Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

September 5, 2008 10:46:11 PM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

RIP Hummer: Symbol of Eco-Defiance Is a Goner

Posted Jun 4, 08 9:02 AM CDT in Business 

(Newser) – General Motors announced yesterday that it was considering selling the Hummer brand, which begs the question: To whom? Who exactly wants the most reviled division in automotive history, asks Frank Aherns of the Washington Post. With gas at $4 a gallon and counting, no one’s really interested in SUVs that “get 15 miles per gallon downhill with a tail wind.”

Yes, Hummers have their good points. Some ferried Red Cross supplies during hurricane Katrina, driving through 2-feet-deep water, which admittedly rocks. But most Hummers are spotless suburban symbols of environmental defiance, sporting gas tanks that now cost $128 to fill. This year, GM has sold a mere 3,000. No one’s buying this brand; consider the Hummer extinct.

Source Washington Post

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Sales Skid Again for GM, Ford, Toyota

    Sep 3, 08 3:10 PM CDT
    Sales Skid Again for GM, Ford, Toyota General Motors, Ford and Toyota reported dramatic declines in sales for August stemming from the weak US economy and record gas prices, Bloomberg reports. Ford's domestic sales plunged 27% and GM's 20%, and both automakers will cut second-half production by the tens of thousands. Toyota fared better, down just 9.4%, though all saw large declines in the sales of SUVs. More »

  • Small Cars Carry Big Price Tags

    Sep 3, 08 10:57 AM CDT
    Small Cars Carry Big Price Tags With sales of SUVs and trucks dwindling, car companies have begun to push smaller, more fuel-efficient models—but not for the same small prices. Without the $10,000 profit that was typical on SUVs, automakers can no longer sell cars like the Ford Focus for an average profit of $100. Some are using extras to lure higher-spending customers.
    More »

  • GM Recalls 800K Over Electric Issues

    Aug 29, 08 1:50 PM CDT
    GM Recalls 800K Over Electric Issues An electrical glitch has General Motors recalling 857,735 vehicles today, Reuters reports. GM will recall all cars with a heated windshield wiper fluid system for faults that may lead the system to short circuit, increasing the likelihood of fire or other electrical malfunctions. See below for a full list of affected vehicles. More »

  • Arab Investors Interested in GM's Hummer Brand

    Aug 26, 08 10:04 AM CDT
    Arab Investors Interested in GM's Hummer Brand There may soon be more Hummers heading to the Persian Gulf, this time as two Gulf Arab investors signal interest in buying GM's troubled brand of SUV—modeled on the military vehicle. Analysts have expected the gas-guzzler to be tough to unload, but low fuel prices, economic prosperity, and Hummer’s position as a status symbol in the Gulf have made it quite popular.
    More »

  • GM Plans New Chevy Compact

    Aug 21, 08 4:55 PM CDT
    GM Plans New Chevy Compact General Motors will invest $500 million to build its new compact car in the US, the Detroit News reports. The Chevrolet Cruze, expected to get about 45mpg, will go into production in 2010 in Lordstown, Ohio. The ailing automaker, once heavily reliant on SUVs, continues to alter its production line to meet demand for small, fuel-efficient cars. GM's US sales are down 18% this year, led by a 23% decline in truck sales. More »

In a photo provided by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety a crash test of the Hummer H3 is shown.   (AP Photo/Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
New General Motors Hummer SUVs sit on a dealer lot in Benton, Ark., Tuesday, June 3, 2008.   (AP Photo/Danny Johnston)
New General Motors Hummer SUVs sit on a dealer lot in Benton, Ark., Tuesday, June 3, 2008.   (AP Photo/Danny Johnston)
A long row of unsold 2007 H3s sits outside a Hummer dealership in the northwest Denver suburb of Wheat Ridge, Colo., on Sunday, May 6, 2007.   (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (1 of 2)

Tags

auto industry  • General Motors  • SUV  • Hummer


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular


Other Business Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »