Hummer reportedly going Chinese

lilpup · June-02-09, 11:51 AM

A Chinese heavy machinery company with "ambitions to become a carmaker" is reportedly the buyer of Hummer.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/03/bu...03auto.html?hp

If true, this could be something interesting [[or scary) to watch.

**heedus** · June-02-09, 12:39 PM

If this is true, I'm just glad that the Chinese company is buying Hummer, as opposed to Saturn or one of the Chrysler brands. While Hummer's distribution network would provide a footprint for importing Chinese vehicles into the United States, it isn't nearly as wide-spread and developed as the Saturn [[or Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep) dealer network.

Plus, from a strategic stand point, I would have to imagine that the Hummer dealerships across the U.S. primarily are located in more affluent suburbs and outer-ring suburbs. Consumers in these areas may not be the type of consumer looking to purchase a smaller, chinese-made vehicle.

BUT, regardless of who the Chinese purchase, this could be like opening Pandora's box. Once the Chinese get a foothold in the U.S., I imagine that even the mighty Japanese automakers will have a difficult time competing with them [[think, low cost production and no legacy costs combined with relaxed intellectual property laws and currency manipulation).

**Hypestyles** · June-02-09, 12:46 PM

curious.. I'm not interested in Hummers, though I know several folks who own one. If there's a company who's interested in investing and promoting the brand, so be it, certainly it helps existing owners that the brand won't just be dead.. hopefully they'll get around to making those behemoths more fuel efficient, too..

**mjs** · June-02-09, 01:52 PM

Hopefully, they will, but based on how China prioritizes the environment, I highly doubt it.

Blarf · June-02-09, 01:59 PM

The Hummer H2 and H3 look like half-retarded versions of the real Hummer, and anyone who drives one deserves to be made fun of.

**darwinism** · June-02-09, 02:01 PM

Originally Posted by lilpup

A Chinese heavy machinery company with "ambitions to become a carmaker" is reportedly the buyer of Hummer.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/03/bu...03auto.html?hp

If true, this could be something interesting [[or scary) to watch.

This shouldn't surprise anyone who understands macroeconomics and the global marketplace.

Because of our DEPENDENT on easy CREDIT, and inability to pay for even a can of pop with cash, the United States owes everybody and their grandfather big money. And the lender whom we owe the most - Yep! You guessed it - China.

Virtually every major manufacturer, financial institutions and multi-national conglomerate in America has Chinese, and Middle-Eastern major shareholders.

Don't like the way things are? Simple ..... DON'T BE IN DEBT ! Free yourself from debt, free your family from debt, and eventually free your country from debt. How do we do it? Simple ..... CHANGE OUR WAY OF LIFE. All of us ..... NEED TO CHANGE OUR WAY OF LIFE. It starts with ourselves - Free ourselves from debt.

**Det_ard** · June-02-09, 02:46 PM

Chinese Hummers? Paging Terryh...

**East Detroit** · June-02-09, 03:38 PM

When a company buys Hummer they don't just get the bodyside dies.

They probably get the CAD drawings, part specs, the manufacturing process instructions and a whole litany of things that could be easily used to build things other than the Hummer.

In other words, they get a head start on not building the crap that Japan did in the 70s.

Retroit · June-02-09, 08:57 PM

I wouldn't be surprised if we see the Chinese buy more American auto brands, maybe even all of GM. GM recently build a huge factory in Shanghai, and Buick is very prestigious in China. And most important, Chinese autoworkers only make $0.80 an hour. And many Americans will have no qualms about buying a Chinese car.

**darwinism** · June-02-09, 10:24 PM

Originally Posted by Retroit

I wouldn't be surprised if we see the Chinese buy more American auto brands, maybe even all of GM. GM recently build a huge factory in Shanghai, and Buick is very prestigious in China. And most important, Chinese autoworkers only make $0.80 an hour. And many Americans will have no qualms about buying a Chinese car.

I agree with you, Retroit.

These chest-thumpers are the absolute worst hypocrites around. I have personally seen quite a few cars parked outside Walmart with bumper stickers that say "Out of a Job Yet? Keep Buying Foreign" and "What You Drive, Drives America".

When the Chinese cars show up in the showrooms going for $8000 with 60-months 1.9% financing, you will witness many days looking like the day after Thanksgiving.

I won't be surprised to see Chinese or Middle-Eastern investors buying up many more American entities. After all, "Money Talks" and "Cash is King".

**Sstashmoo** · June-02-09, 10:49 PM

Quote: "After all, "Money Talks" and "Cash is King"."

Thanks to the scumbags fleecing our nation, we'll eventually be working for .080 an hour and lucky to even have a job. Our new mantra will be "Starve to death yet? keep putting off the revolt"

These simpletons that keep whining about their car purchase, and rationalizing why they turned down an American made brand that saves jobs here, with companies that have loyalties to the American people, are nauseating at best.

MIRepublic · June-02-09, 11:06 PM

Well, this is death for Hummer [[something I really couldn't care much less about), especially if they are the ones to do the R&D and design. As much as people deride the Big Three for sucking, Chinese autos are still a joke. If they get Hummer right, it will have been by accident.

**Sstashmoo** · June-03-09, 12:09 AM

Quote: "If they get Hummer right, it will have been by accident."

You said it.

**darwinism** · June-03-09, 06:37 AM

Originally Posted by MIRepublic

Well, this is death for Hummer [[something I really couldn't care much less about), especially if they are the ones to do the R&D and design. As much as people deride the Big Three for sucking, Chinese autos are still a joke. If they get Hummer right, it will have been by accident.

At this point in time, Hummer living or dying isn't our prerogative anymore.

Don't you all get it ?!? Our American investors lost out. The Chinese investors won.

Why? Because we have only ourselves to blame, WE OWE TOO MUCH MONEY, especially to China and the Middle-East.

Blame ourselves for not following our grandfather's mantra of money management - Cash & Carry ! Blame ourselves for taking consumerism to the extreme. Think about it, Why do we need to replace items in our lives so often compared to our parent's and grandparent's times? Clothes, kitchen appliances, tools, vehicles, you name it !

Listen, this nation is at the beginning stages of a major collapse. GM filing bankruptcy is just the start - but yet, the stock market has been up for the past 2 days ?!? Wanna talk about manipulation of currency ? How about social manipulation on the grandest scale?

Again, folks ... Stop going out to eat, Stop buying new things every week, Stop living it up by swiping that credit card ... because guess what, AMERICANS COULD HAVE BOUGHT HUMMER, IF ONLY THEY HAVE THE CASH ON HAND !!

**Baselinepunk** · June-03-09, 06:48 AM

I think the commercial Hummer line will drag the Chinese down. That line has been a novelty ever since it was introduced. However, the Chinese will has access to technology to yet another of our war machines; but perhaps the "new GM" will take develop and produce new military transportation?

I think an actual consumer market for Hummer is the least of this new companies plans. This company is going to be looked upon very favorably from the Chinese gubmint.

**heedus** · June-03-09, 08:40 AM

Originally Posted by darwinism

At this point in time, Hummer living or dying isn't our prerogative anymore.

Don't you all get it ?!? Our American investors lost out. The Chinese investors won.

Why? Because we have only ourselves to blame, WE OWE TOO MUCH MONEY, especially to China and the Middle-East.

Blame ourselves for not following our grandfather's mantra of money management - Cash & Carry ! Blame ourselves for taking consumerism to the extreme. Think about it, Why do we need to replace items in our lives so often compared to our parent's and grandparent's times? Clothes, kitchen appliances, tools, vehicles, you name it !

Listen, this nation is at the beginning stages of a major collapse. GM filing bankruptcy is just the start - but yet, the stock market has been up for the past 2 days ?!? Wanna talk about manipulation of currency ? How about social manipulation on the grandest scale?

Again, folks ... Stop going out to eat, Stop buying new things every week, Stop living it up by swiping that credit card ... because guess what, AMERICANS COULD HAVE BOUGHT HUMMER, IF ONLY THEY HAVE THE CASH ON HAND !!

Darwinism, while I completely agree that we, as a nation, need to stop borrowing so much money, I don't think that is why a U.S. company didn't buy Hummer. Given the push towards smaller, more fuel-efficient cars, the Hummer brand, one of the symbols of American excessiveness, just isn't worth all that much to anyone but the Chinese, who likely paid a premium just to get their hands on Hummer's U.S. distribution network.

**heedus** · June-03-09, 08:50 AM

Originally Posted by Baselinepunk

I think the commercial Hummer line will drag the Chinese down. That line has been a novelty ever since it was introduced. However, the Chinese will has access to technology to yet another of our war machines; but perhaps the "new GM" will take develop and produce new military transportation?

I think an actual consumer market for Hummer is the least of this new companies plans. This company is going to be looked upon very favorably from the Chinese gubmint.

And no, the Chinese will not have acess to the "technology of yet another of our war machines." See the link below for details:
http://www.hummerguy.net/hummer-news...nouncement-q-a.

**darwinism** · June-03-09, 09:05 AM

Originally Posted by heedus

Darwinism, while I completely agree that we, as a nation, need to stop borrowing so much money, I don't think that is why a U.S. company didn't buy Hummer. Given the push towards smaller, more fuel-efficient cars, the Hummer brand, one of the symbols of American excessiveness, just isn't worth all that much to anyone but the Chinese, who likely paid a premium just to get their hands on Hummer's U.S. distribution network.

The Hummer is a division originated from military roots. Believe me, if there is a group of American investors who wanted it more, and have the cash to spare, Hummer would have remained a U.S. entity.

Just like the Jeeps and Land Rovers, the Hummer is not just a symbol of excessiveness in itself - It is a symbol of military might as well.

Fellow Americans, sad to say, but reality begs to be pounded into my heads. We are SOL, we are f*#ked ! And the worst part is the fact that we f*#ked ourselves !!

Land Rover is now owned by Tata Motors of India, Hummer has just been bought by a Chinese company, and Jeep along with Chrysler appears to be going into the hands of the Italians and Fiat.

**heedus** · June-03-09, 10:53 AM

Originally Posted by darwinism

The Hummer is a division originated from military roots. Believe me, if there is a group of American investors who wanted it more, and have the cash to spare, Hummer would have remained a U.S. entity.

Right, but there wasn't a group of American investors that wanted it more because Hummer as a brand isn't worth that much to American investors. And trust me, there are many U.S. investors out there with plenty of cash to make a deal like this happen [[see link to Business Week story below). They didn't because the projected future dicounted cash flows weren't high enough [[i.e., the value of the brand wasn't worth the price).

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine...1028553342.htm

**jtf1972** · June-03-09, 10:58 AM

Not a Hummer fan, but something about China just makes me suspicious here.

**PeachLaser** · June-03-09, 11:05 AM

To me, this is not good news. We are working here in the U.S. to establish and build a more efficient and fuel-efficient fleet whlle we are selling the gas-guzzlers to China, one of our fastest growing competitors for fuel. Plus, all their smog and emissions blow back our way. We should be selling China our most fuel and emissions efficient rather than off-loading the opposite.

**milt721** · June-03-09, 02:08 PM

That was a quick 10 years! Since 1999, GM bought HUMMER and took the 4x4 rug right out from under Jeep. Jeep responds by abandoning its niche market they have enjoyed since the late 40s/early 50s to go mainstream with a bunch of bland, run-of-the-mill vehicles. Now HUMMER is gone and the Jeep brand is nothing special. How cool! Everyone loses!

**grumpyoldlady** · June-03-09, 04:07 PM

Does our military still purchase new Humvees? Aren't these also made by the Hummer factories? Or is this totally separate? Sorry I don't know much about whether Humvees are still made for the military or whether they have gone to something else. If they still use them, will the Chinese be building them? Or did they just buy the civilian vehicle part? I hope that makes sense, lol. This old gray head sometimes is a bit muddled.

**heedus** · June-03-09, 04:12 PM

Originally Posted by grumpyoldlady

Does our military still purchase new Humvees? Aren't these also made by the Hummer factories? Or is this totally separate? Sorry I don't know much about whether Humvees are still made for the military or whether they have gone to something else. If they still use them, will the Chinese be building them? Or did they just buy the civilian vehicle part? I hope that makes sense, lol. This old gray head sometimes is a bit muddled.

This website may help clear up some of your questions: http://www.hummerguy.net/hummer-news...nouncement-q-a.

Retroit · June-03-09, 07:13 PM

Originally Posted by MIRepublic

...Chinese autos are still a joke. If they get Hummer right, it will have been by accident...

Hahaha, this is what Americans said about the Japanese & Toyota! China can make [[or should I say, does make) everything that we can make [[or, used to make) here in the States...and for much less. They will be selling Hummers for $15,000 and the "dumb Americans" will be buying them up like we buy up everything else that is Made In China. And there is no way that our government will impose import restrictions on a country that is feeding our fiscally irresponsible government by buying our Treasury Bonds.

darwinism is absolutely correct! We have become slaves of -- and have enslaved our children to -- the Chinese because of our selfish materialism. They own us. Our politicians, Democrat and Republican, have mortgaged America. And the Chinese are soon going to find out that it was a Sub-Prime loan, and that there is a great unlikelihood of us ever paying it off. [[The Chinese laughed at Treasury Secretary Geithner when he told them a few days ago that their investments in Treasury debt was secure. We are not fooling them. We are only fooling ourselves.) And all the expert economists will be saying "What happened? I thought Keynes said we could run deficits year after years and everything will be alright."

Ha!