Hummer: The All-American?

General Motors is in financial trouble. That’s not news anymore. However, with the way they’re selling off their brands, are they really doing any better? Or are they just continuing to undermine their overall image more?

GM has always been a staple of American automotive history. All of it’s brands have in one way or another defined a niche within America. Even when they purchased Saab, it represented a unique consumer who wanted to have something euro-sporty, but didn’t want it to look like everything else out on the market at the time.  The Hummer is no different, and in many ways has helped to shape America’s current image in the world.

Image via Wikipedia

Thanks to America’s military presence worldwide, the Hummer is a well known name and shape. Granted, the military Hummer is not even a GM product, but manufactured by the private company, AM General. No matter, General Motors purchased the commercial rights to the brand name “Hummer” in 1999 and started to manufacture the Hummers we see today on the streets. Combine this military history in with the current concern for the environment and Hummer’s bad name in terms of being the poster child of all that isn’t “green” and environmental and you get the ultimate symbol of America’s strength and gas-guzzling downfall.

Of course, now GM has sold off it’s Hummer division to try and pull itself out of bankruptcy. No surprise there since the brand has suffered a huge downturn in sales over the past year.  But who’s the buyer? GM is trying to keep somewhat quiet about it at the moment, but a source with knowledge of the deal has stated that the buyer is Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Company Ltd. in China.

What? Hummer is now Chinese? Sure, it will still be made here in the Shreveport, Louisiana plant through 2010, but what difference does that make? There are Mitsubishi’s being manufactured in Indiana. Toyota has enough manufacturing in the United States to qualify them as a manufacturer in NASCAR. But that doesn’t make them any less of a Japanese brand. So what keeps Hummer as an American brand and not a Chinese brand? Once the sale is completed, absolutely nothing.

Chances are the only reason the Hummer will still be made in Shreveport for another 18 months is so that the Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Company can get their factories built and ready to start manufacturing the Hummer over in China.

Thank you General Motors for failing in one more manner and sending off a modern flagship brand to China.

Image via Wikipedia