Mahindra Says It's Not Interested in Buying GM's Hummer Brand

[steinravnik]

Mahindra Says It's Not Interested in Buying GM's Hummer Brand



MUMBAI (Reuters) - Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd (MAHM.BO: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), India's top utility vehicle maker, is not interested in buying General Motors' (GM.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) Hummer brand, but will instead focus on its own models for the key U.S. market, a senior official said.

"There has been a lot of speculation. I want to say categorically we are not pursuing Hummer," Vice Chairman Anand Mahindra said at a news conference.

"We are pursuing our own models strategy and we do not want to tarnish our lean warrior strategy," he said, referring to Mahindra's plans for a line-up of eco-friendly vehicles.

Earlier on Monday, a source told Reuters China's Hunan Changfeng Motor Co (600991.SS: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) had held preliminary talks with General Motors, and that the Chinese sport utility vehicle maker had backed off, underlining the difficulty the U.S. firm faces in offloading the gas-guzzler at a time of high fuel prices.

GM, also struggling against a downturn in the North American auto market, has explored a sale of Hummer with potential buyers in Russia, as well, sources have said.

Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska's car unit, Russian Machines, last week also denied it was seeking to buy Hummer.

Mahindra, which earlier this year lost the race to buy the Jaguar and Land Rover luxury brands to larger rival Tata Motors Ltd (TAMO.BO: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) (TTM.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), plans to launch a small pickup truck and an SUV in the U.S. market, starting in the second half of 2009.

Mahindra declined to comment on whether the company would stick to its timeline for these launches, given falling sales of pickup trucks and SUVs in the U.S. market.

http://www.reuters.com/article/marke...0080818?rpc=44

[paul8488]

India doesn't want it, Russia doesn't want it... guess GM is stuck with Hummer. Ltes hope that gas DOES drop back down to 65 bucks a gallon.

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by paul8488

India doesn't want it, Russia doesn't want it... guess GM is stuck with Hummer. Ltes hope that gas DOES drop back down to 65 bucks a gallon.

That would suck balls.

[hercman]

I think he meant barrell.

Looks to me like time to redo the line. One model low cost take the fight to the Wrangler.

[rsbaker]

I don't want GM to sell Hummer or even kill it. I would like to see GM remake it. Sport Utlity vehicles can be stylish and fun and also Light weight and fuel efficient. GM can take aim at Jeep and remake Hummer and not leave this market segment all to Jeep. I have always wanted a Hummer that could compete against Jeep Wrangler. Kill H2. The H3 should be the largest Hummer with Long and short wheel base models as well as the SUT. give them all 6 spead trannys and the most efficient engines GM can muster and really market these vehicles to new customers and not just celebrities who can afford a $50K H2. Where is the H4? It seems we need it now!

Get to work GM and save Hummer !!!

[Caleb02]

i think the Chinese will buy hummer or even Daimler might as they need an upscale brand like hummer. Can you image an Hummerized S class car

[Ming]

That orange H2 brings Jay-Z's "Big Pimpin" background music to mind.

"And let's RI-I-I-I-I-IDE.. check em out now,"

HUMMER today is less of a symbol of tough off-roading capability, and more a symbol of early 2000's excess and the "new rich" (many of whom are now having their McMansions foreclosed on and no longer buying fancy HUMMERs)...

[Whitesky]

Keep it and rework the lineup.

[slowinthefastlane]

Here's some entirely different thinking: how about pulling a 180 with Hummer, dumping the H2 and H3, designing a genuine military vehicle, and going up against AM General? Hummer could be GM's defense contractor. Last time I looked, defense contractors weren't doing too badly. Plus, a lot of defense research is subsidized by the federal government. There could be some spillover of the technology developed for military vehicles into their consumer lines.

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by hercman

I think he meant barrell.

Looks to me like time to redo the line. One model low cost take the fight to the Wrangler.

Haha yeah I know.

They really should make that HX concept into reality. Perfect Wrangler competitor right there.

[nadepalma]

Originally Posted by paul8488

India doesn't want it, Russia doesn't want it... guess GM is stuck with Hummer.

If no one wants it, GM will either be forced to reduce the price/give it away for free, rework the lineup completely, or just let the brand die.

If there are no takers at this point, it looks like the latter two are possibilities. But with GM spending more on small-cars and killing/putting off other projects (consider the Caddy DTS/STS and Buick Lucerne replacement getting killed/delayed), how high up the list would reviving/recasting Hummer be? The needed capital just isn't there when GM is now focused on CAFE, more small products, and further integration of the Empire. That plus new, sustained losses may mean its possible that Hummer could just cease to exist...

Just my two cents.

[Brglotus]

Originally Posted by slowinthefastlane

Here's some entirely different thinking: how about pulling a 180 with Hummer, dumping the H2 and H3, designing a genuine military vehicle, and going up against AM General? Hummer could be GM's defense contractor. Last time I looked, defense contractors weren't doing too badly. Plus, a lot of defense research is subsidized by the federal government. There could be some spillover of the technology developed for military vehicles into their consumer lines.

I think that's a great idea, and still offer 1 or 2 models sold to the public under GMC dealers.

[zabraden]

Here's a new idea: Instead of working Hummer into a Jeep competitor, GM should actually buy Jeep and just add the H3 and maybe HX into the Jeep lineup, and simply kill the Hummer name. Somebody has to save Jeep from becoming another Indian or Chinese brand.

[stevews602]

Hummer is a loser, GM and those poor folks who own Hummer dealerships need to cut their losses. The fad has passed time to ditch it.

[PontiacBixler]

OMG GM.... Are you listening to any of us yet?????

Everyone here seems to be on the same page. Why can't you guys seem to get on the same page there in Detroit?

You have a GREAT name, despite everyone saying the contrary, that can be reworked to become the outdoors brand for you.

If I were king of the world, or at least in Rick or Bob's position... actually I wish I was a Carl Icahn or Kirk Kerkorian type who owned a boat load of stock and could strong arm management, this is what I would do with Hummer:
-Kill the H2.... literally. Take all H2's that are out in the wild and perform an "EV-1" on all of them. No questions asked. No answers given.

-Make the H3 the top of the line and rename it so that there is no previous nomenclature to the fact that there were even an H1 or H2.

-Bring out the Hx.

-Bring out an H(?), smaller than the Hx but not as small today's class of CUV's that the Calibre and Vibe reside in.

-By the time this all happens, the Volt will have been out for a year or two. Institute a plug in hybrid of the Hx and H(?).

-Marketing Marketing Marketing. Take out as much time as is legally allowed on channels such as:
•The Discovery Channel line ups
•Planet Green
•HGTV
•ESPN
•TLC
•SpikeTV
Promote the hell out of the Plug In Hybrid versions of the new Hummers and how versatile they are for the outdoors person. Come on, Hummer toots their own horn with some cool videos on their own website depicting the H3 crawling over obstacles and going through water. Why are these features never shown on TV commercials???

-Develop some neat cool feature that the Hummers have for the outdoors enthusiast or those that like to use their vehicle as "home base" at tailgates/outdoor picnics/etc... Kind of like how Jeep/Dodge have the flip down speakers in the back hatch, but something that would make people go "Hey I never thought of that, that would be cool, I NEED TO HAVE THAT!" Work with Apple for God's sake GM! They can innovate better than anyone out there!