It is now official: Hummer will be dropping off the automotive landscape. The Chinese company Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machines Co. that had made a decisive offer to General Motors did not receive the go-ahead from the Chinese government. As a result, Hummer will no longer be, and GM will let it die a peaceful death.
This loss, more than the other GM banners, truly marks the end of an era. The burly SUV, held in contempt by environmentalists of all walks of life, was the quintessential American symbol.
From the very first glance it represented military power, excessive machismo and of course the decadence of a country that paid no heed to the expense of either purchasing it or driving it, despite its extremely poor fuel efficiency.
A sign of collective wisdom or simply of changing times, the Hummer is going for good and taking with it the image of the invincible mercenary that GM was trying to associate with its products. And one that inevitably was reflected in the entire company, if not the entire American people.
Today, the image of America is more that of a luxury sedan, or even a politically correct vehicle powered by more eco-friendly fuel.
But the Hummer will live on in history – and will continue to be an iconic symbol.
Not surprising then that the Chinese government has refused to adopt this symbol. Recycle an image that has been rejected by the West? Out of the question. As is restyling it with an oriental touch. It is simply too strongly linked to North American values to be easily exportable to Asia.
With the image of the bulky off-roader disappearing and that of sports cars rapidly fading, what will be the new face of the automobile?
Don’t count on eco-friendly or electricity-driven cars. Even if the idea enchants the intellectual crowd, not everyone agrees with it. No, keep your money on imposing utility vehicles, but cleaner ones, like the GMC Yukon Hybrid for instance – something that everybody can agree on.
This loss, more than the other GM banners, truly marks the end of an era. The burly SUV, held in contempt by environmentalists of all walks of life, was the quintessential American symbol.
From the very first glance it represented military power, excessive machismo and of course the decadence of a country that paid no heed to the expense of either purchasing it or driving it, despite its extremely poor fuel efficiency.
A sign of collective wisdom or simply of changing times, the Hummer is going for good and taking with it the image of the invincible mercenary that GM was trying to associate with its products. And one that inevitably was reflected in the entire company, if not the entire American people.
Today, the image of America is more that of a luxury sedan, or even a politically correct vehicle powered by more eco-friendly fuel.
But the Hummer will live on in history – and will continue to be an iconic symbol.
Not surprising then that the Chinese government has refused to adopt this symbol. Recycle an image that has been rejected by the West? Out of the question. As is restyling it with an oriental touch. It is simply too strongly linked to North American values to be easily exportable to Asia.
With the image of the bulky off-roader disappearing and that of sports cars rapidly fading, what will be the new face of the automobile?
Don’t count on eco-friendly or electricity-driven cars. Even if the idea enchants the intellectual crowd, not everyone agrees with it. No, keep your money on imposing utility vehicles, but cleaner ones, like the GMC Yukon Hybrid for instance – something that everybody can agree on.