Beijing 2010: Dongfeng shows off whitewalled, hand-crafted "Hummer"

"Hand-crafted" can be something of a double edged sword in the car business. Rolls-Royces and Aston Martins are hand-made treasures that show off their artisans' decades of experience. The attention to detail is obsessive.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are machines that look like they were haphazardly slapped together by some drunken hack in a toolshed. This Dongfeng "Hummer" falls solidly into the latter category.

The Beijing Motor Show presented our first opportunity to see one up close. Now, love 'em or hate 'em, a real H1 has that genuine military-industrial chic going for it. This vehicle, however, was a hot mess of the first order. The tires had painted-on whitewalls that looked as if they were applied by someone with a five-minute deadline, a paintbrush, and a gallon jug of Wite-Out. Truly, it's something very special to behold.

Hummer purchased by Chinese heavy equipment manufacturer

According to sources at The New York Times, General Motors' Hummer division has been sold to a machinery company in western China. That company, Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Company Ltd., presently doesn't build automobiles, it is known for making construction and maintenance equipment, but more recently it has segued into heavy-duty trucks.

The NYT says that the memorandum of understanding between GM and Sichuan Tengzhong needs to be signed off on by Beijing officials, as the government has the discretion to veto any purchases of overseas firms by a Chinese company, particularly those transactions valued over $100 million. Hummer's final price tag isn't yet known but it is widely believed that to be under $500 million. Hat tip to IHC!

UPDATE: It's official. GM's press release announcing the buyer is posted below the fold.

[Source: The New York Times]

GM to announce tentative sale of Hummer tomorrow

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, General Motors plans to announce a tentative sale of the Hummer brand less than a day after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Although GM won't release the name of Hummer's (possible) future owner(s) on Tuesday, the WSJ's sources say that a deal could be struck by the end of the third quarter and the H2 and H3 will continue to be produced at GM's plants in Indiana and Louisiana.

It's been widely accepted that if GM couldn't offload Hummer this month, it would be killed during the bankruptcy proceedings, and the General has been entertaining bids from a interest parties, including a Chinese firm, for somewhere in the sub-$500 million range since late last year. When the announcement is made tomorrow, expect GM to be hyping the sale as part of its turnaround efforts and that the SUV purveyor's new parent will continue to work on expanding the Hummer line, including the production of future alternative-fuel models.

[Source: Wall Street Journal]