Car & SUV

One free shotgun with every Hummer sold

March 18th, 2010 by Car and SUV

Hummer has had a short but large career beginning with catching the American public’s eye during Operation Desert Storm before success and then ultimately bankruptcy. First the Hummvee was a military-only vehicle, then the original model became available to the public, after that GM bought the rights and started churning out smaller but still huge H2s and H3s, then the original H1 was discontinued and now GM is preparing to power down the brand entirely. But before that happens there is time for one final pistol-shootin’ celebration, thanks to one American dealership that sees the truck for all it’s war-heritage goodness.

Lynch Hummer from St. Louis made headlines last year when they started filling their emptying showroom with gun racks, selling firearms to help compensate for pathetic sales of the large SUVs. Now the dealership is going one step further with a intelligent one-of-a-kind promotion – buy a Hummer, get a free shotgun.

The giveaway gun is a Browning Citori White Lightning worth $2,000 USD, and one will be included with each purchase of a new Hummer. Being a person who buys a Hummer should really be enough to guarantee responsible gun ownership but unfortunately, the same legal rules apply to the promotion as they would to anyone buying a new firearm. Seems unfair, but now Americans have a one-stop shop to kick-start their own personal militia, be afraid.

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End of the road for Hummer as sale falls through

February 26th, 2010 by Car and SUV

General Motors has announced that the proposed deal with China’s Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machines Co., Ltd. for the sale of Hummer has collapsed and as a result the brand will be wound down.

The deal with Tengzhong had been on the table for months and was expected to secure more than 3,000 American jobs in manufacturing, engineering and at Hummer dealerships in the States. The proposed transaction also included plans by the Chinese machinery company to fully fund new Hummer products, including a compact H4 model.

The sale required Chinese government approval which put the skids on early. That, combined with poor sales, growing public concern for the environment and the recession all added up to weaken the chances of a successful Hummer sale. Now the once iconic brand is back on death row.

GM will continue to honour Hummer warranties, while providing service support and spare parts to all current owners globally.

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U.S. Military discharging Humvee soon

February 18th, 2010 by Car and SUV

The military-spec High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV, or Humvee) has given the U.S military solid uncompromising utility use for many years. But now American troops in Iraq, Afghanistan or anywhere else the U.S. military is cracking heads, need a new updated vehicle that's been designed and built to better counter roadside bombs and other dangerous issues.

The final 2,620 Humvees have been ordered from AM General by the U.S. Army. In total, AM General has produced 240,000 Humvees since 1985.

Just like the Humvee replacing the original military Jeep some 25 years ago, the next generation military vehicle needs a revised skill set, not the least of which is adequate protection from improvised explosive devices, or IEDs. More than 1,700 U.S. troops have died in Iraq alone from IEDs as of last month, and the military is responding by switching to what's called Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, or MRAPs.

The Humvee isn't ready for the scrap heap just yet, as the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force still have thousands in service. In the U.S. Army's latest budget nearly a billion dollars was set aside to maintain its existing fleet of Humvees.

The Humvees used for military purposes are not the same as those sold under the civilian Hummer brand, which General Motors is still trying to sell to Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery of China.

Photo Credit: U.S. Army