Was the Hummer brand really born four years ago? The Army-inspired H2 now occupies a fading mindspace. It’s a relic from a time when America’s foreign policy problems were out there, somewhere. When gasoline was like Gatorade: a cheap, endless commodity that hydrated the hopes and dreams of a nation. Post-911, post-Katrina, post-Iraq, the H2 somehow remains. But not for long. According to our spies, GM has slated the gas-gargling mondo-SUV for termination. What’s THAT all about?
Disappearing buyers. Since its debut in 2003, H2 sales have fallen faster than George W’s approval rating (if only just). The macho model’s popularity peaked in its first year, sinking not-so-slowly but entirely predictably thereafter.
In 2006, GM sold less than half as many H2’s as it did in 2003. If the trend from the first four months of this year carries through to its gruesome conclusion, the H2 will rack-up just 12K annual sales, down 65% from its debut. Unless the 2008 makeover– upgraded interior, six-speed gearbox, 6.2-liter V8– rekindles faded ardor, it will be the model's last hurrah. Or raspberry.
On a deeper level, the Hummer’s decline reflects the political temper of our times. While the H2 is no less fuel efficient than any other gi-normous SUV (e.g. the now discontinued Ford Excursion), its inherently impolite dimensions and unabashedly militaristic demeanor made it a lightning rod for environmentalists and anti-war protesters alike. For these left-leaning activists, the H2 was/is the automotive equivalent of the ugly American.
H2 owners know the drill. Even before the Iraq war lost momentum, driving an H2 in a blue state urban area meant running a gauntlet of middle finger-flashing anger. Like a crew cut on a Vietnam-era conservative, trip-wire liberals clock an H2 and immediately assume its owner possesses a right wing political perspective and supports America’s foreign military operations.
It’s an entirely understandable if simplistic assumption that puts H2 owners on the defensive from the git-go. The model’s decline is at least partially attributable to the fact that only so many SUV drivers are ready, willing and able to run an endless gauntlet of unabashed antipathy.
No question: the H2’s rugged military persona was the key its downfall. It provided detractors with plenty of ammunition (so to speak) for self-righteous feelings of revulsion and disgust.
For example, while anti-SUV campaigners could almost forgive the cataclysmic damage wrought by a full-size SUV on a smaller vehicle as an unintended consequence of its owner’s understandable (if selfish) desire to protect their progeny, they viewed the Hummer as a four-wheeled metaphor for unbridled arrogance: “F.U. and the compact car you drove into me on.”
Contrary to popular belief, very few Hummer H2 buyers were motivated by a desire to make a political statement. While there’s no escaping the H2’s GI Joe fantasy factor, a large number of consumers chose the Hummer based on its off-road capabilities. And it’s true: plenty of H2 owners deploy their machine as government contractor AM General intended. While the 6400 lbs. SUV is a bit jumbo-sized for many off-road trails, in the main, she can “git ‘er done.”
Yet many Hummeristas remained oblivious to the fact that the H2’s exterior places the off-roader's terrain traversing chops into a distinctly sinister context. Most full-size SUV’s seem to say “One day, I may take my family off-road to commune with nature.” At best, the Hummer’s take-no-prisoner exterior proclaims “Survivalist on board.” At worst, worse.
Now that the Hummer H2 is on its way out, environmentalists/peace campaigners will have a hard time finding an equally obvious and (let’s face it) easy target. This despite the fact that the Hummer isn’t really dead; the model was replaced by the smaller, more frugal, cheaper-to-produce and less aggressive-looking H3.
In its first year of production (2005), the H3 accounted for 58 percent of Hummer’s sales. By 2006, the figure rose to 74 percent. So far this year, GM has sold 13k H3’s— more than the entire anticipated annual run of H2’s.
Even so, the total number of Hummers due to be sold in ‘07 is significantly less than that of a single Chevy model– which hardly seems sufficient to sustain an entire GM brand. As the H2 leaves the battlefield, one wonders if there will still be a Hummer to kick around four years hence.
I reckon the Hummer brand’s survival depends on two factors. First, GM must avoid bankruptcy. Second, Hummer must develop products that sell military prowess without projecting military arrogance or aggression. Either that or America’s armed forces’ fortunes must change abroad, to the point where it’s once again OK to drive a vehicle that celebrates our troops’ mucho macho can-do spirit. None of these possibilities seem likely.
Meanwhile, the Smithsonian Institution should find an early H2 to place into their permanent collection. No other machine so perfectly captured and distilled the gestalt of its time as the H2. Loved or loathed, GM’s lumbering leviathan deserves to be remembered for what it was: a uniquely American icon.
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In the context of “world cars” this beast is no hot commodity.
If the H3 hadn’t been introduced, the H2’s sales would be higher than they are. But the H3’s size and price make it a more suitable vehicle for many fans of the brand.
Once the H3 gets a suitable engine (even enlarged the straight five doesn’t quite cut it) then its proportion of Hummer sales will likely get even larger.
On the other hand, the H2 gets a new, much improved interior for 2008, and this could bump sales a bit.
Prices and such:
http://www.truedelta.com/models/H2.php
Greenies & Bearded weirdos unite!!!!! there is a version of the H3 called an “Alpha” (male?) with the 5.3 V8.
Even though I would never buy one, especially with the price of gasoline where it is at currently, I still like the H2, and I’m more-or-less a liberal.
I always thought if you can afford it, and the gas, so be it.
No vehicle ever cried out for a diesel the way the H2 does.
My understanding of the values of most Hummer drivers was cemented watching the scene from the Sopranoes when Chris Moltasonti chose the high life with an H2 over his fiancee.
They still haven’t found her body.
As usual, putting your personal ideals onto a marque misses the boat entirely. An H1 or H2 doesn’t “excite” the liberals- you should spend some time with us, as we’re more alike than you conservatives would want to believe.
If GM can somehow morph Hummer into a direct competitor to Jeep, with smaller yet still husky vehicles then I think there is still a future for the brand.
Let’s also not forget that in this day and age models come and go far more rapidly than before; as the marketplace is subject to the quick winds of change. The H2 when it first came out was a market scream, AAAANold and all. Now it is but a whisper.
I can imagine a whole line of Hummerettes out there to go up against the Wrangler and Cherokee and even Liberty. All off-road rated and street capable. GM probably doesnt have the resources, stomach or focus to make this so, but who knows.
Like no other vehicle in memory, when I see an H2 in traffic, “disturbed driver” pops into my head. And stopped at a red light, I can’t even bear to glance at the driver, for fear of busting-out laughing at such a fragile self-image. Such things are probably not what GM had in mind in the glossy, H2 phamplet at the dealer.
I do like several things about the vehicle, though. The H2/3’s have a huge sunroof (which is actually usable and over the driver’s head, unlike all these raked windshield, aero-over-anything, vehicles of today). There’s nothing like a box for interior room, too. And damn it, I like it because it is anti-now, an it pisses-off the hippies; maybe even more now then before. It will be a classic, as most controversial vehicles are.
But, if I were in the market, and wanted to display intelligence in vehicle selection, I would choose a Suburban or Tahoe, 1 year old, for $25k. (Best deal on the dying-planet; 80% of the mileage of a Odyssey, 2X the room, and half the maintenance costs, without paying out the butt for sliding door fixes or timing belts.)
The H2 also suffers from GM’s unlimited assumption that there’s a sucker-customer born ever minute. How else can you explain the plastic shifter feels as crappy, junky, and ‘who-cares’ as the H2’s does (in a “rugged vehicle” no less). And of course, Hummers in Iraq being blown up every six hours doesn’t help the rugged personna.
A friend of mine worked on the audio system for the H3 and had to take the vehicle out for an overnight ride to his house to check out the navigation system. He lives ~50 miles from work and he said he has never seen more middle fingers flying in his direction. People were purposely putting their vehicles in front of him and driving slowly. And it wasn’t even his and he only had it for a day. Wonder how the people explain to their kids why they are getting flipped off in traffic on a regular basis.
The military hummer HAS a diesel. Why GM did not put diesels in the H2 escapes me. Perhaps enviro rules prohibited it.
I drove hummers often in the service years ago and these things would go through anything. 2 feet of mud up a 10% grade at 30 mph, no problem. It’s a vehicle that needs to be available, just purchased by people who need it. Grocery runs are a waste of capability.
But of course that was the original hummer, not the Chevy Suburban version that is the H2.
The H2 is not the beginning of this saga it was the H1 the real military model made street legal 10 years ago. Every millionaire and gotta have it motor head with money bought one. (For 75K).
The suburban based H2 was round two and it was accompanied by a rash of 2 million dollar a copy franchise approved modernistic buildings to sell the things. These mostly GM dealers were told they would be the new jeep dealers with a rash of products that made high margins (compared to gm cars which don't) And guess what, they did. They sold at full list or with add on markups and waiting lists.
These new H3's were only 50K each and only about 10K more than the suburban hiding underneath the macho sheet metal. Everyone customer, dealer, and factory won.
Now comes $4.00 gas this summer and the 30 gallon tank will cost $100.00+ to fill and you will fill it often at 12mpg. Enter the H3 a fuel efficient 14mpg canyon based underpowered, ute at 35K even though, this last one seemed to be the military ute for the masses, it lacks the same character and is an underperformer with 5 cylyndes. Who ever heard of going off in the wilderness to do battle with five cylinders?
So the thing is conflicted, yet the large 2 million dollar showroom it sits in is obviously not yet paid for.
Now with volumes and profit margins dropping (not to mention the GM typical resale value hitting the hummer line). How bright is the future for this venture?
if gas were to stay between $300 and $4.00, is there any future? When the H1 rambo truck came out 10 years ago we had under $1.00 per gallon fuel in Jersey for one entire summer. That was only about $30.00 to fill the hummer. Enough said.
The H2 (SUV, not the truck) is one of the best styled American cars on the road. I remember when every domestic brand had their identity so well crafted…but that was a long time ago.
The possible death of the H2 goes right up there with the loss of the Toronado, Cougar, Electra, Thunderbird, Eldorado and most any other famous car name you can think of.
I took the H3 up to our university – a mecca of cultural studies and birkenstock wearing greenies. It only took a minute to receive the middle finger salute, it was awesome. Kind of a retarded vehicle but I had fun in it (even managed to get it stuck and had to call CAA to tow it out).
I own a four wheel drive Suburban, and it cannot do half what an H2 can do off road. There is much more than a difference in sheet metal.
I still prefer the H3 due to the smaller, more trail appropriate dimensions. Oh, and now it has a V8!
That airy interior space helps keep my many beautiful female passengers from being overpowered by my abundant testosterone but I’ll wait for the civilian version of this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cougar_%28vehicle%29
Now that’s a vehicle worthy of containing my manliness!
I would say “supposed off-road capabilities.” The thing is way too big for consideration as a serious off-roader. It’s too wide to fit through narrow openings, too long to make tight corners, and its wheelbase it too long to clear many road obstacles.
When I was in Alabama for the FJ Cruiser event, a guy showed up with his modded H2 (the first one ever seen at this off-road park). Despite a high suspension lift and monstrous tires, the thing was forever getting high-centered and stuck on trails that the Wrangler faithful eased through. Its size precluded it from even attempting several of the trails and by the end of the day, the H2 driver seemed to spend most of his time parked watching the Jeeps and FJs working the obstacles.
H2s have also become notorious in the off-road community for having poorly protected steering components that frequently break on the trail.
In my neck of the woods, most of the H2s I see on the road are not for personal or recreational use but by business men/women who are using the big rig as a rolling billboard.
Rather than an iconic picture of the H2 straddling rocks, there ought to be another one doing what most owners do with it: stuck in bumper-to-mismatched-height-bumper traffic.
Don’t forget the spinners, ‘roo bars, and the rear ladder to climb up onto the roof.
This is a damning indictment of said buyers intelligence and consciousness.
That particular phrase is used to justify SUVs from every brand, from Acura to Volkswagen. I'll buy that for a Jeep; I'll buy that even for the various Chevy utes, as I've seen them used that way with my own eyes. But every Hummer I've seen has been sparkling clean and located in the noveau-riche exurbs by the same ******** who give BMW a bad name. But go ahead, encourage the terrorists. Nothing says 'I want Osama to own my fat ass' like 'I'm buying a Hummer.'
While the H2 isn’t politically correct and the mileage is abysmal I still like it. It’s iconic and when it was introduced I could not tell you a more American vehicle. It was big, brawny, take-no-prisoners, kiss my ass American attitude and offered no apologies.
I believe GM is bringing out an H4 to compete with the wrangler and a truck based off the same platform. I wouldn’t expect the H2 to be around more than another few years.
'Rush Limbaugh says they're all godless pagans. Ignore those ****ers, Bobby Sue. They're going to hell.' Meanwhile, Osama giggles with glee.
Nothing makes me happier than to see the Hummer fad fade, hopefully fading to black. These have to be some of the all time most absurd on road vehicles ever sold. Sure there are a handful of people who have a real use for them, but the ones I see around here are always spotless and are generally driven by young fashionably attired ladies. The point is to show off how much money the driver has available to burn.
And guess what, when the H2 owner is burning massive quantities of fuel and terrorizing other drivers on the road they are also driving up the price of fuel for the rest of us. You know, supply and demand?
Yep, gotta agree with the comments on the H2’s 4×4 capability. It is better tuned than its 3/4-ton Suburban fraternal twin and can get into more places, but that is not the truck’s core purpose. It’s simply too big and heavy and conventionally engineered (rather than the bigger, heavier, but task-built H1 HUMVEE). It is military only in styling.
I like my 06 Rubicon. (A post like this had to come from a Jeep guy, didn’t it?) It’s as able as you can get and is more-or-less unassuming in traffic. Even though I work for a coal company and get subtle pleasures from angering hippies, I’d rather enjoy not getting the finger everywhere I go. Scuttle-butt in the 4×4 community has it that a planned H4 Hummer would be aimed directly at the Jeep and be much smaller than the previous H’s. It’d be interesting, but it would have to come with dual live axles and lockers to even think about being a true competitor. Hummer’s future (or lack thereof) will be interesting to watch…
It always surprises me that people asume that a person is liberal or conservative etc based on their car. I think it says more about the people who flip off the middle finger at the H2 driver than the vehicle chosen by the H2 drivers.
Jerry Weber:
“Who ever heard of going off in the wilderness to do battle with five cylinders?”
Well, any military that uses Mercedes G-Wagens.
Wonderful article, and yes I wish I could afford one. Say, five years from now the resale will be down low enough that it’ll be in my budget. And no, I’m not worried about the gas mileage – I use a motorcycle for day to day.
Raised fingers and pissed off PCer’s? Bring ‘em on. I ride a Harley Davidson and have flown colors in motorcycle clubs for the last seventeen years. Do you think I really care what some PC-addled college type thinks? Pissing them off is like shooting fish in a barrel.
I’m glad GM are pondering trimming Hummer. Firstly, it’s a step (albeit, a small one) to reduce their reliance on SUV’s. This should stand well with the people who WANT GM to succeed (myself, included) and with Wall Street. Secondly, Hummers are falling (or fell?) into the trap that Land Rover fell into a long time ago. During the British Leyland days, Land Rovers were built for one thing and one thing only, to off road! It’s main customers were explorers and people who lived in the countryside. They were NEVER designed to be used in towns and urban situations. But as is the way with modern life, they became “trendy” and Land Rover (or was it Ford?) started mass producing them and sold these gas guzzlers as toys for the middle classes who were gullible enough to believe that once you had a child (singular! A child!) you NEEDED an SUV.
Likewise, Hummers were used by the army and now can be seen in more urban scenes that war scenes. Personally, I don’t know why people buy them, they’re ugly, they consume petrol faster than George W Bush can invade countries for it and there are much nicer SUV’s out on the market.
But back to topic, a lot of people believe that GM’s have to look to brand dropping to save them and this could be a good opportunity. If they dropped the Hummer brand they could transfer the designs and technology to GMC instead. Maybe they could do away with GMC and put more work into re-establishing the Hummer brand? It IS a well known brand and I don’t think it’s gone the way of Buick yet. They don’t need TWO SUV brands, do they?
On a more fatuous note, I’ve firmly believed that people who buy Hummers are men whose “tools” are so small that not even a sports car can make up for the shortfall, therefore they get a Hummer. I call these people “Hummersexuals”! A classic example of a “Hummersexual” is Governor Ah-nuld Schwarzenegger! And he’s got 5…….!
William C Montgomery:
In my neck of the woods, most of the H2s I see on the road are not for personal or recreational use but by business men/women who are using the big rig as a rolling billboard.
Not forgetting the old tax loophole that meant it probably cost them less than a minivan.
I totally agree that H2 sales are suffering because there are a lot of SUV owners who just want a big SUV without having to run the middle-finger gauntlet. At the same time, though, there is definitely a hard core of buyers who buy it precisely because it is a middle finger to liberals, environmentalists, etc. Those guys (and yes, I’m sure they’re 95% guys) will continue to buy the H2. The question is whether there are enough guys with $50,000 to spend on the world’s largest middle finger to keep GM’s assembly line profitable.
FYI: I’ve driven the Hummer off-road many times and found it to be quite an amazing machine.
There’s no way I’d prefer it to a smaller, lighter and less tall Jeep– if only because I always seem to get stuck. Pushing a Hummer out of trouble is so not an option.
As for the lifestyle H2′ers, it’s weird. I haven’t seen an H2 on the streets of my native RI for a very long time.
See several of the above posts to illustrate my point.
Lesley Wimbush: I took the H3 up to our university – a mecca of cultural studies and birkenstock wearing greenies.
Birkenstock wearing greenies? Ariel Sharon wore these sandals. So I would have thought they’d have gone with the Hummer.
Liberal or Conservative—-most people make some very incorrect assumptions about lifestyle and political philosophy.
Let me illustrate, my most liberal friends tend to have much more means than I and own more expensive automobiles, house(s) stuff. While my conservative friends tend to be very should we say "cheap" and own smaller cars with less extravegant houses.
I came to conclusion long ago that Liberals are really only liberal when it comes to other peoples money, while conservatives tend to be tight with their own and others money.
The "finger waving" at Hummers is very likely a reaction that stems from a deep sense of envy and jealousy coupled with strong feelings of inadequacy brought about by extreme laziness.
Personally I only wave my finger at those that drive cars belching smoke and that need to turn their vehicles into the closest junkyard. Besides the bigger cars are much easier to see and are much less likely to cut in front of you while driving, not like those smaller cars that think they own the road and think they are the ultimate drivers.
whitenose, you listen to Rush Limbaugh?
Rather than an iconic picture of the H2 straddling rocks, there ought to be another one doing what most owners do with it: stuck in bumper-to-mismatched-height-bumper traffic.
Absolutely. There are plenty of these bloated, ugly, wasteful vehicles on the streets of Toronto, either sitting in traffic or blundering from lane to lane cutting people off either because their visibility is so poor or because their drivers are selfish and arrogant. The Hummers are almost invariably black and glistening like diamonds, because they spend far more time getting detailed than they do going offroad. And their owners are always, always on the phone, involved in some self aggrandizing discussion, I am sure. I know I sound harsh, but really, if you drive one of these in the city of Toronto, you should get a bumper sticker affixed to it that says ‘Yes, I am an idiot’
Oh, and GM? Great idea…you really needed another brand.
We are discussing a vehicle. A personal choice that each individual is entitled to make. And yet look how it has evolved into a political debate in which some are insulting others merely for exercising their right to buy a truck. I personally think all SUVs are silly and pointless, but isn’t this country beset by enough division and rancor without politicizing an SUV? The left is not alone in this foolishness, as the Prius is similarly a lightning rod for such sentiment. I think both the H2 and the Prius are nothing more than ridiculous style statements, but I don’t begrudge those that buy them. If you like the H2, and don’t mind paying more than I care to imagine for fuel weekly, go ahead and buy one. I wouldn’t be caught dead behind the wheel, but those that are don’t help Osama, don’t have smaller ‘tools’ than average, and don’t lack intelligence. Those of you willing to insult or give the finger to others for their choice should be ashamed. I for one am tired of groups of people who think they know better how others should live their lives than they each individual does. Please reserve your nannying for your children.
I too am tired of the pop (pap?) psychology revolving around “what does your choice of car say about you?” and other such nonsense.
Whether or not the H2 was a symbol of excess in all its forms, I echo Sajeev’s statement bemoaning its loss as a unique vehicle in a sea of sameness, which will (arguably already has) achieve iconic status.
In a similar thread endorsing the future prospects of the division, the homogenization to the Jeep brand should be instructive to the management of Hummer as a good example of what not to do.
Leaving the heated emotions of partisan social views behind there were also other factors that led to the H2s demise.
1. As a start the build quality (in particularly the interior) were not in keeping with the expectation of a customer paying $60K.
2. In order to follow through on the square paramilitary styling theme a lot of visibility (and some practicality) were sacrificed. This is not an easy vehicle to drive in traffic.
3. The introduction of the GMT900 platform provided superior vehicles for less money. If you want an old-school SUV why not get a new Tahoe which is better in every way.
4. Fashions have changed. People regard cars a means of expressing their personality (just like clothing and maybe their soft drink of choice) and fashion changes. Large ‘bling’ SUVs are no longer ‘cool’.
I wouldn’t say H2 drivers are the victims of mischaracterization as there were certainly some buyers that got a little possessed by the aggressive demeanor of their vehicle and its advertising (I should confess at this point that sports cars turn me into a terrible risk-taking driver) but here in Florida I didn’t see too much anecdotal evidence of an endemic hostility towards Hummer owners.
But maybe now that the trend setters are buying something else may its a chance for GM to turn this division into a real off-road brand to compete with Jeep?
To most conservatives, I’m a liberal…but to most liberals I’m a moderate. The H2 has no appeal to me. It’s kinda ugly and doesn’t really serve a purpose in my life (note: my life, totally different than everyone else!). It’s just another overpriced vehicle that doesn’t spark interest. The porche (any porche) is the same way. :)
Gottleib “While my conservative friends tend to be very should we say “cheap” and own smaller cars with less extravegant houses.”
Yep you got me pegged Xb owner and consevative by voting record but why would anyone assume they know someones beliefs based on the car they drive?
H2 and H3 are H1 wannabees. Review of a couple of web sites revealed the following data.
The H2 is based on the GMT820 platform, the very same platform that provides the underpinnings for the Tahoe, Suburban, Yukon and Avalanche.
Ground clearance is 10 inches. (Subaru Outback is 8.4 inches and H1 16 inches).
The H2 also likes gas stations: EPA fuel economy is 10 mpg city and 13 highway.
Of course, unlike the H1 (the new name for the original Hummer, when AM General branched out and made more than one kind) the H2 has a live axle rear suspension. This is a big mistake for a number of reasons. The first, and probably most significant in an “off-road” vehicle, is ground clearance. A Hummer has a 16″ ground clearance while the H2 only has 10″.
I can only conclude that buyers of H2s were thinking with their hearts rather than their minds and weren’t willing or able to go for the real thing which is the H1.
I’m surprised that nobody’s mentioned this regarding reasons for the Hummer’s drop in sales:
The arrival of the FJ Cruiser. While the style of the FJ cruiser can be charitably called “odd” it certainly stands out in the same way that the H2 did, without being as aggressively obnoxious. Given that the FJ has genuine off-road cred, can be had fully loaded for under $30k, and is a Toyota to boot, I’m surprised anybody buys H2s anymore, except, as already stated, to serve as a rolling billboard.
Aw, the H2, the automotive equivalent of a comb over, driven by people who think it makes them look like a player. Eventually they figure out that behind their backs at the office people make jokes about their penis size. I have seen several people buy H2s and then quickly get rid of them once they caught on to what others thought.
Instead of the characterization of H2 haters being granolas, I find the greatest number of loathers are ordinary Honda and Toyota drivers who cannot see around H2s in traffic and fear being involved in an accident with one.
Funny how the H2 gets glares and finger salutes but someone can roll by in a Mercedes that costs twice as much and no one screams about the “waste” and “excess” of that. There are MANY more lux autos on the roads that cost as much as the H2 and use nearly the same fuel and there is no outcry over those. The H2 is a niche vehicle for sure but the Hummer brand is one of the strongest GM has.
In all seriousness, Hummer ran an ad campaign with the tag line “Restore your manhood.”
It was the ad where the guy buys a bunch of red meat instead of tofu.
The tag line was changed VERY soon after the ad aired though. Presumable when someone realized what they were implying with the word “manhood.”
I would imagine that someone lost their job over that one.
So the wheels are coming off at Hummer, both literally, and apparently, now figuratively as well. Good riddance. I loathe the Hummer and all it represents. To me it is a symbol of arrogant, willful ignorance; the epitome of the bloated, booring American. The fact that its rise and fall coincided with the Bush Administration’s approval ratings is just delicious irony; the two mirror each other so well. To the Hummer owner I ask, did you really think gasoline prices were going to stay at 2004 levels, and there would be no “blowback” from other drivers? To certain political minds I ask, did you really believe we could occupy and democratize a region and culture as volatile as Iraq? Like I said, willful ignorance.
I’ve never flipped off a Hummer, though I have shaken my head in disbelief a few times – you know, a “what the heck are they thinking” type of deal – you didn’t have to be some prescient Delphian Oracle to see this coming.
And no, I’m not some knee-jerk liberal; underpowered, unsafe VW Buses, with patchouli wearing, non-bathing, middle-class college types irritate me too. But then, I don’t remember an advertisement for VW buses like the Hummer advertisement where the little boy builds a “Hummer” soapbox, and then veers off the track and cuts across the landscape to win the race. That advertisement is offensive to those of us who still believe in playing by the rules – not twisting them to meet our own ambitions. The last I checked, those were “conservative” values. Basically, that advertisement was Hummer/GM flipping off those of us who were aware of the implications/connotations associated with such a vehicle.
Anyway, the market has spoken, and the only finger flipping the bird back to Hummer right now is the finger on Adam Smith’s invisible hand.
JD Arms, A I liked that commercial and B why are you reading all this this President Bush all that is wrong with America symbolism into a car or its driver? That car (SUV) doesn’t represent anything, Its just a car or SUV.
Many left wingers have given then term “liberals” a bad name. Most of the so-called liberals on this thread are better described as “libertarians”, or folks who subscribe to the laissez-faire philosophy.
My only beef with the Hummer (and other supersize SUV’s) are that drivers who drive them should be required to be licensed for a different class of vehicles, because the consequences of them being badly driven are more severe. I mean, we have commercial driver licenses, right? Why not two or three driver license categories depending on the size of the vehicle operated?
Maybe Hummer should introduce a V-shaped hull vehicle reminiscent of the latest anti-IED design. But with better outward visibility, of course.
Very interesting observation on why the drop in sales, Martin Albright (about 5 comments above).
This has also been very interesting for all the stereotyping going on, and yes, I’m guilty, too. Guilty guilty guilty! I’ve just been trying hard to resist the temptation. We all have our biases about the world, and we see the world through our own biases. We automatically categorize stuff, because it made staying alive easier for our hunter-gatherer ancestors. Its a good idea, when trying to engage in civil discourse, to try to take one’s own biases with a grain of salt. Big SUV, small… oops! There I go again. My brother-in-law drives a Cherokee. And he’s a good family man (minivan people are supposed to be family oriented, while SUV people are supposed to not be, according to marketing stereotypes).
Ignoring the H2 entirely, I have to question one statement in your piece Mr. Farago:
“
GM must avoid bankruptcy.”Why is that?
Honestly, it seems to me the auto industry fears c11 like cats fear water. That is bizarre given how the UAW holds them by the balls and is pulling them deeper into the quicksand every year. Declare C11, dump the Unions, and get back on track. Worked well for the airlines that managed to pull it off. Those airline that haven’t gone C11, have gotten in bed with the unions, or even worse, put the unions in charge and look what it has done for them… killed or damn near killed them.
Bankruptcy will likely be the savior of the auto industry. How else will they ever get out of the rut(s) they’ve driven themselves into?
–chuck
In my neck of the woods, most of the H2s I see on the road are not for personal or recreational use but by business men/women who are using the big rig as a rolling billboard.
Not forgetting the old tax loophole that meant it probably cost them less than a minivan.
The tax issue is a major factor. I know a contractor that got a loaded crew cab Chevy pickup for $2,000 once he factored in his tax savings. He got the crew cab so it weighed enough to get the tax break.
(He had several problems with it in the first year and will never buy another GM product. He still drives his 10 year old 4 cylinder T100 with no a/c unless he needs the extra room or towing capacity.)