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GM's Hummer Brand To Be Sold To a Chinese Company
An anonymous reader writes in to note that GM will sell its Hummer brand to Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co. of China, a little-known industrial firm. For now, the deal will save 3,000 jobs in the US. (The military HumVees are made by a separate company and are not involved in this deal.) "As part of the deal, some GM plants will continue to build the Hummer brand for the new owner, at least for awhile. The company said its Shreveport, La., plant will keep building Hummers for the new owner until at least 2010. ... GM said it sold 5,013 Hummers worldwide in the first quarter, down 62% from the 13,050 that it sold in the same period the prior year." AP coverage has more details on GM's planned divestitures, including the shedding of Pontiac, Saturn, and Saab.
Well if any company was to own the Hummer brand, it should have a name including "Heavy Industrial Machinery Co." in it.
I love hummers, and I don't care if I get it from an American or a Chinese.
Who are these 5,013 douchebags still buying Hummers? =P
Are they simply licensing the brand and making completely different vehicles to Military Specs?
"When the only tool you own is a hammer, every problem begins to resemble a nail." - Abraham Maslow (1908-1970)
... but news for nerds? I'm not seeing it.
"The invisible and the non-existent look very much alike." -- Delos B. McKown
Save Jobs, Fuck The Planet! The motto of the new depression. Roll up, Roll up, get your tickets here for the latest 'End of the World' show!
They want the technology of building a large automobile & other auto-related technology and practices. They are getting it pretty cheap.
I wonder if anyone will buy Saab now, it has had worse sales than Hummer for a long time.
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/02/by-the-numbers-may-2009-gm-and-ford-surprise-edition/
The above link has some sales data.
The real problem isn't that Hummer is sold, it is that the bankruptcy of GM and Chrysler have both been shoved down the companies and investor's throats. So they will trot out that they saved 3,000 or so jobs. What about the 100,000 plus jobs lost when all the dealerships are being forced to close, even ones who make a profit? A considerable number, if not the majority, of dealerships being punted are profitable.
This is all about Wall Street and not Main Street. The people tasked with doing these close outs and sales are all Wall Street regulars. If Wall Street had been held to the same standards as Detroit the change might have been something I could believe in. Instead communities are going to face real problems when dealerships close. Yeah, 3000 jobs is nice but it is a nickle on a Cadillac in terms of loss/gain. In other words, who the flip cares?
Hummer. Funny thing is they will survive in the real world and not the alternate reality world the US has become.
* Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
The demographic segment that characterizes their customer base is already accustomed to buying Chinese-made products from clothing to blow molded lawn ornaments.
In other news, somebody in China thinks the price of oil is headed down.
My goal of getting a hummer from a cute Asian girl is that much closer to completion!
I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
at the gas station in Wisconsin where I got "told" by a guy bitching about my Toyota.
Despite the fact that my truck is built in Texas by Americans with 85% US content apparently the "profits" all go back to "Japan" SO THERE! (never mind Toyota being on the NYSE and the "profits" go to the shareholders...)
I can't imagine what this guy will do now when a new Hummer - built in Louisiana by Americans, but owned by the Chinese - pulls up to the pump!
I would love to be there when it happens though! ack ack ack....
I like microcars
America's classic redneck, blow-hard, compensation-for-a-little-something vehicle is being sold to China?
...It's official, America has truly collapsed and is now on the third-world countries list.
Motorcycles, Robots, Space Gossip and More!
Just kinda writes itself, really.
That's about all I can say for the abomination that the Hummer became.
"Nine times out of ten, starting a fire is not the best way to solve the problem." - my wife
Suckazz!
Fuck systemd. Fuck Redhat. Fuck Soylent, too. Wait, scratch the last one.
I would definitely love to be around for the contract negotiations.
Todos mis movimientos están friamente calculados
that AM General is actually working with two chinese companies in helping them PRODUCE the H1. In fact, they have been doing so since the 80's for one and the 90's for the other. Besides, PLA already has PLENTY of western equipment as well as other items that classified.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
Who gets the happy ending now?
Support FSF: Stop thinking with your wallet, and think with your imagination. (cc/non-commercial)
Guess that decision to produce the Hummer over the EV-1 has come back to bite GM in the ASS big time!
"I bow to no man" - Riddick
As the original Anoymous poster of the entry, I must obligate to point out the important part of my post was DELETED by the editor:
Before you worry about soldiers of US army and marines riding on Chinese made jeeps, you should also note that GM China has made recorded sales in China, despite of its parent's woe in the US. I personally did notice quite a lot more Buick's running in the city of Shenzhen than on the streets of California. When I was over there, I owned a Buick myself which was made in China but with US-made engines and transmissions; whereas i own a Japanese car here in California. Strange world.
GM's cars are among the top seller over there.
Maybe you don't like to hear US company ``succeed'' in China, but don't censor our posts!
My sympathies to the sweatshop kids.
There is irony that a Chinese company now owns the brand, but I am not going to back that up with how.
6.8SPC TR of 550, l xwind at 6, drift rt at 26" drops 77". AT has 503 ft-lbs at 1403 fps. FT 0.86
It's just about network and name recognition. Business and not technology.
(Like Fiat buying Chrysler).
The Chinese already got so many variations of the Hummer it's not funny.
...in China. Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co doesn't really care about the lowering demand for SUV's in the United States. They have an emerging middle class that just loves American cars. Remember, a national market does not get any bigger than the Chinese market.
I never thought I would see the day that an iconic US American brand being sold off to a Chinese company.
This is truly unprecedented.
So no, the Chinese are not getting military information out of it, other than perhaps how to add leather seats and cupholders to an existing H1.
. . .and rich Corinthian Leather . . .
. . . if the Chinese get that technology, we're all toast . . .
Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
China goes chumming for American brands. Who's next, ChitiBank?
Now when do you think Chevron and Exxon will start licensing the patents the own on electric vehicle technology? Looking at their oil profits these days, I'd say after half of the Caribbean is under water.
The original post has
Before you worry about soldiers of US army and marines riding on Chinese made jeeps, you should also note that GM China has made recorded sales in China, despite of its parent's woe in the US. I personally did notice quite a lot more Buick's running in the city of Shenzhen than on the streets of California. When I was over there, I owned a Buick myself which was made in China but with US-made engines and transmissions; whereas i own a Japanese car here in California. Strange world.
Why is it edited away? Is / . censoring our post, because the news of american company doing well in China does not fit the site's editorial agenda?
The H3 is based off the Colorado/Canyon small truck platform as I can recall.
I've seen about 50+ on the streets of Beijing between other fancy pants cars from club owners, celebrities and job x. They build it big in China AND the US, so they fit right in.
Maybe they'll start using H3s as a aphrodisiac instead of rhino horn and tiger penis? Oh, wait, they'll want something that actually works...
[End Of Line]
Some people actually need a vehicle with more than 12 " ground clearance.
Maybe but that describes virtually no one that actually buys a HUMMER. I see them driving around town on a daily basis and I am quite sure not a single one I see has spent a moment even on a dirt road much less off road. A HUMMER is an insanely capable off road vehicle but it is purchased almost exclusively as a status symbol - and an especially wasteful one at that.
For status, get an Escalade.
Anyone who buys an Escalade is nearly as big an insecure douche as anyone who buys a HUMMER H2.
For panache, get a Caterpillar.
Now that would be stylin'. If someone is going to be a greedy jackass why not go all the way? I love it!
... at least for a while.
That's really the most important part of the summary.
Moderators: Before moderating a comment Insightful/Informative, check to see if a child post has already refuted it.
Sure you'll get it from a Chi.com ... right up the *zzwhole and palsy is it ever gonna hurt.
Keep plowing ahead ignoring your customers.
After all, they'll buy what you damn well want them to buy, right? Wrong. GM had piss-poor leadership, management with no vision. They kept making product that no one wanted to buy. The market handled GM alright.
Now, just think if GM had treated every potential customer that entered a dealership as a criminal.
Watch out RIAA/MPAA your industries are next. The market will handle you as well.
They're using their grammar skills there.
So they will trot out that they saved 3,000 or so jobs.
A little cynical are we? The job loses at GM are going to be in the many tens of thousands. GM is closing 14 plants and 3 distribution centers. That is a HUGE number of workers getting pink slips and it won't stop there.
What about the 100,000 plus jobs lost when all the dealerships are being forced to close, even ones who make a profit? A considerable number, if not the majority, of dealerships being punted are profitable.
What about them? GM has been hemorrhaging money for years so these dealerships have been getting a free ride for some time. GM almost certainly has WAY more dealerships than it actually needs and that means it is cannibalizing sales and hurting profit margins both for the dealers and for GM. It costs money to support those dealerships and many of them are not well run operations. It's a lot easier to control the quality of customer service with fewer dealerships. Toyota has far fewer dealerships and every year gets better customer service ratings than most if not all GM divisions. Some sort of contraction was virtually inevitable. That in no way minimizes the unfortunate nature of what has occurred but it is not even remotely a surprise.
If you really want to see where the trouble is happening by the way look at the auto suppliers. Visteon declared bankruptcy and there will be plenty more besides.
I have been hearing about this crap all day long from every AM station I listen to (even NPR). I do believe this is the very first time I heard about it there, without having already read about it like 2 weeks before on /. . Some hell somewhere has just frozen over......
-Oz
Behold, Chinese Humvees: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PRC_HMMWVs
(it must be stressed that current Hummers have absolutely nothing in common with Humvee)
One that hath name thou can not otter
The Chinese also bought Range Rover (everything but the name). They also build a clone of the Rolls-Royce.
Almost all the dealers being cut off are owned by Republicans. This is a clear act of political aggression by the Obama administration. We are on track to tyranny.
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Comment removed based on user account deletion
Apparently, either type of Hummer?
Designed in America... the folks that gave us the Madoff & Greenspan pyramid & bubble school of economics - and when all else fails... Send in the Marines!
Range Rover and Jaguar were bought by Tata Motors, an Indian company.
GM completely ruined the Hummer with their godforsaken pile of wheeled plastic crap.
Sold it to a Chinese company? So what. Now that same godforsaken pile of wheeled plastic crap will fall apart when you turn set the car alarm.
HUMVEER = HUMMER
GM HUMMER = PURE SHIT
Let GM rot.
Knowing Google's lust for data collection, the Soviet Union is still alive and well inside the psyche of Sergey Brin....
So how is that hope and change working out for you.
-- A computer without Windoze is like a choclate cake without mustard
I'm sure I will get modded to heck for this, but I think it is in the best interests of our country to try and keep the automakers afloat.
Not for jobs, or iconic brands, or saving face; those are good side effects if they work.
Think about what the big automakers produced during the late 1930s to mid 1940s.
Making cars is just something to keep the plants busy and keep a skilled manufacturing force around should we ever need to ramp up quickly again.
man tunefs | grep fish
Right now, I'm betting that Michael Nitz and Richard Ebens are feeling quite vindicated for their actions against someone; they may have mistaken China for Japan but certainly weren't off the mark on saying who'd take their jobs - the Chinese.
There are national security implications in selling off that particular brand.
Never mind the entire bit about China being the eternally broken copier, creating junk wherever it goes.
Twitter supports and protects racists - by smearing their critics with the "Hate Speech" label.
Since "handled" in GM's case means "left to government to bail out with tens of billions of taxpayers' dollars", I sincerely hope that "the market" does not do the same for those culture thieves.
My next sig will be ready soon, but subscribers can beat the rush
The Hummer (all models) is possibly Detroits biggest source of embarrassment since the Edsel.
The only people who buy them are ass-hats. They suck as an off-road vehicle, and they suck worse as an on-road vehicle.
Hey, GM, take the capital injection and blow it on another severance package !
America, F&$K Yeah !
...this leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
> Dealer network is still going to be American. So, you'll probably
> be stuck buying your hummers from fat truck guys, as per usual.
Despite being owned by a Chinese company. production will remain in the US for a couple of years, being built by UAW types who recently took a pay cut. Yes folks, it's the ultimate combo of Oriental know-how, and cheap American labor.
I'm not repeating myself
I'm an X window user; I'm an ex-Windows user
Sold to the chineese.
Whats next? The statue of Liberty?
Dear God, lets hope the Chineese never cash in and collect all the US Debt they bought up over the years.
You mean the only reason a country should not outsource all of its industry abroad and live off of financial wizardry is that it is difficult to buy tanks from enemy when one needs them?
"If you try to swim in rough water, the first thing to do is _not_ to chain an iron ball to your ankle."
Successor to 300. 5013, in which 5013 fat guys in leather knickers drive Hummers to defeat the Persians. Who unfortunately have M1A1s.
From scarped cliff or quarried stone she cries "A thousand types are gone, I care for nothing, no not one."
I doubt the Chinese are interested in building Hummers. However, they are very very interested in owning the intellectual property rights to certain components such as engines and transmissions. Once they are legally in the clear and have a good design, they will be able to build and sell a car for the US market.
Disclosure - I live in China.
Aw come on man !
I already have a tough time explaining why I go to the Chinese massage parlor !
Wanna fight ? Bend over, stick your head up your ass, and fight for air.
Not to mention that referring to citizens of the "united states" is actually much more ambiguous, since Mexico is officially "Estados Unidos Mexicanos" ... "Estados Unidos" = "United States"
The United States of America is the only nation with "America" in its name, on the other hand, and the word "American" standing alone in English means a person from the USA. Let's get over the politically correct nonsense and stop trying to butcher the language.
The new 2011 Hummer now comes with happy ending!
The military version is not a "HumVee", but a HMMWV (High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle).
Fascism starts when the efficiency of the government becomes more important than the rights of the people.
Chinese hummer for Joe? Five dollar.
How ya like dat?
I think what you mean to say was "The H2 and H3 were abominations that should have never been built."
As a semi-serious 4x4 guy I have driven just about every 4x4 out there. The original H1 (Not the military one.) was a pretty good off road vehicle. Not great. There is not a truly great 4x4 on the market right now. If someone puts one out that is simple, robust, and customizable, they will find a substantial market waiting for them.
If I were God, wouldn't I protect my churches from acts of me?
Who are these 5,013 douchebags still buying Hummers? =P
You're making a joke, but many people would take that question seriously, as if it's some crime. People should be able to drive whatever they damn well please, if they can meet the expenses.
I've never liked the Hummer personally, and think it's a bit ridiculous. But I also think the hatred for it is as silly and vapid as the adoration for the Prius. Both share one overwhelming trait; their greatest value in the eyes of those that drive them is that of being a status symbol, literally a way to telling other drivers "I'm better than you".
So ironically, the eco-weenies that criticize Hummer drivers have much more in common with them than they'd ever like to admit.
Life is hard, and the world is cruel
There are national security implications in selling off that particular brand. Never mind the entire bit about China being the eternally broken copier, creating junk wherever it goes. One need only see the parallels between the Lenovo case and the IBM one. Second, China has not been known for quality throughout history.
Quibble: it was the UK, not England
Outside the UK, mostly everyone calls the UK, England.
Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales might as well not exist.
Deleted
Outsourcing pollution = smart.
Must-not-watch TV!
I got a hummer from a Chinese Ho in Hong Kong!
Stretched hummers, by way more than a measly meter, are quite common in the US. So what's most likely to have occurred? 1) Some shitty UK importer did a bad job on the conversion? 2) The HMMV-derived chassis is so horrible that it can barely hold itself together? Let's think about this...
Wasn't he delusional and French? They did, however make some poor tactical decisions as did the UK. The UK was harder for the Germans to get to or they would have conquered that country just as easily. The Germans may have even still been able to pull it off if they hadn't done the stupid thing and invaded the USSR. I don't think the French are a bunch of surrender monkeys. In fact I think they maintain more nuke than any other country in the EU. I wouldn't mess with them.
It's pretty clear that the Saturn product turned to crap after GM bought Saturn. It's pretty clear that the Saturn product turned to crap after GM bought Saturn.
GM did not buy Saturn. Saturn was started in 1985 as a subsidiary of GM in order to compete with the perceived Japanese threat. It did well for a while but eventually was ignored by GM and starved of capital for years. Saturn has ALWAYS been a part of GM from the moment it was founded. It was operated outside the normal GM reporting structure for a while but the owner was GM.
With Toyota you're supporting a few thousand schlubs being paid a decent wage to work in a factory.
A few thousand? Try tens of thousands across their various operating companies plus the extensive supply base, much of which is here in the US. Toyota makes close to half of the vehicles they sell in the US right here in the US. Last year that was approximately 1 million vehicles. (they make more in Japan but most of those are sold elsewhere in the world - they only import a bit over 1 million vehicles annually) You can't build that many vehicles locally and import all the parts. The currency risk and lead times would make it impossible. Furthermore the dollar has been weakening which would make it more expensive to bring parts from overseas to the US.
With the domestic you're supporting not just the people who build the cars but also the parts. Toyota and Honda don't build their parts here, they ship them from oversea's.
You couldn't be more wrong. That hasn't been true for a LONG time. I've been in the plants where they make parts for Toyota right here in the US. I've seen the frames for the Toyota Tacoma, Sequoia and Tundra being assembled with my own eyes and even helped optimize the lines. It's simply not economical to make and ship every or even most parts from Japan if the assembly occurs here in the US. The logistics get too difficult for a Just-In-Time system like Toyota uses - most of the parts HAVE to be made close to where assembly occurs. Furthermore there are joint ventures like NUMMI. If you go to a Honda dealer they list the percentage of parts made in the US versus made in Japan. A current model Civic has about 20% of the parts made in Japan and most of the rest are made in either the US or Canada and assembly happens in Ohio. Supply chains are global these days.
The manufacturing base that is built up around these domestic guys is what is most valuable to us as a country.
Most of those suppliers, especially the large ones, supply both foreign and domestic auto makers. In fact it is a problem for Toyota and other auto makers if GM goes under because they share a non-trivial amount of their supply base. I used to work for one of the 10 biggest auto suppliers. Just over 55% of their business was domestic and the rest was overseas. The largest single client was one of the big three (Chrysler at the time if memory serves) and it accounted for somewhere north of 12% of the company's business at the time. The other big Tier One suppliers in the US depend on the Big 3 but most of them have plenty of business with non-US based automakers too. Don't get me wrong, losing the Big 3 business would hurt the supply base a lot but don't have any illusions about the nature of the supply base.