An aluminum-polymer composite is made by coating a surface portion of an aluminum alloy body with a primer composition comprising a vinylphosphonic acid-acrylic acid copolymer to form a primer layer, coating the primer layer with a radiation curable polymer precursor, and irradiating the polymer precursor with ultraviolet or electron beam radiation. The process of the invention is particularly suitable for making polymer coated aluminum alloy sheet that is shaped into container end panels for food and beverage containers.