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Hummer Sold to Chinese Firm

GM offloads brand to Chinese heavy-equipment maker

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 10, 2009 1:22 AM CDT
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(Newser) – General Motors has finalized a deal to sell its iconic Hummer brand to Chinese heavy-equipment maker Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co. The deal will save 150 Hummer dealerships and 3,000 American jobs, execs say. The vehicles will be assembled at GM plants in the US until 2011 under the deal, and the Chinese firm has signaled it plans to continue manufacturing in the US afterwards.

The brand's new owners plan to invest in improvements, including boosting the notorious gas-guzzler's fuel efficiency, but some auto industry experts doubt they'll be able to make Hummer succeed as a stand-alone firm. "This deal is a new lease on life for the brand, but it's a brand that has a lot to overcome in terms of image," one analyst told the Los Angeles Times. "Hummer epitomizes where the economy was pre-recession, and it's going to take some pretty creative marketing to change people's perception of the brand."

Hummers sit on the lot at Tustin Hummer, a dealership in Tustin, Calif.
Hummers sit on the lot at Tustin Hummer, a dealership in Tustin, Calif.   (AP Photo/Mark Avery, file)
A Hummer H2 vehicle is seen for sale at a GM Superstore in Dublin, Calif.
A Hummer H2 vehicle is seen for sale at a GM Superstore in Dublin, Calif.   (AP Photo/Ben Margot, file)
Hummer vehicles are seen on display at a Hummer dealership in Burlingame, Calif.
Hummer vehicles are seen on display at a Hummer dealership in Burlingame, Calif.   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 8 comments
cochiserocks
Oct 11, 2009 7:28 AM CDT
LOL - British Empire fade a long long long time ago - The current world order is changing too, and yes, the decline is to do with 'progressives' or to put it another way - change. Every country that get so big it has an empire (be it economic, geographical, cultural etc...) gets to a certain size where it can no longer change rapidly enough to stay on top in what is basically a tide of continuous evolution. "The only constant is change, continuing change, inevitable change, that is the dominant factor in society today. No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it is, but the world as it will be" Isaac Asimov, or if you prefer - Heraclitus - depends how far back you want to look. But America is changing - as everywhere is. So 'progressives' are your saving grace mate - not your problem.
jagerhans
Oct 11, 2009 5:22 AM CDT
i'm no brit, man. it is just that newser ignores the existence of italy (i can understand that though) since it is not listed and i was defaulted to GB.
Cat-Lover
Oct 11, 2009 2:25 AM CDT
ClearSight: Thanks for the very detailed perspectus for the Hummer. But, I think one would have to be nuts to buy one.

 
China • General Motors • auto industry • Hummer • Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Company

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