Following the news yesterday, it’s sounding like GM is retiring the majority of their large truck division for lack of sales. That means many of the larger work trucks and some SUVs are going to be discontinued.

One of the models possibly slated for the history file is the poster-child for gas guzzling; The Hummer.

Bit of History

The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV or Hum-Vee) was created for the public in 1992, based on a military model created to replace the aging Jeep (GP, General Purpose vehicle, corrupted to just ‘jeep’ by the troops) that had been the staple vehicle for the military since the Korean war.

The original model has spawned the H2 (which looks like the overweight cousin to the original Hum-Vee, with the same boxy shape, but looking like it’s been over-inflated with air. This in turn, spawned the H3, that is currently being sold. The H3 has the basic shape of the H2, but looks like it’s gone through an extensive Weight Watchers course.

Glug, Glug, Glug

Long an easy target for environmentalist, the Hummer line isn’t known for it’s fuel economy. Varying reports estimate that the Hummers range in mileage from 13-15 MPG in the city, and not much more on the highway. (Although, it would be interesting to have a comparison of off-road mileage, just for curiosity sake. I’d bet that it makes better mileage than the Prius on rocky, mountainous, only-a-mountain-goat-can-traverse terrain.)

You’ve probably heard people ask the usual joke "How many gallons-per-mile do you get with one of those babies?" more than once.

It’s also been a visible symbol of have vs. have not, replacing the BMW as the status symbol vehicle of choice, at least for the male population. Actor Arnold Schwarzenneger also did a huge part for making it popular by selecting it as his default vehicle of choice early in his political career, purchasing a number of the vehicles for personal use.

With the price of gas tipping $4.00, and no end in sight, the venerable symbol of American Consumption is seeing plummeting sales and public scorn, as people are attempting to economize. Driving a hummer nowadays is a costly proposition to say the least.

Saying Goodbye is Hard to Do

GM says it might sell the brand to an as-yet unnamed company, but with automobile sales in general down almost 20+% from last year and SUV/large vehicle sales down 27% or more for the same period, and a consumer shift from large SUV-style vehicles to smaller cars and hybrids, I’m not seeing what company would purchase the boxy behemoth. If it is purchased, the company will have a long task in front of it to re-popularize the brand in the face of gas prices and increased public scorn.

If there’s any De Lorean collectors out there, this might be a new investment opportunity for you. Snap ‘em up quick while you still have the chance! (But remember to buy two, so you’ll have repair parts )

How do you feel about GM shutting down the Hummer?? Leave us a comment and let us know!