2006 Hummer H1 Alpha Wagon Second Generation on 2040-cars

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Humvees are now exported to China by Bob Lutz and Henrik Fisker's company

At Auto Shanghai, a company called Humvee Export showed off its Humvee C-Series. It's not a new design, of course, as the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) has been used by the American military for decades, and versions made their way into the hands of civilians through multiple means, including via General Motors as the Hummer H1. GM discontinued the H1 in 2006, and shuttered the Hummer brand in 2010. Now, Humvee Export is building the C-Series in the US, with help from none other than Bob Lutz and VLF Automotive, to sell in China, according to Car & Driver. VLF, if you recall, is the company founded by Gilbert Villarreal, Bob Lutz, and Henrik Fisker. So far, VLF has launched the Destino, using the Fisker Karma body with a supercharged LS9 V8 engine from GM, as well as the Force 1, which is essentially a Viper-based, V10-powered supercar. Humvee Export President John Costin tells C&D that his company has contracted VLF to build its new C-Series in St. Clair, Michigan. Among Humvee Export's founders is Paul Chedid, who was once the distributor for the Hummer H1 in France. AM General, which builds the HMMWV for US and other militaries, sells C-Series kits (customers need to supply their own powertrain). VLF buys kits and finishes the build, and Humvee Export works with importers around the world to sell finished versions of the C-Series, complete with powertrain, with China being the latest market. The US is out of luck, though, as it can't be certified as a replica of a 25-year-old vehicle, thus exempting it from EPA and crash test certification under the Low Volume Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Act. Related Video:

Report: Last-ditch sale effort for Hummer post wind-down announcement fading

It's getting tough for even the most ardent supporters of the Hummer brand to continue to keep hope alive. Reports the aficionados at HummerGuy.net: "While many of us were hoping for a last-minute miracle to save the Hummer brand, signs from Detroit are indicating that Hummer production will soon cease indefinitely."
It appears as if General Motors has resigned itself to winding the brand down and letting it die a slow, agonizing death. The automaker says that it's no longer considering offers for the brand and dedicated Hummer staff are reportedly be assigned to serve elsewhere.
Oh, and about that "Save Hummer" summit that's planned for April 11th near Chicago? GM, though it is aware of the rally, has no plans to send representation. That sound that you hear? That's just the tolling of Hummer's death knell. Thanks for the tip, Brian!

Body shop manager stole over $500,000 worth of government trucks and parts

The US Department of Justice announced yesterday that the manager of a collision and restoration business in Virginia admitted he helped misappropriate and sell vehicles and parts from the State Department. Specifically, he sold 12 Chevrolet Suburbans, a Hummer, and $7,500 worth of tires and wheels. He pled guilty to charges to commit theft of government property and wire fraud. He will likely see 18 to 20 months in prison, a fine of $4,000 to $40,000, and has already agreed to pay restitution of $416,020 and asset forfeiture of the same amount. According to the Department of Justice, the body shop manager, James Ratcliffe, worked with the owner of the business and a State Department official, both unnamed, to obtain the property. It started with the wheels and tires, which were delivered and sold on two occasions, one in 2011 and another in 2012. The trucks came later, and were sold throughout 2011 and 2013. Ratcliffe and the shop owner kept most of the profits, and shared some of the leftovers with the government official. In addition to the vehicles that were sold, the government official also gave Ratcliffe a pair of Suburbans for his own personal use. The Department of Justice estimated the total value of the SUVs at $96,400. In total, the group misappropriated $512,420 worth of property. Related Video: