RAPID expansion of the Australian GAC dealer network continues with the projected opening of a new flagship location in South Melbourne this coming November.

The new dealership will be operated by Star Automotive Australia Group, which also currently runs Melbourne City MG, with a Melbourne City GWM location also slated to open soon.

It also runs an “expanding” Sydney city operation.

Colliers large format retail associate director Jake Beckwith said the new dealership “will occupy an approximately 770 square-metre building – to which GAC has committed to a five-year lease – located on Normanby Road in South Melbourne”.

According to Star Automotive Australia Group, the new dealership is not intended to be standard showroom, but instead as a “concept store” and will be complete with a “brand strength” wall, a landscaped GAC-branded display garden, an extensive showroom floor, a new car delivery zone and a customer lounge.

The new dealership will form part of GAC’s charge towards the opening of 100 dealerships in Australia within five years of landing locally, a goal the Chinese marque announced at its Sydney launch event in late 2025.

Dealer principal Kendal Yang said the new dealership is the “biggest statement” the Star Automotive Australia Group has ever made.

“As one of the newest dealer groups in Melbourne, this is the biggest statement we’ve made yet. At 770 square metres, Melbourne City GAC will be the largest GAC concept store in the state, and it’s a clear signal of how far Star Automotive Group has come in a short time,” Mr Yang said.

“We’ve built this site to give customers the full GAC brand experience in one place, and to show what a newer, ambitious group can bring to this market.”

Colliers large format retail manager Nathan Brown said GAC’s commitment to South Melbourne highlights the “ongoing appeal of the area.”

“South Melbourne continues to be one of Australia’s most established and tightly held automotive precincts, attracting both incumbent and emerging brands seeking high-profile representation,” he said.

Less than a year after launching in Australia, GAC has already made significant inroads towards achieving that objective. A GAC spokesperson told GoAutoNews Premium the brand currently has 46 active dealerships on Australian shores as of the time of writing, with that tally projected to increase to 55 by the end of Q3 2026 and 60 by the end of the year.

GAC’s expanding dealer network will play a prominent part of the brand’s even more ambitious plan of becoming a top 10 volume-selling brand in Australia by the end of the decade.

As of the time of writing, GAC has opened nine dealerships in Melbourne according to its website, with the announcement of its new flagship location coming shortly after the recent opening of its new Preston location in the Victorian capital’s inner north.

By Jack MacKenzie