Update: General Motors has postponed a decision on the fate of the Hummer brand for a few weeks, a top executive told dealers in a conference call on Monday. The company previously signaled a decision would come as early as tomorrow, Tuesday, March 31st. An Associated Press story published this afternoon and cited by Leftlane erroneously indicated a decision was imminent.
“Our efforts to sell Hummer are proceeding, and there are several parties interested,” GM North American president Troy Clarke told the dealers. He went on to characterize the potential suitors as “really interested.” Although he didn’t specify how many companies are considering bidding for Hummer, he said there are “several” in the running.
GM announced its off-road Hummer brand was up for ‘strategic review’ last June, but it remains unclear if the Detroit automaker will sell the marque or simply shut it down.
According to the Associated Press, GM previously told the U.S. government that it will make its final decision of the future of Hummer by March 31st. It’s not clear if President Barack Obama’s new 60-day deadline for GM’s restructuring also applies to the future of Hummer.
GM spokesman Nick Richards says the company is “cautiously optimistic†about a Hummer sale. If GM does decide to sell the Hummer brand, it could wind up in the hands of a Chinese automaker. The Hummer brand has about 160 U.S. retail locations, which could serve as the launching pad for a foreign automaker looking to gain access to the U.S. market. However, it remains possible GM could simply kill the Hummer brand.
