Hummer News

GM is reviving the Hummer brand in the most spectacular fashion, today confirming its first product would be an ell-electric truck, or ute, with power outputs and performance numbers that can scarcely be believed.Hummer will exist as a sub-brand under the

This "super stretch" Hummer is part of a multi-million dollar collection of limousines that will go under the hammer tonight in a bid to pay off debtors from the failed Manhattan Limousines company.The company is believed to owe creditors in excess of $1 million, with their fleet of 26 super stretch vehicles now up for grabs for between $60,000 and $200,000 according to pre-auction estimates.Steve Allen, national manager of prestige vehicles at Pickles Auctions said in all his years selling cars, he had never encountered such an interesting vehicle. "They’re freaking enormous and a pretty good vehicle to drive and to be honest, they’ll be going at a pretty good price," Mr Allen said.The collection is part of Pickles quarterly luxury vehicle auction tonight and will also feature about 80 late model vehicles, many sold on behalf of financial institutions. The sale will also showcase cars from BMW, Audi, Mercedes, Lexus and more including a rare Mercedes B62.

The turnaround was the first sales gain since 2005 and followed the 2009 result which was the worst in 27 years.  Once - briefly - the world's biggest carmaker, Toyota saw buyers walk from its record of recalls. With its negative 6 per cent result, it was the only US manufacturer to reverse 2009 sales and has been pushed to third place as Ford regains Number 2 spot. Yet the bankruptcy - and subsequent public listing - of General Motors rejuvenated its sales. It finished 2010 with three of its four brands taking the top three spots for the biggest volume growth compared with 2009. The year in the US auto world also showed the rapid acceptance of the Koreans.  Hyundai recorded a 23.7 per cent sales hike compared with 2009 and Kia finished up 18.7 per cent. The US industry's rebound is attributed to end-of-year discounting and a swarm of new models.  Not only was 2010 up, the month of December was the best of the year. US passenger car sales climbed 11 per cent in December to 1.1 million units.  Annual passenger car sales were 11.59 million units, up from 10.43 million in 2009. Sales this year are expected to continue to increase. Ford says it expects sales of 12.5 million this year while GM is forecasting a 10 per cent increase on 2010. New models and continued buyer interest in crossover models lifted GM sales in December by 8 per cent.  GM sales rose 7 per cent for all of 2010 - its first annual increase since 1999 - on demand across its four brands. The remaining four brands sold 118,435 more vehicles in 2010 than the company generated with eight brands in 2009.  In 2010 it sold off or shut down Pontiac, Saturn, Saab and Hummer. Ford rose 4 per cent and Chrysler Group - which saw demand triple for its Jeep Grand Cherokee - reports a 16 per cent jump.  Ford reclaimed from Toyota the No. 2 spot for US sales that it held for 76 years until 2007. Ford outsold Toyota by 200,464 units in 2010, helped by its F-Series range which was the best-selling nameplate in 2010 for the 34th straight year. Chrysler, now potentially in a takeover from Fiat, launched 16 new models or major model upgrades in 2010.  The combined  Hyundai-Kia Group had sales up 37 per cent in December.

HALF a day of driving through sand dunes stands between Craig Lowndes and victory in his first off-road race.  The V8 Supercars driver extended his lead to about an hour in the penultimate leg of the Australasian Safari in Western Australia yesterday."We had a great day," he said.  "That is how I expected to the Safari to be; open and fast roads through forestry."Today, Lowndes and co-driver Kees Weel of the Gold Coast tackle two tough stages in the coastal sand dunes near Esperance with their Holden Colorado.  "There's only one more day to go, but apart from the first bit which is rocky, it's all sand," Lowndes said."There are three small stints and we have to navigate right and keep our momentum.  The bikes set off first and will set a rough course and I think we will be the first car off, so navigation will be the ultimate component tomorrow."We've been lost and found our way back before. Kees is pretty experienced at this; it's his 13th Safari."  Lowndes said he wasn't thinking about how they would celebrate if they won tomorrow."We'll celebrate by getting back on the plane and thinking about Bathurst," he said.  Lowndes and Weel were followed by Victorians Darren Green and Wayne Smith in their Nissan Patrol and Bruce Garland and Harry Suzuki in their Isuzu D-Max, the first diesel-powered vehicle.The order changed in the bike section yesterday when third-placed rider Rod Faggotter of Longreach pulled out after the first leg suffering with a broken thumb from a fall the previous day.That leaves a trifecta of KTM riders at the front lead by Bathurst rider Ben Grabham heading for his third victory.  He is followed by Todd Smith of Condobolin, NSW, and Matthew Fish of Kyneton, Victoria.RESULTSPos Veh Crew Vehicle Cat/ SS15 SS16 SS17 SS18 Pen Total No Class1 100 LOWNDES - WEEL 2003 Holden Colorado A5.2 25:00 03:06 02:57 24:38 30:54:592 122 GREEN - SMITH 1999 nissan Patrol A2.2 30:12 03:31 03:18 27:47 32:11:383 102 GARLAND - SUZUKI 2010 Isuzu DMAX A5.4 23:36 02:55 02:58 23:33 32:42:424 105 TURLEY - TILLETT 1996 Nissan Patrol A5.3 25:16 04:48 02:58 25:46 33:41:135 101 FLOOD - VAN KANN 1992 Mitsubishi Pajero A5.1 27:07 05:35 03:53 30:24 34:35:466 177 DI LALLO - MASI 1999 Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution A1.1 30:11 03:43 03:18 31:48 38:18:387 106 MULDREW - EARLE 2004 Mitsubishi Pajero A1.2 31:47 03:40 03:32 36:31 39:02:378 112 MUIR - WALKER 1998 Mitsubishi Pajero EVO A1.1 39:44 03:42 03:17 31:26 41:52:179 110 KNOWLES - VILLANOVA 2008 Hummer H2 SUT A5.2 25:11 03:55 03:01 29:30 43:30:59 10 109 WALKDEN - LONG 1998 Mitsubishi Pajero EVO A2.1 28:13 03:18 03:17 27:21 43:35:3111 137 YUAN DE - TAIGUANG 2005 Quang Qi Chang Feng CFA2 T2.1 47:15 03:42 03:39 34:37 45:09:3912 103 TWADDLE - TWADDLE 2000 Mitsubishi Pajero A0.2 01:01:44 05:00 04:54 MCf 01:30:00 45:44:5113 115 OWEN - CAIRNS 2004 NISSAN GU PATROL A5.3 27:39 03:03 03:03 26:05 47:35:0214 127 YOUNG - MCBEAN 2002 Mitsubishi Pajero A1.5 52:14 03:48 03:31 32:41 47:41:3315 136 WEI YU - MIN 2005 Guang Qi Chang Feng CFA2 T1.2 44:46 03:25 03:19 25:54 47:59:11104 HARRINGTON - HARRINGTON 2007 Nissan Patrol A5.3 24:45 03:01 03:03 DNF DNF107 DENHAM - DENHAM 2003 Mitsubishi Triton A5.2 DNF DNF DNF DNF DNF108 OLHOLM - DOBLE 2004 Mitsubishi NM Pajero A5.2 DNF DNF DNF DNF DNF111 DUNN - DUNN 1998 Nissan GU A5.3 DNF DNF DNF DNF DNF113 WATMAN - WATMAN 1998 Mitsubishi Pajero EVO A1.1 DNF DNF DNF DNF DNF129 QUINN - FEAVER 1995 Mitsubishi Pajero A5.2 DNF DNF DNF DNF DNF142 HOFFMANN, Glenn 2010 Dirt-Buggies Superlite A4.4 DNF DNF DNF DNF DNF 150 PINSON - DENBRINKER 2002 Ford ba rtv A3.4 DNF DNF DNF DNF DNF155 MONKHOUSE - MONKHOUSE 2006 suzuki vitara A5.1 DNF DNF DNF DNF DNFMCx2 - Missed Start and Finish Controls, MCf - Missed Finish Control, - Time recorded but Out of Late Time Date 9/25/2010 22:10:50.145 Form No:205 Page 1 

But peak motoring body the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries believes consumers are confused enough to warrant a broad-ranging education program about what ESC is and what it does.The Transport Accident Commission has already been running an ad highlighting the merits of curtain airbags and ESC. It has been endeavouring to lift awareness among buyers about what they do, via websites like howsafeisyourcar.com.au.But with Victoria moving ahead for the compulsory fitting of ESC to all passenger cars from January, the FCAI believes now is the time to increase awareness among car buyers.Despite TAC's efforts some carmakers like Honda believe consumers are still confused by the different acronyms used to describe the various systems. However, FCAI spokesman, James Goodwin, believes it will be difficult to mandate a single naming strategy."It comes down to marketing," he says. "All systems are different to some degree."Goodwin also believes it would cost too much to standardise the terminology on imported cars because the volumes are relatively small. Carmakers use different terms for the proprietary electronic stability program invented by Bosch and co-developed with Mercedes-Benz.Subaru Australia spokesman, David Rowley, says Subaru's own research shows a higher awareness among buyers of its own electronic stability control system, called vehicle dynamic control."Our customers tend to look in depth at the features of our cars," Rowley says. He backs an education program as “something worth considering" but balks at a name change. "A lot a brands have invested a lot of intellectual time in creating a point of difference with their various stability systems," he says.What they call it -Electronic Stability Control (ESC) - Holden, HSV, JeepElectronic Stability Program (ESP) - Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes Benz, Renault, Chrysler, Citroen, Dodge, Skoda, Peugeot, SuzukiDynamic Stability Control (DSC) - Ford, FPV, BMW, Mazda, Land Rover, Aston Martin, JaguarVehicle Dynamic Integrated Management (VDIM) - ToyotaVehicle Stability Control (VSC) - LexusVehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) - Nissan, SubaruDynamic Stability and Traction Control (DSTC) - VolvoElectronic Stabilisation Program (ESP) - Audi, VolkswagenActive Stability Control (ASC) - MitsubishiVehicle Stability Assist (VSA)- HondaAutomatic Stability Control + Traction (ASC+T)  MiniMaserati Stability Program (MSP) - MaseratiPorsche Stability Management (PSM) - PorscheStability and Traction Control - FiatStabiliTrak -Hummer

German tuning house GeigerCars has slapped some huge rubber tracks on a Hummer H2 and is marketing it as the ultimate emergency services off-roader.  To prove the point the Bomber, as it is called, did a few laps of Germany's famous Nordschleife of the Nurburgring in the middle of winter when the circuit was covered in snow and impassable.The car was driven by Wolfgang Blaube, the editor of German car magazine Autobild, who described the experience as a ‘new dimension of fun’.  In standard trim the Hummer H2 is already a proven off-road workhorse.On its massive rubber tracks it turns into the type of terrain crusher Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson would drool over.  Instead of the regular 20-inch wheels, the specialists from Munich have equipped their project SUV with Mattracks 88M1-A1 rubber tracks on each wheel.The tracks are 40cm wide and 150cm long and designed to guarantee unrivalled traction on virtually any type of terrain.  Geiger also swapped the original's 5.3-litre V8 for a more powerful tweaked 296kW 6.2-litre V8.The Bomber's interior is finished in a matte silver with extra headlights on the roof and army-style graphics.  The utilitarian workhorse also adds a little bit of luxury with a sunroof, navigation system with a Kenwood DVD drive and rear-view camera including a monitor in the rear-view mirror.The Geigercars team can also convert the car to LPG with a 155 litre fuel tank.  Apart from Hummers, Geiger's other business is extracting more power out of Cadillacs, Corvettes, Mustangs and Chevrolet Camaros.Hummer was set for a sale to China but the deal collapsed last month.  GM says Hummer is moving into a wind-down, joining its other brand casualties Saturn and Oldsmobile.Meanwhile, New York artist Jeremy Dean has turned a H2 into performance art.  He cut a brand-new Hummer in half, dumping the fuel-guzzling engine and turning it into a horse-drawn stagecoach - all in the name of creativity.Dean, know for pushing art establishment boundaries, unveiled the Hummer stagecoach in New York's Central Park.  The conversion was done as part of his Back to the Futurama series.

This week a planned deal by General Motors to sell the army-style brand to a Chinese company collapsed, however GM is still considering expressions of interest from several other potential buyers.  Hummer Club Australia founder Tom Richards, 36, said he was confident the iconic brand would either be bought or, at worst, shelved for a few years before being reborn when economic conditions became more suitable."I fell in love with them when I first saw them," said Richards who owns a H3 Luxury with "loads of four-wheel-drive accessories".  It's a serious off-roader that will hold its own off road with anything.  I love the looks. It's different and I don't like to follow the pack."Hummer's size has made it a target for greenie activists, but Richards defends the vehicle and finds no conflict in being the owner of Reverse Organic Recycling and a Hummer owner.  "There is a big misconception of the vehicle's environmental footprint," he said."The H3 is more economical than the petrol Prado.  I haven't had any abuse, but you do get rude gestures from some people; like I really care.  The positives outweigh the negatives. Little kids just love them."Richards founded Hummer Club Australia early last year and has about 240 internet members worldwide.  GM Holden said that if the Hummer was axed, they would continue to honour warranties and provide service support and spare parts to current Hummer owners.Richards said there was also a ‘huge range of aftermarket accessories still available’.  "If it does get axed, it may increase the vehicle's value because enthusiasts will still want them."HistoryHummer began in the early 1980s when AM General developed the M998 Series High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV, pronounced Humvee).  The US Army awarded a contract to build the massive 4WD vehicle which featured in the first Gulf War in 1991.It became an unlikely star of the TV coverage of the first Gulf War and Schwarzenegger asked AM General to build him a civilian version with a Corvette V8 engine.  This attracted so much attention, they began making civilian versions as serious off-road vehicles.GM took over in 2002 and renamed the vehicle the Hummer H1, then followed up with a new, smaller model called the H2 which has been imported into Australia in small numbers by right-hand-drive conversion companies such as Performax International in Gympie since 2005.That was the year GM produced the H3 midsized SUV which arrived here in right-hand drive two years later, the delay due to several Australian Design Standards issues.GM Holden created a premium brand unit to sell Hummer and Saab, with 273 H3s sold in 2007, rising to 1078 in 2008 and only 429 last year.  GM this year sold Saab to Dutch sportscar company Spyker.

But it's not what you think, and definitely not the much-loved FJ Holden from the 1950s.  The new FJ is actually a Toyota, not a Holden, and so different from the all-Aussie 'humpy' that it should be given a different name for Australia. The new-age FJ is a Cruiser that is coming in October as part of a youth push at Toyota Australia that also includes the funky, boxy, Scion xB.  Both are already sold in the USA but the Australian models are being tweaked with right-side steering and other changes for their time Down Under. The Scion will also have a Toyota badge in Australia. The FJ is part of the LandCruiser family and is built up from the mechanical package of the previous-generation Prado. It is likely to be sold with both two and four-wheel drive, as well as a V6 engine, although Toyota Australia is making no comment despite a preview last week at a major dealer convention in Melbourne.  We do not comment on future model plans," says Toyota spokesman, Mike Breen. Pricing for the FJ Cruiser is likely to start around $40,000 and it will definitely have the same bright body colours and Hummer-style looks as the American model.  Toyota based the FJ Cruiser's design on the famous FJ40 LandCruiser, a working-class four-wheel drive made famous in Australia for its work on the Snowy Mountains scheme in the 1950s. Design cues taken from the FJ40 include the grille, upright windscreen and chunky bumpers, square wheelarches and the rear-mounted and exposed full-size spare tyre. Toyota has upgraded the design with rear 'suicide' rear doors to allow easy access to the rear seat and there is swing-up glass hatch incorporated into the side-hinged rear door. The glass hatch opens independently of the rear door and can accommodate longer items. The Cruiser is designed for serious off-roading and the seats are even covered with a special water-repellent fabric while the floor and rear luggage area is covered in an easy-to-clean rubber-type material.  The ladder-frame body uses a double-wishbone independent front suspension and four-link coil-spring rear suspension. Opinion - Paul Gover The FJ Cruiser looks a lot more fun than it is to drive.  It turns heads, particularly in lollypop colours, but I gave one back to Toyota after less than two hours of a planned two-day drive in California. For a start, the FJ is a reverse-Tardis - just like the Hummer H3 - with far less space inside than its big body promises.  Visibility is poor, the cabin is overly-plastic, the performance is adequate at best, and people turn to look - but often look as if they are about to laugh. The FJ shows the sort of direction Toyota needs to take to put some excitement and fun into its boring local showrooms, but it will need a lot of local tweaking to satisfy the needs and dreams of savvy local buyers.

After months of speculation the China-based Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co Ltd is now the new owner of General Motor's Hummer brand. The deal needs final approval from both the Chinese and US Governments, but executives on both sides are confident this will happen by the end of the year.The change of ownership is unlikely to affect its Australian operations in the short term. Spokesman Scott Whiffin, says Hummer remains a strong part GM Premium Brands, which includes Saab. "At this stage it's absolutely business as usual," he says. "There is no change to the dealer network or the distribution channel. "In Australia there are no changes for customers or dealers to sales and service arrangements. Likewise warranty agreements will continue to be honoured."GM-Holden is believed to have brought in consultants to look at the ongoing viability of both Hummer and Saab. Tengzhong will acquire ownership of the brand, trademark and trade names, as well as license rights necessary to build Hummers. GM builds three different Hummer models, the military-based H1 and H2 and H3 but only the H3 is sold locally. H3 sales locally have halved this year as buyers retreat from the gas-guzzling off-roader because of speculation over its future. Just 403 H3s have found buyers compared to 923 for the same period last year.As part of the agreement, Tengzhon will maintain existing dealer agreements with the dealership network but it's not sure what this means for Australia's 20-odd dealers. Tengzhong will hold an 80 per cent stake in Hummer through an investment entity. Suolang Duoji, a private entrepreneur with holdings that include the Hong Kong-listed mineral producer Lumena, will hold the remaining 20 per cent.Details of the agreement were not disclosed but sources have said the deal is worth about $170 million. GM president and CEO, Fritz Henderson says Hummer remains a strong global niche brand. "This agreement signifies another important milestone in writing the next chapter for both GM and Hummer," he says. Henderson says the combination of Tengzhong financing and Hummer's knowledgeable leadership team was a good fit.Under the agreement, Hummer will contract vehicle manufacturing, key components and business services from GM during a transitional period. The deal is expected to secure more than 3000 jobs in the US. Hummer's existing leadership team remains in place and James Taylor continues as chief executive officer. "We are fortunate to have a partner who understands and recognises the importance of continuing investment in Hummer's heritage with a view toward capitalising on global opportunities," Taylor says.Tengzhong will accelerate more efficient powertrains for the brand and new six-speed transmissions. From next year Hummers will have E85 FlexFuel engines on its H3 models. A turbodiesel engine is also on the cards. The Chinese deal follows the off-loading of GM's other premium brand, Saab, to Swedish sportscar maker Koenigsegg. Hummer first came to prominence in the 1990 Gulf War as a military vehicle.

GM-Holden chairman and managing director, Mark Reuss, says Saab and Hummer, two of the poorest performing brands locally, says the company is keeping tabs on what's happening overseas regarding the future of the Swedish and American pair. "We'll wait and see on those brands," he says. "Those two brands are for sale right now and we'll work with whoever the buyer is of those brands here in Australia." However, Carsguide understands a consultant has been brought into GM-Holden specifically to see how Saab and Hummer fit into the company's overall "fit and mix" operations going forward. Local sales for both brands have slowed to a trickle this year on the back of the speculation over their fates and the woes of General Motors. GM is cleaning out more than half of its brands. Last week it signed a tentative deal to sell Hummer to a Chinese company, Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co and announced Magna as the preferred bidder for Opel/Vauxhall with the giant Italian car group Fiat also in the running. Pontiac will close down by the end of next year and Saab is on the blocks. IndyCar team owner and Detroit businessman Roger Penske reached agreement last Friday with GM to buy Saturn. The deal could be finalised within three months. GM established Saturn in 1985, aiming the brand at customers who would have chosen low-cost European or Japanese cars. Under the deal GM will continue to build the Saturn Aura, the Vue and the Outlook on a contract basis for Penske Automotive Group, the second-largest car retailer in the US. The agreement will save more than 350 car dealers and 13,000 jobs at Saturn, GM said. Although details have not been revealed GM is believed to sold off the brand for between $US100 and $US200 million. Penske also sells the Smart cars in North America. The two bidders for Saab are believed to be Swedish sportscar maker Koenigsegg and US investment group Renco. A decision on that deal is likely within two weeks. After the halcyon days of the 1990s, Saab sales have largely tanked because of a lack of new models and clear identity of how the Swedish carmaker fitted into the GM empire. Locally, Saab dealers sold just 1158 cars last year and in the first five months of this year they have sold just 186 cars, a massive 60 per cent slump over the same period last year. Hummer's local sales too have taken a battering because of the ongoing GM woes. Dealers have sold 271 Hummers this year, 54 per cent down on the same period last year. Many Saab and Hummer dealers are multi-franchised Holden dealers but industry analyst Tony Robinson, believes dealers will be nervous. "If I was GM-Holden I would be looking at focusing on the core strengths of the company," he says. Tengzhong is one of China's leading manufacturers of road, construction and energy industry equipment. With Hummer in its portfolio it plans to expand into the premium off-road vehicle segment globally and help develop the brand in North America.