Hummer Guy Hummer News and Opinion from an experienced off-road instructor
The dust surrounding GM’s decision to shutter the HUMMER brand had just about settled when new rumors of select models living on under a different General Motors brand. Posts over on ClubHummerOffroad.com suggested that GM may be considering releasing the H3 and HX model under the GMC nameplate. A source close to the matter said that the option was discussed, but that there are no plans to release any HUMMER models with a GMC badge anytime soon.
From the beginning, GM wondered if it was necessary to have an entirely separate brand for HUMMER. Mark LaNeve, who was GM North America VP of sales at the time, told us that they had played around with giving HUMMER models names like “Moab” – and had also considered launching them alongside a current brand like GMC. GM ultimately decided to position the brand not only as the most capable off-road vehicle on the market, but also as a luxury class vehicle – which meant dealerships would need to offer a higher-end buying experience than most GMC dealerships are predisposed to.
As far as the possibility of once-HUMMER models entering GM dealerships of any kind in the near future, don’t hold your breath.
First, under the conditions of the government bailout, GM was forced to consolidate brands since investigators believed they were spreading themselves too thin. Don’t expect GM to jump back in the off-road segment before dealers even run out of new HUMMER inventory.
Second, our source tells us that no work is being done on the HUMMER line – and in order to meet the regulatory and CAFE hurdles coming in the next few years, the “old (HUMMER) architectures need big investment,” even if they were to be released under a different badge.
Regarding the return of HUMMER: “I’ll never say never,” said Nick Richards – HUMMER’s communication manager who now heads Chevy Volt’s product communications.
If GM did decide they wanted to be back in the HUMMER game, it would most likely be after a great deal of time – years and years.
Someone will eventually offer these trucks! Too special a vehicle! When they do, they will need to remember the following:
When I consider what GM (or ?) could do with Hummer I think of – the original Jeep (think Willys MB), Subaru, and Swiss Army Knife.
Jeep = Hummer can shrink the size of its vehicles and maintain ruggedness and keep it’s tough image. It just has to lose the “Biggest Vehicle” image.
Subaru = GM (or ?) can mold Hummer into its AWD division and add AWD cars.
Swiss Army Knife = GM (or ?) must offer function, quality, utility and recognition as a premium brand for Hummer. Just as Swiss Army Knife has worldwide recognition that allows it to charge a price premium compared to similar products, HUMMER must achieve and maintain the same type of status.
(–copied)
No HUMMER cars.. Its better staying dead than being subaru’d!
it just makes me mad that GM can’t sell HUMMERs under the HUMMER brand, but they even consider selling them under a different brand!
I’m Italian Club (italiahummerclub)! We must join forces: all Hummer Fan Club in the world and put pressure on General Motors and AM General! The “philosophy” Hummer needs to go back !!!!!!
I wonder how hard it be to get that GMC junk off the front of the HX.
Though I want to see the Hummer models continue. I think this would be a mistake to line it up under GMC. GMC has become the “GM Buick” of trucks and SUVs. Not as much luxery as a Cadillac, but much nicer than a Chevy. This will create the same GM internat debate that Hummer went nder before. Is this a Luxury / Status symblo brand or is this an off-road working mans truck? This is what killd the Hummer brand. Hummer’s sustainable and atable market is the outdoors / exploritative / working class man vehicle (which they figured out, but too late). Yes GMC still makes a great work truck, but looking at the overall product line it is too up scale for what Hummer should have targeted its brand to. If GM developed another brand (outside Chevy, GMC, Buick, Cadillac), it should be a contruction / industrial grade line up. Move the large Kodiac, commercial vans, 3/4 and 1 ton WTs, Suburbans, and then include the Hummer models. Keep the Denali and Silverado in the GMC / Chevy lines for the “Civilian” market.
I would rather wait “years and years” to get the HUMMER name back than to have GMC pasted all over an H4 or worse, H3.
So basically, nothing will happen until Obama gets the heck out of the White House. Am I right?
Sounds about right to me.
I told you guys this before and I will say it agian, Money Talks no matter where you live in on the planet. It will take another election in the USA and a new goverment in power before GM will be able to make any changes or bring back the Hummer line. The current Administration just will not allow GM to Bring back Hummer or until GM completely pays back all the money they got from that Big Bail Out that saved GM’s operations. You jusy have to hang in there guys and things will turn around. Hummer H3 was a real winner and GM knows that, they have to have the right goverment in power to bring it back.
While I’m confident it will be back in some form, it does seem like a lot of work at this point. Many dealers are already shutdown as far as I know. The trucks still sell. About a month ago I checked the inventory of a nearby dealer and they had 46 H3’s and H3T’s. Now they have 9.
@aleardo
A lot of us have already flooded GM with letters of disdain about what they have done to HUMMER.
“Hummer H3 was a real winner and GM knows that, they have to have the right goverment in power to bring it back.”
The fact we even have to say things like that shows just where this Country is headed. Its scary..
They would be stupid not release the HX. It had dollar signs written all over it. Silly GM, can’t see the forest through the trees.
I guess no one has the balls to challenge the Wrangler.
hummer wil never shrink to the size of a jeep, that idea is rediculous. Hummers are suppossed to be big and rugged, not small and rugged. WHen you drive down the road in hummer you are suppossed to feel like the king of the road, am i right or am i right? The Spirit that the Hummer embodied of go anywhere and do anything, which also embodies the American spirit will never die. Hummer will rise again one day out of the ashes of the old hummer, bigger, stronger, faster, better. It will crush all other competition including wronglers and fj’s
I hope Hummer comes back, but I have said before the problem was perception. Hummer was seen as a “Star/Athlete” vehicle and was marketed as such. Always had the true following but that is not how it was seen by Joe Public. Insiders saw the most capable off road monster on the planet and outsiders saw gas guzzlers. The funny thing is most true Hummer lovers are more environmentally aware than most Prius owners.
“hummer wil never shrink to the size of a jeep, that idea is rediculous. Hummers are suppossed to be big and rugged, not small and rugged. WHen you drive down the road in hummer you are suppossed to feel like the king of the road, am i right or am i right?”
You are wrong. This is what killed the brand in the first place. If they had focused less on size and more on the off road image people would not have the perception they do of Hummers.
No one is yelling about the Wrangler being a gas guzzler even though it is.. Why? Because of its size and the impression that leaves.
Also the Hummer HX was going to be sized between a 4DR and 2DR Wrangler, so obviously Hummer did have plans to make it as small as a Jeep.
unfortunately this is simply a dream. but perhaps a nice one at that.
Obama and the Government will never let Hummer come back.So lets get rid of them so we can have our trucks back.Its time to clean house.We can start this November.Show Obama how we feel.
I would have purchased a new 2010 H2 to replace my 2008 H2 but now that the goverment has shut down Hummer, I guess I will just keep mine going for a long time. I am sure there must have been enough buyers to keep the H2 and H3 in production, what happened to keeping factories open and letting these people keep thier jobs? what a downright shame, we need to clear house this november and bring factories and jobs back to the US.
You’re absolutely right!!
I have an H3 and love it. I have a bad habit of getting a new vehicle every couple of years, however with the H3, it’s diferent. I plan to keep it for a very long time, “years and years” just waiting for the day when I can buy a new one, maybe an HX!
HUMMER in, Obama out.
If only HUMMER could exist without GM. Yea, we all like to dream…
I’m still waiting for the day that I can buy my new HX. The frist time I drove my H3 I was hooked For life. I was always told that good thing’s come to those that wait and I’m waiting.
Hopefully one day arrivals Hummer HX!
I planned on buying an HX back when they said “it’ll be out a year or 2 after the H3T.” Now I’m buying an FJ.
I’d buy a hummer under another brand, but they ought to switch them to the Chevy line, i.e. everyman brand rather than GMC.
Just like BMW covers its fuel efficiency flaws with its “FUN TO DRIVE” and the experience of driving, if GM/Hummer did the same I could see them retaining a market.
What OUGHT to be done though is keep it regularly alive as a special edition, closed runs of a few thousand to keep them alive, retain the love of the brand.
I have Hummer and it is the best vehicle that I have ever had. I had different off road even Audi Q7, Honda pilot and……. but Hummer different. Please bring it back and the same name. nothing else just “HUMMER”