Hummer over n out

[LIVEABOARD]

GM sale of Hummer dies...shutting down the brand General Motors today announced that Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machines Co., Ltd. (Tengzhong) was unable to complete the acquisition of HUMMER. As a result, GM will begin the orderly wind-down of the HUMMER operations.

“One year ago, General Motors announced that we were going to divest HUMMER, as part of focusing our efforts on Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac going forward. We have since considered a number of possibilities for HUMMER along the way, and we are disappointed that the deal with Tengzhong could not be completed," said John Smith GM vice president of corporate planning and alliances. "GM will now work closely with HUMMER employees, dealers and suppliers to wind down the business in an orderly and responsible manner."

GM will continue to honor HUMMER warranties, while providing service support and spare parts to current HUMMER owners around the world.

 

[Token]

Hell, they haven't been able to come up with some spare parts while it's bene in production, why should we expect them to have parts for the next ten years..

 

[Desert Dan]

Time for a Fiat (Jeep)

 

[Ron B]

not a lot of sympathy from the h1/original hummer crowd for GM (myself included). A friend on an h1 forum posted his feelings which mirror most current owners -- I hope he doesn't mind me posting this here but he said it better than I could have:

"I remember being at Homecoming circa 2000 with the GM executive squad telling the audience how the Hummer....soon to be renamed the H1 was the big brother of future Hummer vehicle lines. I remember how these GM executives said they would grow and expand the brand while supporting the H1.

Then, I remember GM closing many original AMG Hummer dealerships and shops. I remember GM forcing dealerships to build NEW facilities, costing the dealerships millions of dollars and making overall profitability lower than if they did not force the building issue. I remember the difficulty in finding a H1 at these dealerships, how sales people did not know what they were talking about when it came to H1's and trying to move the customer to H2's. I remember how dealerships had events for attracting new buyers and getting new H2 owners together for fun and more selling. I remember how these dealerships would either not invite the H1 owners or only invite a couple of owners so vehicles could be used for ornaments. I remember how H1 warranties were dramatically limited in their scope of coverage.

So, after all this remembering...GM...have a good life."

rb

 

[RedDog]

This from the CBC in Canada:

GM to shut down Hummer after deal collapses

The Associated Press

Hummer, the off-road vehicle that once symbolized America's love for hulking SUVs, has hit a dead end after its planned sale to a Chinese heavy equipment maker collapsed late Wednesday.

Heavy equipment maker Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machines Co. pulled out of the deal for Hummer, known for its military-like SUVs, because it was unable to get clearance from Chinese regulators within the proposed deal timeframe, the manufacturer said in a separate statement.A long row of unsold H3s sit at a Hummer dealership in Castle Rock, Colo., in 2008. (David Zalubowski/Associated Press)

GM said it will continue to honour existing Hummer warranties.

"We are disappointed that the deal with Tengzhong could not be completed," said John Smith, GM's vice-president of corporate planning and alliances.

"GM will now work closely with Hummer employees, dealers and suppliers to wind down the business in an orderly and responsible manner."

GM has been trying to sell the loss-making brand for the last year and found a suitor in Tengzhong, but resistance from Chinese regulators created difficulties from the start.

As recently as Tuesday, private investors were trying to set up an offshore entity in a last-minute effort to complete the acquisition ahead of a Feb. 28 deadline.

Hummer, which traces its origins to the Humvee military vehicle built by AM General LLC in South Bend, Ind., acquired a devoted following among SUV lovers who were drawn to the off-road-ready vehicles.

But they drew scorn from environmentalists and sales never recovered after U.S. gasoline prices spiked above $4 US a gallon in the summer of 2008.

Sales peaked at 71,524 in 2006. But in December 2009, only 325 Hummers were sold, down 85 per cent from the previous year, according to Autodata Corp.

Hummer is the second brand after Saturn that GM has failed to sell as part of its restructuring. GM sold Swedish brand Saab to Dutch carmaker Spyker Cars NV earlier this year. Pontiac is being discontinued.

GM is focusing its efforts on its four remaining brands: Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac and Buick.



Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2010/02/24/gm-hummer.html#ixzz0gVW5Kwzk

 

[nugget]

Certainly feel led down the garden path here in OZ. I bought one of the very early ones and here we are 2 1/2 years later with a dinasour...how could they get it all SO wrong!

 

[mcm4090]

I hope the H3 and H3T live on.

 

[haven]

Not looking good for the H3, either. GM is talking like they will close
the Shreveport LA plant where the H3, H3T, Colorado and Canyon pickups
are made.

http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2010/02/gms-small-trucks-could-follow-ranger-and-dakota-exits.html

Interesting that the latest JD Power survey of owner satisfaction with customer
service places Hummer near the top. Of course, GM sold so few
Hummers that the survey would have a very small group to sample. I
guess the people who purchase H2 and H3 models today are very big fans
of Hummer, museum curators, or investors shopping for a future classic.

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/24/embargo-lexus-and-hummer-top-2010-j-d-power-customer-serv/

 

[FLYFISHEXPERT]

I wonder if we will see a repeat of SAAB here with Hummer. Money always talks...Hopefully it speaks loud enough for GM to hear.

 

[Gear]

So does this mean that AM General can start selling the H1?

I still have fond memories of driving my Hummer.

 

[nugget]

I know it will surprise some but there Are those of us who do venture from the black top.

Not looking good for the H3, either. GM is talking like they will close
the Shreveport LA plant where the H3, H3T, Colorado and Canyon pickups
are made.

http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2010/02/gms-small-trucks-could-follow-ranger-and-dakota-exits.html

Interesting that the latest JD Power survey of owner satisfaction with customer
service places Hummer near the top. Of course, GM sold so few
Hummers that the survey would have a very small group to sample. I
guess the people who purchase H2 and H3 models today are very big fans
of Hummer, museum curators, or investors shopping for a future classic.

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/24/embargo-lexus-and-hummer-top-2010-j-d-power-customer-serv/

 

[RedDog]

I really liked the H3T. The trail capability combined with more hauling and towing ability than my Jeep greatly appealed to me. Had I not just bought a new motorcycle, I'd be poking around to see what kind of blowout price could be had.