Hummer to China. Why In The World?

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

The—mind you, tentative—agreement of Government Motors to sell Hummer to China’s Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery has people worried. No, it’s not the Americans who are scared of military secrets escaping to China. “The deal has observers in China worried,” writes Forbes. And worried they should be. The deal as it is makes little sense for a Chinese manufacturer. Especially for a manufacturer that has never built passenger cars. Tengzhong makes heavy industry vehicles, highway and bridge components, construction machinery and energy equipment.

What worries the Chinese is exactly what made GM so happy: According to the Memorandum of Understanding, Tengzhong will keep Hummer’s core management and operations team and existing dealership network. Reuters reports GM saying that “the buyer of Hummer would contract to build the H3 model SUV and the H3T pickup truck at GM’s plant in Shreveport, Louisiana — through at least 2010.” Why, oh my?


Contract manufacture in Louisiana makes some sense. The contract won’t be signed and sealed before the third quarter of 2009, or later. It will take a while before a maker of bridge pontoons gears up for production in China. But why keep the dealers in the USA if they could be easily thrown to the wolves by the name of C11?

“It will be difficult for Chinese to develop this well,” Forbes quotes Liu Sheng Wang, Shenzhen-based analyst for China Merchant Securities. Bigger Chinese companies have failed abroad. “There have been no successful cases in the past” of such acquisitions says Liu. SAIC’s adventure with South Korea SUV maker Ssangyong Motor ended in a costly “defeat,” he said. Ssangyong filed for bankruptcy in February.

Li Chunbo, Beijing-based analyst for CITIC Securities, is likewise scratching his head: “If the cars are built in the US and sold to China, that will be good for American employees, but the Hummer won’t successfully enter the Chinese market.” Hummers ain’t cheap, and China levies a 40 percent tax on big bore imports.

And selling a Hummer owned by the Chinese to the few remaining hardcore Hummer adherents? “As a Chinese company, Tengzhong could face a challenge in presenting the deal to American Hummer owners,” muses the New York Times. “The brand has long sought to emphasize patriotism, stressing that the Hummer H1 was essentially the same vehicle built in the same factory as the Humvee that carries American soldiers into battle in Iraq and elsewhere.”

The always highly patriotic UAW doesn’t share the NYT‘s qualms: “We’re just excited that Hummer may live on,” said Morgan Johnson, president of UAW Local 2166, which represents workers at the GM plant.

A cheaper, non-imported, Hummer could work in China. The “Chinese are not as environmentally conscious as American consumers, so Hummer does not face the same consumer backlash,” said Shaun Rein, head of China Market Research Group. A cheaper, Hummer-badged SUV could also be an export hit to other world markets that don’t apply the same stigma.

There is not much know-how changing hands. The Chinese are perfectly capable of building Hummer-inspired trucks themselves. The only thing of value would be the Hummer brand and the fact that the trucks have received regulatory approval in world markets.

GM said Tengzhong will also enter into a long-term contract assembly and key component and material supply agreement with GM. Sounds great to the casual observer. Parse the sentence carefully. According to Forbes, Tengzhong “will also clinch a long-term agreement to become a GM supplier.” Could it be that Tengzhong took Hummer off Government Motors’ hands in return for a nice parts—and possibly contract manufacture—deal?

But then why keep the Hummer dealers in the US around? Did anybody explain the US dealer franchise laws to Tengzhong? Here’s guessing that someone will before the contracts are signed.

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

More by Bertel Schmitt

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 19 comments
  • U mad scientist U mad scientist on Jun 03, 2009
    Does the deal include the H1 and any IP for the original Humvee ? I could see some industrial conglomerate wanting the H1 to shore up military deals and contracts, the H2/H3 models would then whither on the vine. Two companies in china have already produced close clones of h1 from civilian models and parts. This isn't as terrible of the deal as forecast here. GM gets money, and Tengzhong get a brand (which is popular in china) and supporting factory/machines. It's better than throwing Hummer away, at least in this case H owners get factory support and better residual.
  • Rodster205 Rodster205 on Jun 03, 2009
    By the way, I went to the website the picture came from, and it tried to put a Trojan Horse virus on my computer. Of course it did, it's a Russian website. You should never go to ANY website with .ru on the end of it.
  • Lorenzo Heh. The major powers, military or economic, set up these regulators for the smaller countries - the big guys do what they want, and always have. Are the Chinese that unaware?
  • Lorenzo The original 4-Runner, by its very name, promised something different in the future. What happened?
  • Lorenzo At my age, excitement is dangerous. one thing to note: the older models being displayed are more stylish than their current versions, and the old Subaru Forester looks more utilitarian than the current version. I thought the annual model change was dead.
  • Lorenzo Well, it was never an off-roader, much less a military vehicle, so let the people with too much money play make believe.
  • EBFlex The best gift would have been a huge bonfire of all the fak mustangs in inventory and shutting down the factory that makes them.Heck, nobody would even have to risk life and limb starting the fire, just park em close together and wait for the super environmentally friendly EV fire to commence.
Next