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.

Comments

An excellent company name

[hattig]

Well if any company was to own the Hummer brand, it should have a name including "Heavy Industrial Machinery Co." in it.

Re:So, who makes HumVees?

[tlhIngan]

Are they simply licensing the brand and making completely different vehicles to Military Specs?

From what I'm told, AM General makes the HumVee, which for the original Hummer, was sold to GM as-is (well, a stripped down version anyhow). GM then painted them, added luxuries and such and then sold them to the public. That's why the H2 and H3 were so different compared to the original H1 - GM does not own the design of the H1 at all - they merely resold the hardware after some modifications. The H2 and H3 were original GM designs.

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.

Heads aspode

[microcars]

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....

Re:Heads aspode

[Locke2005]

Reminds me of the "Buy American" bumper sticker I saw on a Ford Courier... sort of makes you want to pull the driver over and explain to them that a Courier was just a Mazda B2000 with different badges and a higher price tag. Hondas are made in Marysville, Ohio with electrical parts from Stanley -- there is no such thing as a truly "American" or "Japanese" car anymore.

Re:Yay

[Anonymous Coward]

So it will actually evolve into the Canyenaro.

That's CANYONERO!

Can you name the truck with four wheel drive,
smells like a steak and seats thirty-five..

Canyonero! Canyonero!

Well, it goes real slow with the hammer down,
It's the country-fried truck endorsed by a clown!

Canyonero! (Yah!) Canyonero!
[Krusty:] Hey Hey

The Federal Highway comission has ruled the
Canyonero unsafe for highway or city driving.

Canyonero!

12 yards long, 2 lanes wide,
65 tons of American Pride!

Canyonero! Canyonero!

Top of the line in utility sports,
Unexplained fires are a matter for the courts!

Canyonero! Canyonero! (Yah!)

She blinds everybody with her super high beams,
She's a squirrel crushing, deer smacking, driving machine!

Canyonero!-oh woah, Canyonero! (Yah!)

Drive Canyonero!

Woah Canyonero!

Woah!