This may sound odd to some, but are do you think it is good or bad GM is no longer running the show?
Here is my take on things. Feel free to post your own.
The H1 used to be rarely seen on the road. There weren't that many around (especially up here), and were always eye-grabbing, excellent offroad vehicles that could do pretty much any task. Very minimally "civilianized" from the HMMWWV, this was the original Hummer. This truck had a clearly defined purpose: an all-purpose offroad truck designed for use in the most extreme environments.
A few years later, GM gets control of the brand from AM and start doing their own thing. Out come the H2 and H3, still maintaining the Hummer heredity, but making it more affordable to the masses, making it a more common vehicle. OK, so we get both models more "civillianized", but at least they are still keeping the brand alive. With these models, the focus turns away from offroad and more towards onroad use. This is great, because there are less and less places to offroad all the time, and in today's culture, there is more and more driving on roads that needs to be done. However, these trucks both maintain an above average offroad capability.
Soon after, we start to hear news of the new concepts, like the HX. The focus is again less on offroad, and more on onroad. Whether you like it or no, you must agree that it bears little resemblance to its predecessors, let alone the H1 and Humvee, and there is little information (at least to my knowledge) on whether this would hold up offroad to the other models, or even a Jeep for that matter.
We end up with this pattern:
Design mainly for offroad (H1) > Designed equally for onroad and offroad (H2 and H3) > designed mainly for onroad (HX).
Putting all of this into perspective, it appears that GM was manipulating the Hummer line to make it the competitor to Jeep. If GM still had control of the Hummer brand then what would be next? The Hummer family minivan and the Hummer Hybrid sedan? GM saw a way to make money with the brand (which they did - it was one of the only brands making a profit for them), launching mass advertising campaigns that embedding the name onto the brains of the general population - but at the same time fueling hatred amongst the "green community". While appealing to us owners, the Hummer was never designed to be this type of vehicle, and the population picked up on that.
At the rate the brand was moving away from the original purpose of such a vehicle (going back to the 1980s here - a High Mobility Multi-Wheeled Vehicle <img src='http://www.canadianhummerclub.com/forum ... e_wink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> ), I think that within years the at least one of the current models would have been relegated to road use - with little to no offroad capability. Case in point - I know that a few years ago, Jeep made a 2WD only model (ie: no offroad capability what-so-ever), while at the same time tacking a chrome badge onto the side saying "Trail Rated" in an attempt to connect it with the other models and original purpose for the jeep.
You can make the case that further reduction of its offroad capabilities to a level of those in the HX and lower are necessary for its continued popularity, but if you just want it as the daily driver for your morning commute to Toronto and back, then you must ask "Do I really need this vehicle?". Us owners would likely say yes, but the general public would not. GM was trying to make the Hummer a vehicle that needed to be in every garage, when that was completely unrealistic. There are models for that: Honda Civics and Toyota Camrys, but not the Hummer.
Bottom line: I think it is good that GM is no longer running the show. It would have been great for someone to pick it up and continue making these trucks (the Russians spring to mind - and of all people they would appreciate the need for such a offroad vehicle), but at least the brand won't go the way of the SUV - no longer a "Sport Utility Vehicle" but a street cruiser with lots of legroom.
What about you guys?
Alan
Good Or Bad Hummer Isn't With AM GENARELL
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Good Or Bad Hummer Isn't With AM GENARELL
Last edited by abot on Thu Jun 30, 2011 5:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Good Or Bad Hummer Isn't With AM GENARELL
You know the company that keeps coming to my mind that I think would be a good match for the Hummer name as long as they kept the offroad direction.... Land Rover!
Why Not - I know the price tag would jump.... but their lines now are all designed mainly for on road use... they have nothing for offroad use anymore which is odd for a name that used to symbolize a true 4X4 vehicle.
The Hummer would be that vehicle again!!!!
I think we should call them!
Why Not - I know the price tag would jump.... but their lines now are all designed mainly for on road use... they have nothing for offroad use anymore which is odd for a name that used to symbolize a true 4X4 vehicle.
The Hummer would be that vehicle again!!!!
I think we should call them!
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Re: Good Or Bad Hummer Isn't With AM GENARELL
Doesn't Ford own Land Rover???
I can not honestly believe that there is no market for Hummer out there, yes maybe it would be elite, but still this is one truck that everyone knows, I watched a movie a few days ago, Green Zone and it was full of Humvees, yes it was a army movie but still...people need trucks and need to have fun.. Jeep has started with the "off road" push again..and they will succeed because no one can compete with them since Hummer is gone, how can Jeep succeed and Hummer fail?? I do not understand...but I see GM get rid of Saturn too and there are lots of them on the market as well
Come on people... SUPPORT your Brand!!!
I can not honestly believe that there is no market for Hummer out there, yes maybe it would be elite, but still this is one truck that everyone knows, I watched a movie a few days ago, Green Zone and it was full of Humvees, yes it was a army movie but still...people need trucks and need to have fun.. Jeep has started with the "off road" push again..and they will succeed because no one can compete with them since Hummer is gone, how can Jeep succeed and Hummer fail?? I do not understand...but I see GM get rid of Saturn too and there are lots of them on the market as well
Come on people... SUPPORT your Brand!!!
Last edited by dwaxman1 on Sun Jul 25, 2010 10:59 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Good Or Bad Hummer Isn't With AM GENARELL
Personally i would like to see the brand sold to RAZOR TECHNOLIGIES (sorry for spelling)as they allready have 7 trucks doing road test i'm talking about the electric h3s i like the dedication to off road and on road that they have and they also have the right people in the developement area to really take the hummer into the 21st centry.The Bear
my eng. name is Brian my Mohawk name is Skenne:ogwari (peaceful bear) my nick name is the bear if i'm lucky i may earn more.
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Re: Good Or Bad Hummer Isn't With AM GENARELL
I love the Hummer H3 Electrics that Razor has on the research and development areana right now, but I do remeber something about GM NOT wanting to sell Hummer to Razor to protect their campaign for the new image toward Green Cars and electric was the way they were going...selling the Hummer Brand to Razor would be like shooting themselves in the foot as they already have a wonderfully, efficient hybrid vehicle that offroads as well...the Hummer H3. GM would look mightly silly if that were to happen!!!! <img src='http://www.canadianhummerclub.com/forum ... ngHead.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':banghead:' />
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The Only Way To Get Over It Is To Drive A Hummer
The Only Way To Get Over It Is To Drive A Hummer
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Re: Good Or Bad Hummer Isn't With AM GENARELL
[quote name='dwaxman1' date='25 July 2010 - 10:55 AM' timestamp='1280069751' post='19702']
I can not honestly believe that there is no market for Hummer out there, yes maybe it would be elite, but still this is one truck that everyone knows, I watched a movie a few days ago, Green Zone and it was full of Humvees, yes it was a army movie but still...people need trucks and need to have fun.. Jeep has started with the "off road" push again..and they will succeed because no one can compete with them since Hummer is gone. how can Jeep succeed and Hummer fail?? I do not understand...but I see GM get rid of Saturn too and there are lots of them on the market as well [/quote]
Jeep has been around for 60+ years, and the fact that almost everyone within the US relied (remember, they had the draft) upon the MB in WWII certainly didn't hurt the image. It all comes down to different marketing strategies. Jeep had the reputation slowly built up over time, and they didn't really start making fully "civillianized" models until the 1970s. From 1940-c1970s, the "civillian" jeeps were minimally modified from their military counterparts.
GM didn't follow this approach - instead they tried to push the brand onto the general population and advertise it as an all-round vehicle. Jeep never did this until 30/40 years after they were founded. Bottom line is different marketing strategies.
Even as fuel costs rose, Hummer kept bringing in a profit. From what I have read (don't know how truthful this is), the decision to drop the line was a part of the mandatory restructuring that came with the acceptance of bailout money (maybe you can trace the lines back to the anti-truck attitude within most branches of the US government).
Just to add onto my original post, I have never had my H1 or HMMWV door keyed, tires slashed or been given the finger, but I have seen this in the H2s and H3s. You have to wonder the role that GM had in this whole Hummer-hatred trend.
And just an interesting tidbit for anyone wondering about the Hummer/Jeep connection, they started as the same company (Overland) which was founded in the early 1900s. The "family tree" goes something like this:
Overland > Willys-Overland > Willys > Kaiser-Jeep > AMG
Alan
I can not honestly believe that there is no market for Hummer out there, yes maybe it would be elite, but still this is one truck that everyone knows, I watched a movie a few days ago, Green Zone and it was full of Humvees, yes it was a army movie but still...people need trucks and need to have fun.. Jeep has started with the "off road" push again..and they will succeed because no one can compete with them since Hummer is gone. how can Jeep succeed and Hummer fail?? I do not understand...but I see GM get rid of Saturn too and there are lots of them on the market as well [/quote]
Jeep has been around for 60+ years, and the fact that almost everyone within the US relied (remember, they had the draft) upon the MB in WWII certainly didn't hurt the image. It all comes down to different marketing strategies. Jeep had the reputation slowly built up over time, and they didn't really start making fully "civillianized" models until the 1970s. From 1940-c1970s, the "civillian" jeeps were minimally modified from their military counterparts.
GM didn't follow this approach - instead they tried to push the brand onto the general population and advertise it as an all-round vehicle. Jeep never did this until 30/40 years after they were founded. Bottom line is different marketing strategies.
Even as fuel costs rose, Hummer kept bringing in a profit. From what I have read (don't know how truthful this is), the decision to drop the line was a part of the mandatory restructuring that came with the acceptance of bailout money (maybe you can trace the lines back to the anti-truck attitude within most branches of the US government).
Just to add onto my original post, I have never had my H1 or HMMWV door keyed, tires slashed or been given the finger, but I have seen this in the H2s and H3s. You have to wonder the role that GM had in this whole Hummer-hatred trend.
And just an interesting tidbit for anyone wondering about the Hummer/Jeep connection, they started as the same company (Overland) which was founded in the early 1900s. The "family tree" goes something like this:
Overland > Willys-Overland > Willys > Kaiser-Jeep > AMG
Alan
"Lead, Follow or Get Out of the Way"
General George S. Patton
92 Softtop, 97 Wagon, 68 Stalwart, 87 Pinzgauer, 62 Haflinger, 44 Willys MB
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Re: Good Or Bad Hummer Isn't With AM GENARELL
[quote name='duncanpa' date='25 July 2010 - 02:04 PM' timestamp='1280081054' post='19710']
I love the Hummer H3 Electrics that Razor has on the research and development areana right now, but I do remeber something about GM NOT wanting to sell Hummer to Razor to protect their campaign for the new image toward Green Cars and electric was the way they were going...selling the Hummer Brand to Razor would be like shooting themselves in the foot as they already have a wonderfully, efficient hybrid vehicle that offroads as well...the Hummer H3. GM would look mightly silly if that were to happen!!!! <img src='http://www.canadianhummerclub.com/forum ... ngHead.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':banghead:' />
[/quote]
http://www.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1044103_hummer-still-has-american-bidder-interested
Possibly GM doesn't want to sell it because they realize the brand still has potential, and they wouldn't want (as you said) a competitor. There were certainly companies interested in buying it, but it all fell apart due to GM's reluctance to take action.
Alan
I love the Hummer H3 Electrics that Razor has on the research and development areana right now, but I do remeber something about GM NOT wanting to sell Hummer to Razor to protect their campaign for the new image toward Green Cars and electric was the way they were going...selling the Hummer Brand to Razor would be like shooting themselves in the foot as they already have a wonderfully, efficient hybrid vehicle that offroads as well...the Hummer H3. GM would look mightly silly if that were to happen!!!! <img src='http://www.canadianhummerclub.com/forum ... ngHead.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':banghead:' />
[/quote]
http://www.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1044103_hummer-still-has-american-bidder-interested
Possibly GM doesn't want to sell it because they realize the brand still has potential, and they wouldn't want (as you said) a competitor. There were certainly companies interested in buying it, but it all fell apart due to GM's reluctance to take action.
Alan
"Lead, Follow or Get Out of the Way"
General George S. Patton
92 Softtop, 97 Wagon, 68 Stalwart, 87 Pinzgauer, 62 Haflinger, 44 Willys MB
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Re: Good Or Bad Hummer Isn't With AM GENARELL
google Toyota Mega Cruiser
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Re: Good Or Bad Hummer Isn't With AM GENARELL
I just have to say this <img src='http://www.canadianhummerclub.com/forum ... lleyes.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':rolleyes:' />
I'll be back
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTx9WMsxLLM
I'll be back
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTx9WMsxLLM
HUMMER LIFE
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Re: Good Or Bad Hummer Isn't With AM GENARELL
[quote name='T.C.' timestamp='1286377755' post='21686']
I just have to say this <img src='http://www.canadianhummerclub.com/forum ... lleyes.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':rolleyes:' />
I'll be back
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTx9WMsxLLM
[/quote]
I also think that Hummer is gonna come back. Jeep went into many hands and is still alive. The Hummer is a way too much interesting product to stop its production. If it's not GM, it will be someone else. For my part, I hope it's won't be a company that has no reliability.
I just have to say this <img src='http://www.canadianhummerclub.com/forum ... lleyes.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':rolleyes:' />
I'll be back
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTx9WMsxLLM
[/quote]
I also think that Hummer is gonna come back. Jeep went into many hands and is still alive. The Hummer is a way too much interesting product to stop its production. If it's not GM, it will be someone else. For my part, I hope it's won't be a company that has no reliability.