Hummer brand CEO Jim Taylor, speaking with Automotive News, discussed Hummer's rather hazy future. Though the sale has not yet been finalized, the agreements are in place to sell the brand to Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery for $150 million, while that doesn't include any kind of manufacturing capacity, it does have a good deal of intellectual property in the transaction. GM will be providing contract manufacturing of the current Hummer brand products until the negotiated contract ends, but it's up to Tengzhong, Hummer, and Jim Taylor to work out a plan after that.

Currently Hummer is working with Austrian consulting firm AVL to determine a future path for brand and product lineup. The idea is to continue pushing the brand smaller, lighter, and more environmentally friendly. That includes the introduction of the smaller-than-the-H3 Hummer H4 and after that an apparently microscopic Hummer H5. The H4 will be based on the HX concept car and may include a hybrid drive system to push fuel economy up to respectable levels.

More daunting than working out Hummer's product plan is laying out a production system including manufacturing and engineering capacities, supply chains and the like. Essentially, once GM production ceases on the current H2 and H3, Hummer will be starting with a seven bar grille and a name synonymous with gas-guzzling behemoths. Tengzhong has promised to spend big on Hummer with increased production and a wad of advertising cash to re-tool the brand's image, but still, it'll be an uphill battle. Best of luck with all that, Mr. Taylor. [AutoNews (sub req.) via Hummer Guy]

The leaked memo was translated from Chinese by 163.com and offers part of the details behind the deal currently working behind the scenes.

1. Tengzhong will buy the intellectual property rights, including the trademark, patent right and other contents of Hummer;
2. Tengzhong will take over the sales network of Hummer;
3. After the acquisition, Tengzhong will operate the Hummer's business via an offshore company;
4. Before 2012, Hummer vehicles will continue to be manufactured by GM, who will also provide all-around technical services;
5. Before 2012, Tengzhong will launch the new H3 and new H4 (CUV models);
6. The [Hummer] marketing maintenance and R&D (research and development) will not be stopped.

In this version of the conditions, should the sale be approved Tengzhong will take control of all intellectual property, marketing and R&D resources, the dealer network, and most interestingly will produce the next versions of the Hummer H3 and a new product, the H4 CUV by 2012. The H4 CUV is expected to be the production version of the HX Concept, which the Hummer off-roading community has been begging for since its unveiling. [Hummer Guy]

Jalopnik Snap Judgment: It's suddenly becoming more apparent why GM considers the sale of Hummer to be an "urgent" matter: perhaps it's because with every day that passes — and every dealer that closes — the value of the brand is dropping like c-notes at the craps table. If GM wants to get anything out of this deal, they have to act quickly. Evidence is mounting that keeping Hummer as a viable concern in the US market is unlikely, so any potential suitors will need to come from countries with a strong market for over-the-top SUVs — Russia or somewhere in the Middle East. [WSJ]

"Perhaps the best deal for GM would be to procure smaller Chinese SUV’s and turn the Hummer brand into an economical SUV brand."

Now there's a moneymaking idea for the General: Build smaller, more fuel efficient and totally unsafe SUVs! [China Car Times]