We reported the other day that Hummer's killing the H1, and now we've received the announcement to dealers from a reader. One of us here at tha Jalop has the take that AM General was making more cash with an all-mililtary production line. The other part of it, we're sure, is that GM wasn't making a helluva lot off of H1 sales. Either way, we still think it was a wrongheaded move. After all, before it was the H1, the lumbering beast was known as "The Hummer." Click through for the communiqu .

MARKETING/PROMOTION - ALL HUMMER DEALERS



Subject: URGENT HUMMER H1 Announcement

Message #: HUM20060101

To ALL HUMMER DEALERS:

This communication is a follow-up to today's IDL broadcast announcing
the discontinuation of the H1 Alpha. Please refer questions to Jeff
Edwards, HUMMER sales director, at 313-665-0230. Inquiries from the
news media should be sent to Dayna Hart, HUMMER Communications
manager at 313-665-7718 or dayna.hart@gm.com. Thank you.

HUMMER H1 Alpha is its official name, but in 1992 when the HUMMER
brand was born and first went on sale to the public, it was simply
known as "the HUMMER." Now, fourteen years and nearly 12,000 sales
later, the model will cease production at the end of the 2006 model
year.

While the H1 was the foundation for the brand, the HUMMER sales
continue to grow exponentially around the globe with the introduction
of new models, like the H3. Rather than continuing to invest in the
exotic, niche-market H1, HUMMER will dedicate its engineering,
manufacturing, marketing and dealer resources to bringing more new or
significantly revised models to market. AM General, the creator and
manufacturer of the HUMMER H1, will focus all of its research and
development efforts on continuing to make the finest light tactical
vehicles in the world available to the U.S. Armed Forces.

Due to the H1's extreme capability and durability, it helped
establish the heritage and extreme off-road credentials consumers
associate with the HUMMER brand and H2 and H3 today. Since H1 has an
unusually long lifespan (typically up to 15 years), HUMMER owners can
continue to depend on HUMMER dealerships to provide warranty repairs,
parts and service for their vehicle for many years to come. AM
General's military HUMVEE will continue to represent the brand's
extremely capable DNA.

AM General, maker of the H1 Alpha, has been converting its assembly
lines from retail H1 Alpha production to production of HUMVEE models,
which are in high demand by the U.S. Military. AM General and
HUMMER/General Motors will continue to work closely together to
produce the HUMMER H2, which is manufactured in AMG's Mishawaka,
Indiana facility.

History of the model: in 1992 an unprecedented window of opportunity
opened, when
production levels of the military HUMVEE decreased. This enabled AM
General, using the same assembly line, to build a retail-version of
the military HUMVEE, which was sold as the "HUMMER" model. The model
name was changed to HUMMER H1 in 2000, after General Motors purchased
the marketing rights to the HUMMER name. It became the H1 Alpha in
the 2006 model year, and included an improved Duramax 6600 diesel
engine, enhanced off-road capability, and improved fuel efficiency
and driving comfort on the road.

Martin Walsh
HUMMER General Manager

Related:
H1 Goes Bye-Bye [Internal]