as a center of excellence within GWM globally,” he says without hesitation. “I want vehicles developed here to be benchmarks for durability and capability not just in Australia but in markets worldwide.”
He also hopes the operation will help preserve Australia’s automotive engineering heritage while creating opportunities for a new generation.
“We’re already bringing on younger engineers and creating graduate positions,” he explains. “It’s vital that we don’t just utilize the experience that exists today but create pathways for new talent to develop. That’s how we ensure this capability has a future.”
For a country that once prided itself on its automotive manufacturing prowess, GWM’s investment represents a different but valuable continuation of that legacy. While Australia may no longer build cars from the ground up, the expertise developed over generations of local manufacturing is finding new expression through companies like GWM.
As Jovanovic walks back toward the GWM offices, there’s a palpable sense of purpose in his stride. For this veteran of Australia’s automotive industry, an unexpected new chapter is just beginning – one that may help write the next phase of Australia’s automotive engineering story.
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