HUMMER has released some new marketing images of the 2009 H3T which is due out in just a few short weeks. The H3T will be one of the most customizable pickups in the world due to the innovative (and standard!) bed rail system, and HUMMER’s partnership with after market accessory companies that has been going on for months. Check out the HUMMER H3T Info section for all the pictures of just a few configuration posibilities.
AM General has announced its plan to reduce its workforce in the HUMMER H2 plant by laying off 80 workers over the next two to three weeks, according to local news reports. This is the first time since 2006 that the plant has resorted to layoffs, since many workers were able to transfer to the military HUMVEE plant when demand shifted.
The announcement comes just weeks after AM General was given the green light to begin producing a new vehicle, the Standard Taxi, in the HUMMER H2 production facility. Unfortunately for these 80 workers, production isn’t scheduled to begin on that vehicle until 2010 – too far away to justify keeping the workers on staff.
Source: WSBT-TV, South Bend
Next month is National Preparedness Month, a time when the American Red Cross urges everyone to visit their website, and take a personal “Pledge to Prepare” and take at least one step to prepare themselves and their families for unexpected emergencies. HUMMER is doing their part by donating 13 more HUMMER disaster vehicles to American Red Cross chapters across the United States.
The 13 HUMMER H3s will join the 31 currently in use across the country, which have been used across the country in countless disasters including areas hit by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; flooding in Indiana; and wildfires in California. All of the HUMMERs have been donated by General Motors as part of 6 year, $4 million commitment to the American Red Cross.
“HUMMER and the GM Foundation’s donations to the Red Cross have helped support our core mission of providing urgent relief to those affected by disaster,” said Jeff Towers, chief development officer at the American Red Cross. “Their ongoing generosity will continue to help Red Cross chapters respond to emergencies across the nation.”
To help make communication and navigation easier for Red Cross volunteers, each donated H3 will be equipped with complimentary OnStar services – which proved useful during the California wildfires when in addition to the Red Cross, OnStar subscribers were able to get traffic and shelter information regardless of their subscription plan.
Currently many American Red Cross chapters from around the country are busy preparing for the possibility of Hurricane Gustav making US landfall early next month.
“For sure, there has been interest from various parties within the Gulf … there is a precedent in the cases of Aston Martin, Ferrari or Daimler and those kinds of solutions could be very realistic solutions,” said Terry Johnsson, GM Middle East’s Managing Director. Johnsson is referring to the partial sale (5%) of Ferrari to Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Development Company, and Kuwait’s Investment Dar which bought half of Aston Martin last year.
Johnsson isn’t directly involved in the sale, but confirmed that GM has “had two separate investors raise their hand as being interested,” and adds, “but I don’t know what’s happened since then.” Outside the US, Johnsson explained HUMMER has seen significant growth. “The Hummer as a total volume is small, but in terms of growth it is going very fast … The brand is extremely vibrant … which augurs very well.”
Source: Reuters
Early Saturday morning, Emily Miller of Team HUMMER drove across the finish line and secured her place in history as the first female to ever pilot the entire 457-mile Vegas to Reno off-road race.
Driving into the history books didn’t come easy for Miller, whose HUMMER H2 race truck suffered its first setback at mile 80 when a severe impact caused the front passenger wheel to be ripped off. The Team HUMMER crew was able to reconstruct the front end in the pits and get Miller back in the race. Not a moment too soon, either. After two hours in the pit, the team finished the repair just 8 minutes before the pit closed for the race.
Jake Povey was the navigator for the #4110 H2, and Miller describes Povey as her “navigator, coach, mechanic, motivator and friend,” and credits him for helping her finish. “Driving the entire race is much more arduous than it appears,” said Miller. “It’s grueling enough when things are going well, but when things go wrong, it becomes even more difficult to stay focused. I could not have finished this race without the Team HUMMER support crew.”
Miller and Povey finished the race in 16 hours and 40 minutes with an average speed of 27.3 mph.
Congrats to Emily for her historic run!
Team HUMMER continues its dominance in Vegas to Reno race put on by the Best in the Desert racing association, with Chad, Josh, and Rod Hall all taking the first place finishes in their respective production classes.
Chad took the checkered flag in the #4111 Team HUMMER H3 Alpha at 11:49 PM, 70 miles in front of the second place #4101 Ford Expedition. Chad spent about 11 hours, 9 minutes on the course and finished with an average speed of about 41 MPH.
Josh Hall finished at 11:55 PM, in the #8111 Team HUMMER H2 SUT with a 30 mile lead over the #8102 Ford F-350 pick-up. Josh was out on the course for 11 hours, 25 minutes for an average speed of about 39 MPH. Josh was still able to take first despite breaking a rear track bar mount at race mile 35 — Team HUMMER’s always ready pit crew was able to weld it together quickly and get Josh back on the course.
Rod Hall’s #3111 truck crossed the finish line just before 2am, with co-driver Mike Winkel behind the wheel, completing the sweep of all three production classes. Team HUMMER’s H3 SUV was on the course for 13 hours, 15 minutes and averaged about 34 MPH.
Given the time difference and the long distance of the course, Emily Miller who has been running third most of the race behind Chad Hall and another competitor, is still on the course and should finish any minute! When Emily finishes, she will be the first woman ever to drive the grueling Vegas to Reno race solo!
Source: Team HUMMER/Rod Hall Racing
Team HUMMER is preparing for what they hope is another record setting run at the longest off-road race in the United States, BITD’s Vegas to Reno race. Emily Miller, Team HUMMER’s newest driver, will attempt to be the first woman to pilot the entire 457-mile race. Typically teams break up driving duties due to the race’s intense terrain and excessive heat – given that the race routinely takes over 12 hours to complete.
Miller will be joining the Hall family of racers, with Team HUMMER patriarch Rod Hall piloting the #3111 H3, and his two sons Josh and Chad racing the #8111 SUT and #4111 H3 Alpha, respectively. The green flag goes up Friday morning, so stay tuned to Team HUMMER’s website and the Live Race Blog for continuous race-day updates.
Complete release below. (more…)
GM is getting ready to announce a huge sale across all its brands, including HUMMER. Starting Wednesday, HUMMER will offer employee pricing for everyone in addition to cash incentives on all 2008 models. 2009 HUMMER H2s, H3s, and H3Ts will not be eligible for employee pricing. The incentive program with employee pricing will run until September 2nd, and is part of General Motors’ celebration of being in business for 100 years. About once a year we say, “if you want one…now is the time.” And we think we’re there. If we’re not there yet, we’re REALLY close. More specifics to follow.
Just North of Dallas lies Frisco, a community that ranked #38 on Money Magazine’s ‘Best Places to Live’ list. However, one Frisco Homeowners Association has made it a rather unpleasant place to live for one Ford F150 owner who chooses to park his new ride – *GASP* – in his driveway! The Stonebriar HOA has sent Jim Greenwood, the owner of the new F150, the first of three notices with threats of fines.
“Mr. Greenwood, you’re violating a subdivision rule that prohibits pickup trucks in your driveway,” reads the first letter.
We could on some level agree with such a rule, but the real problem here is selective enforcement. You see the same group that says ‘no pickups allowed’ DOES allow the Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevy Avalanche, Honda Ridgeline, and even the Lincoln Mark LT – a vehicle made by the Ford Motor Company that is very similar to a well equipped F150.
The HOA claims that these exceptions are “high-end vehicles that are allowed are plush with amenities and covers on the back. It doesn’t look like a pickup…It’s fancier.” This is a historic statement by the Stonebriar HOA, as the Chevy Avalanche has never before been described as a “fancy” vehicle.
“A Chevy Suburban can be in the driveway,” said Mr. Greenwood. “If we had a big Hummer, that could be in the driveway. If we had a Lincoln Mark LT, that could be in the driveway. But a Ford F-150 can’t.”
We think we can help Mr. Greenwood solve his problem of having a capable pickup truck with a luxury counterpart: The new 2009 HUMMER H3T due out in the next few weeks. This will surely make everyone happy, even the HOA, since the HUMMER H3T will come ‘plush with amenities’ and can be equipped with ‘covers on the back.’
Source: Dallas Morning News
There has been plenty of speculation on who may be interested in purchasing the HUMMER brand from GM, although recently, everyone seems to be in denial mode.
Two companies that were said to be in talks with GM were India’s Mahindra & Mahindra and Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska, and now both are denying any interest in purchasing the brand. “There has been a lot of speculation. I want to say categorically we are not pursuing Hummer,” said the vice chair of Mahindra. Oleg Deripaska’s company Russian Machines also echoed that sentiment, saying it has “no strategic plans” to pursue an acquisition of HUMMER. After receiving many media requests, Russian Machines added that it “has not received any proposals to consider such an acquisition.”
What about China? Chinese manufacturer Changfeng was reportedly in talks with GM, but decided not to continue after touring HUMMER’s U.S. production facility, claiming the brand had limited potential. According to the same Reuters report, other Chinese manufacturers like SAIC Motor Corp and Dongfeng have also said they have little interest in the brand.
All these denials come after GM’s chief Rick Wagoner saying there is “significant interest” in the brand.
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