Filed under: SUVs, HUMMER, India, Tata
Mahindra not interested in HUMMER
Despite assurances from top GM brass, every bidder for the troubled HUMMER brand appears to be removing itself from the rumormill. Considered one of the strongest suitors interested in the off-road marque, India's Mahindra is the latest brand to pull out of consideration. According to Vice Chairman Anand Mahindra, "There has been a lot of speculation. I want to say categorically we are not pursuing HUMMER." That sounds pretty definitive to us, leaving Tata Motors as the only company from India still reportedly interested. Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska has pulled his name out of the mix, as has China's Hunan Changfeng Motor Co. Until an official announcement is made, all of this is just speculation, but we have to wonder just how valuable the HUMMER brand could possibly be now that its sales have plummeted so far and so fast.
[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Alex 2:03PM (8/18/2008)
I can't see Tata having much interest in the brand since they own Land Rover.
Reply
geo.stewart 2:07PM (8/18/2008)
the idea is to sell when its HIGH and buy them when they are LOW.
once GM and Ford figure that out, selling off brands will be better producers of revenue.
Reply
Tim 3:00PM (8/18/2008)
These guys get millions of dollars to not do what seems obvious to everyone that they should have done. True visionaries of American business. We should all be proud.
ik 3:31PM (8/18/2008)
GOD BLESS AMERICA
Xcountryflyer 2:19PM (8/18/2008)
I can't imagine too many buyers want a brand that has come to represent eco-unfriendly gas guzzlers. And perhaps GM doesn't want to let it go for cheap.
As others have posted, GM really missed the boat and mismanaged Hummer. They could have kept the brand valid by introducing more efficient models and expanding the line. Instead, they kept on pushing the H3 and all these non-relevant models. Too bad since the Hummer brand has good recognition, but not very positive as of late.
Reply
Jay 3:12PM (8/18/2008)
That would be watering the brand image, which I think isn't really any different from "mismanaging the brand." Honestly, that's like saying, if gas prices went down to $1 a gallon Smart should make a 4x4...
BoxerFanatic-formerlyMK 2:26PM (8/18/2008)
If it isn't worth selling... keep building them.
Re-invent the brand as smaller crawlers. The HX concept was pretty slick, and the H3T is a nice moderate truck.
Evolve the H2 into something other than a cramped Suburban, (more purposeful, less of a road-bound bling-badge)
and then focus on the smaller stuff. BE an alternative to Jeep, at the Wrangler, Liberty, and Grand Cherokee level, Jeep and Hummer can both lose the "Commander" role. Leave that to vans and suburbans, etc that are road-cargo haulers, not trail machines.
Put a diesel of some sort in the H3 and H3T, and build the HX concept smaller vehicle, also with a diesel option, and let Hummer get a new start.
The H1 was iconic, but it is gone, and not coming back. New Hummers don't need to be big, to be versatile and capable. Versatile and Capable is exactly what hummer should do, in a reasonable package.
H3T is going to kick Jeep where Cerberus can feel it... Jeep has no truck, and Dakota and Ram are not the same as H3T. Jeep has no Comanche anymore, and hasn't for some time. Jeep JT isn't going to be sold to the public, either.
Reply
Cornholio 3:24PM (8/18/2008)
The brand is too tainted at this point, IMO. It's marketing poison as GM works to push its eco/green agenda with cars like the Volt.
GM would have to invest way too much money (money it doesn't have, btw) to completely reinvent the product offerings of Hummer. And for what? Nobody is buying trucks/SUVs from _any_ brand with current gas prices. And you want them to invest billions building new products for this market?
Hummer's done. Buh-bye.....
Yar 3:30PM (8/18/2008)
"The H1 was iconic, but it is gone, and not coming back"
I wouldn't be so sure...
tim 2:54PM (8/18/2008)
H3T is going to kick Jeep where Cerberus can feel it...
Talk about kickin 'em while their down. Chrysler is already a bankrupt company according to their debt sales an credit quality.
The Big 3 are like the Three Stooges they keep are going after the same customer and butchering each others profits, they need to be merged into one or two conglomerates in order to save the industry and some jobs.
PS GM start the bidding @ 1 US dollar and work your way up from there...
Reply
tankd0g 3:12PM (8/18/2008)
I don't blame ya.
Reply
Torrent 5:11PM (8/18/2008)
It's so funny. Nobody wants HUMMER. I guarantee Tata won't want it either.
ROFLMAO LOLOLOLOLOLXD
drfngroegoegen 3:15PM (8/18/2008)
This is absurd. How valuable can the brand be since its plumented so far, so fast. Its absolutely valuable - its got more credibility than jeep as an off road vehicle and it earned it in a much shorter time. If I won the lottery tomorrow I would buy it in a flat second and prove everyone wrong. What hummer needs is a smaller vehicle! Why doesn't anyone get that?! Something like the OLD wrangler, not this new $21,000 one either. Keep it simple with solid four wheel drive, a removable top and make it fun. Kids and young males will line up in droves.
Its amazing that hummer gets all this flack for perceived bad fuel economy. NOTHING out there gets great fuel economy! At least these can leave the pavement. If hummers lineup went on a diet it could improve the numbers - say to 25 on the highway.
A stupid outback only get 20 city/ 26. A TRIBECA is 16/21. Is anyone calling subaru damaged, unsellable, a write off, etc.????????????????????????
GM should go bancrupt for its blatant mismanagement of ALL its brands. If I were a hummer owner or a GM stock holder I would sue. Not to mention that LOSER, IDIOT, COMPLETE MORON wagoner should have left long ago.
If anyone at GM is listening, give me hummer and a little bit of cash and I will turn that division around in 18 months. thats a PROMISE. It will be the ONLY success story to come out of GM in years. What have you got to lose?
Reply
Sandok 4:11PM (8/18/2008)
Hummer is a joke...
It DOES get bad fuel economy with the HUGE petrol engines it has got, it isn't a great offroad car/truck and the brand is now another "HipHop" item with 22 inch spinners and such.
Who can they compete against? Jeep is much more utilitarian in the US. In Europe, the Defender is the most basic and evil offroader you can buy for decent... And guess what, it's got a tiny diesel engine and gets MUCH better fuel economy too!
Hummer was just a marketing car and the fad is dying fast...
Ormond 3:45PM (8/18/2008)
GM should put the division on eBay!!!
Reply
Clarence Young 4:39PM (8/18/2008)
H4 should be a Hummerized version of original Jeep Cherokee--light and agile. It should be available as pickup, 2-door wagon, 4-door wagon with variation of a shortened convertible version modeling the CJ's of old.
The name has tons of value if marketed well.
Reply
The Talking Hamburger 4:57PM (8/18/2008)
The Hummer brand is about as dead as Polaroid.
Sure, you can buy a Polaroid digital camera right now. But they didn't start re-inventing themselves toward that trend of digital appliances until it was too late. They hung onto the disposable picture biz too long. A Hummer 're-invention' toward smaller off-roaders might go in a similar fashion.
Reply
SayWhat? 5:53PM (8/18/2008)
Everyone is jumping ship when it comes to the purchase of Hummer.
Fear not! I'll save the day and buy Hummer. Anybody got change for a dollar?
Reply
MrHummer 6:36PM (8/18/2008)
In a way it's good as the truck will hold it's value. In such a unstable hummer-bummer-market, it's nice to know you might own a truck that's 1 out of 20 that had been made, since they've been pulled off right after. Who knows how much these things might be worth in the future. All I know is that there is many true hummer lovers out there...
Your Truly,
Donkey Hummer
http://www.donkeyshopper.com/AAbBBb5360_Cars_And_Trucks-Hummer-H1http://www.donkeyshopper.com/AAbBBb5360_Cars_And_Trucks-Hummer-H1
Reply
Mbuku Kanyau Mbithuka 9:22PM (8/18/2008)
Hummer not an offroading vehicle? Most of you hummer haters are soo ignorant.
Hummer's can outperform almost any vehicles ofroad. Yes, thank includes Land Cruisers, Jeeps, Land Rover Defenders, Nissan Patrol's...
Hummer is one of the most competent offroad vehicle ever built.
You would be amazed at walls that a H2 can climb.
Yes, hate the brand, but be informed about before you parrot Jeremy Clarksons nonsense
Reply