They say hope dies last, and GM's damned-to-strategic-review HUMMER brand certainly doesn't have much else to run on. Accordingly, HUMMER GM Martin Walsh has posted a reality-efficient, truth-sipping take on his brand's beleaguered fortunes to GM's Fastlane blog, utterly confirming that website as the place bad spin goes to die. Anticipating "speculation" about HUMMER's future, Walsh wants us to know that in his opinion, "the HUMMER name, and it's line-up of iconic vehicles, will still be purchased and enjoyed by customers around the world." In fact, Walsh seems to think the overseas market will rescue HUMMER. "Outside the US, where the world has been living with high fuel prices for the past decade, 2008 sales through April were up 34.8% compared to 2007." Yes, well, as Bloomberg reports, these sales spikes are the result of recent introductions of the brand to countries like Japan, complimenting a steady trickle of sales from gas-subsidizing countries like China and Russia where HUMMERS are still nouveau-riche icons. Walsh trots out every possible reason to think HUMMER isn't completely effed– truck mags love HUMMERS, there's a HUMMER biofuel concept, etc. He finally concludes that he "wholeheartedly believes that HUMMER can have a bright future." So is Walsh trying to stimulate pity-purchases of H2 and H3s, or is this just brand inflation leading up to a sale to Mahindra or Tata? Or is this just empty reassurance to HUMMER dealers that their recent million-plus dollar GM-mandated dealership upgrades were not complete wastes of money? Hand the guy some jam. HUMMER is toast.
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I’ve had Hummer on the “warmed bread” for several years.
I noticed that each model came out of the chute hard and faded fast, IMO, as the bulk of the core buyers “got theirs” at the new price point.
Conclusion? Hummer was, yes WAS, not even a niche vehicle.
It was a fad. A short one that was fading even as it grew.
$4 gallon gas isn’t what killed it. It simply accelerated what was inevitable from day one.
Bunter
Here’s Hummer salvation:
http://img348.imageshack.us/img348/858/hummer8hh.jpg
If HUMMER goes can GMC really be far behind?
At least HUMMER offers a unique brand with unique heritage and unique products which GMC does not.
GM’s big mistake with the brand is thinking it would ever be anything other than a niche player.
I can’t see how they can publicly kill Hummer, then try to turn around and sell it. You need to give a brand an upcoming, exciting model to boost its attractiveness. Why would they stop developing the H4? They should learn something from Ford’s use of the upcoming XF to unload BOTH Jaguar and Land Rover.
If HUMMER goes can GMC really be far behind?
Have you seen GMC’s sales numbers in Canada?
Sell it to Tata! They’re the Mikey of the automotive world, they’ll buy anything. They like it! They like it!
Oh come on now…even y’all acknowledge that Hummer had the strong brand image and identity going for it that the rest of GM sorely lacks.
Hummer’s brand image is very strong. Unfortunately that image, to most these days, is a big F.U. to the environment.
I see people giving Hummer drivers the same dirty looks they give to people beating their children. Not too many people are going to sign up for that anymore. Uber-expensive gas is just the cherry on top of this sh*t sundae.
“the HUMMER name, and it’s line-up of iconic vehicles, will still be purchased and enjoyed by customers around the world.”
Riiight, ’cause them furriners are clamoring for large, heavy and inefficient vehicles that are rolling symbols of America’s military interventions abroad.
….Either that or they figure that the H2 is going to be the next big hit in the Japanese Kei-car market, if only they would drop their non-tariff trade barriers.
Hilarious caption!
The Hummer Brand could still work for another player like Mahindra.
They intend to enter the US Market with a small turbo-diesel powered pickup. Shorten up the wheelbase a bit, give it some aggressive looking big tires slap a Hummer grill and “Viola” you have a Jeep Wrangler competitor.
In spite of the price of gas, how can anyone drive a Hummer and not look like their compensating for some kind of… uh… personal shortcoming?
One of my friends bought a new Hummer H2 in December. I went with him to pick it up at the dealer. On the way home, plastic parts fell off the inside.
This weekend, the AC conked out. He was so mad. It was 110f outside and he had to drive his H2 Oven in the Phoenix heat. It just amazes me that GM still makes such crap and wonders why people don’t believe their marketing.
If this is the best GM can offer, then good riddance.
the only good thing about hummer was their commercials. they had a good/fancy ad agency. (not that is worked sales-wise, but they were enjoyable eye-candy.)
The girl in the photo just saw the resale value…
RedStapler, I think you just described the (axed?) H4…