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GM Hummer Brand Purchased By Chinese Company

by on Sunday, June 7, 2009 21 comments

2009-black-chrome-hummer

From China Car Times:

“Chinese netizens comment on Sichuan’s Hummer purchase.”

The big news of the day is of course, Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Company’s purchase of Hummer from GM. The New York Times were the first to break the story, but GM soon released a press release which confirmed earlier reports. The Chinese automotive press were naturally all over the story, and Chinese netizens were busily commenting on the story all day which CCT has summarised below.

Sichuan Tengzhong have reportedly already put down a 100 million USD deposit on the Hummer brand, and the deal will be reportedly complete by September 2009, making the iconic American brand a wholly owned Chinese company.

Sichuan Tengzhong’s plans for Hummer are not immediately clear, they do plan to keep the Hummer factories in place in the USA, and with 3000 workers in place.

Chinese netizens were very vocal in their comments on the story, here are some from the Auto.Sohu channel:

If it’s for technology, then 1 billion is worth it, if it’s for the brand, then it’s their loss

Oh! Really sad! Why are other countries brands worth so much? Why do Chinese people like to buy in foreign goods? Look at history, which Chinese brands were successful?

This deal will most certainly lose money

Hummer branding maybe worth 1 billion, but can it be made back?

What are you doing buying rubbish? Sichuan people have too much money

The king of oil consumption, not on the same level as Great Wall Motors though

When are we going to buy Boeing?

Just doing big business, but won’t make big money

Nobody has ever heard of Sichuan Teng Zhong brand, never mind the Hummer brand. In one bite they have become a fat man, I strongly support our national enterprises opening new boundaries. Could it be said that we’ve found yet another area of economic development?

What does China lack the most? It’s not technology, its branding. Technology needs one generation, craftwork takes three generations, but branding takes generations of history to build.

This is great, they [Hummers] will soon be made in China.

So we’ve sent more money to the USA?

So much money, why didn’t they just make their own brand?

So it seems that just from this small sample of comments that Chinese netizens aren’t really behind Sichuan Tengzhong buying Hummer.

from: China Car Times

chinese-police-hummer

A Chinese police vehicle.

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20 Comments

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  1. mike
    Sunday, June 7, 2009 at 11:56 pm

    HA! thats a chinese police car??? hmm…compensating for something??

    Reply
  2. malagebi
    Monday, June 8, 2009 at 2:10 am

    Shit investment, but made at a good price.

    Reply
  3. ecodelta
    Monday, June 8, 2009 at 7:37 am

    The most important thing about this deal is not the Hummer itself, but the fact that a taboo has been broken.

    By buying the hummer brand, the door has been opened for car Chinese companies to acquire other foreign car brands that could be use for opening foreign markets for their vehicles, and a greater awareness of Chinese car brands abroad.

    Something that has been possible only by the financial crisis that has forced GM to seek cash with urgency, and averted any possible intervention of US govt. against that deal.

    Even if this acquisition loose money, or they are not able to sell many of them outside China, it may prove to be very valuable for the future by the opportunities that are now thinkable.

    A very smart move in my opinion.

    Reply
  4. The Guy Who Introduced Cigarettes to China
    Monday, June 8, 2009 at 4:21 pm

    As long as the Hummer doesn’t shrink and bleed ink when you wash it.

    Reply
  5. frank.
    Tuesday, June 9, 2009 at 3:20 pm

    the big mistake here is the reason the hummer was discontinued – nobody wanted to buy them. yeah, it’s a well-known brand, but pretty much detested by most people in the US. It’s a stupid car – big, clunky, difficult to drive, uses far too much gas. A status symbol for idiots not classy enough to drive an audi or benz.

    GM didn’t let go of the brand because of the financial crisis, they discontinued the line sometime last year when people flat-out stopped buying them because gas prices went through the roof. The original hummers were terrible cars. The H2 was a lot nicer, but only sold well for a few years. GM lost a ton of money on the brand.

    Reply
  6. Sushi
    Wednesday, June 10, 2009 at 1:49 pm

    The most valuable thing about Hummer is not the brand. It’s the dealer network. Now the new “Hummer” can import cars into the USA and distribute them for Chery, BYD, etc. Speaking of “hummers” time to go get a massage.

    Reply
  7. ash
    Thursday, June 11, 2009 at 10:58 pm

    Excellent article ;)

    My Chinese wife borrowed her friends Hummer H2 for the day. Much fun was had, at least until she had me fill it up for her :(

    Reply
  8. Tommy
    Saturday, June 13, 2009 at 11:59 am

    Wow the Chinese finally bought something instead of stealing or copying it.

    Reply
  9. somebody
    Saturday, June 13, 2009 at 1:18 pm

    the guy behind this deal is a local crook,a leader of big mafia group,son of bitch Liyan

    Reply
  10. Peter
    Tuesday, June 16, 2009 at 3:09 am

    What does the US Army use ?? Hummers . What is the Chinese
    Army going to use: Hummers ???/ Everything is just humming along.

    Reply
    • frank.
      Tuesday, June 16, 2009 at 12:06 pm

      yeah, actually they don’t. The army uses something called HMMWV (humvee) manufactured by a company called AM General. It’s an entirely different vehicle than the commercial Hummers sold by GM. They look really similar but that’s about it. The Chinese actually already manufacture HMMWVs – this article is about the commercial Hummer brand.

      I don’t really know how to explain it – they’re two different vehicles and this article is about the sale of the civilian brand. GM doesn’t even own the rights to the military vehicle.

      Reply
  11. Josiah
    Thursday, June 18, 2009 at 11:43 am

    I’ve seen plenty of hummers around Hong Kong, even a couple in the Mainland. Chinese people love big cars, the bigger the better. So while a billion may be abit much, I have no doubts that they’ll sell plenty of the dangerous oversized smoke belching monsters.

    Reply
    • Kai
      Thursday, June 18, 2009 at 1:21 pm

      It’s not just the Chinese, it’s a lot of people. A lot of men like big cars (not just SUVs but big luxury cars too) to, you know, compensate (okay, that’s mean, it’s still an effective symbol of success). A lot of women like big cars because it makes them feel safer (SUV moms?). I definitely think, however, that Chinese car culture is still very young, and size still connates a certain status.

      Reply
  12. laowai
    Wednesday, July 15, 2009 at 11:30 am

    Can see the marketing slogan already “the world knows you have the smallest weeners, at least now you can drive the biggest car”.

    Reply
  13. Smokey
    Wednesday, October 7, 2009 at 2:49 am

    Bout time we take over the oppressor. just like Indians who bought Land Rover. Chinese Power!!! Now you whiteboys gonna be roadkill of the future!!! HAHA

    Reply
  14. Sukhoi
    Friday, November 13, 2009 at 12:40 pm

    Many mass media wrote that #1 in economy is USA, but the truth, China is the most powerful economic country in the world now.
    many poor citizen in china, but getting better now.
    china develops the fastest now.
    which country’s products the world’s people used most?
    china of course. So do americans.
    Buick is succed in USA, I hope hummer too…
    I hope China can make hummer as a fuel save car or maybe a hybrid car. cause american never notice it. biggest world poluttion is made in USA, not in china.
    for example is using of hummer.
    here comes the new concept of China’s Hummer, baby!~

    Reply
    • Justin
      Friday, November 13, 2009 at 1:40 pm

      haha!

      I guess we could argue on the economy thing if you look at it from a different perspective other than buying power and whatnot. As far as the pollution…yeah the US is bad about it…but worse than China? Come on.

      Mass use of things “made in China” doesn’t mean that those goods are worth a damn. Quantity over quality isn’t necessarily a good thing.

      Reply
  15. Hummer Parts
    Thursday, November 26, 2009 at 5:51 am

    Personally, I was very disappointed with the H2. The H3 isn’t so bad. I hope the new Chinese owners will develop these vehicles into something unique like the original was, instead of just producing more GM clones.

    Reply
  16. Sushi
    Wednesday, June 10, 2009 at 1:46 pm

    And somewhere in China another child is saying “Mum, dadd…can I have some food. I’m so hungry. I’m tired of eating dirt. My friend just got some rice from his dad….Please!”

    Reply
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