Demand Soars for Hummers Overseas

You may have read the New York Times article about Hummers selling like hotcakes in Iran, but in March, Auto Week reported that sales for Hummers in India, Colombia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Ecuador, and Thailand are at all time highs in 2009. That may have something to do with GM postponing their announcement on the Hummer brand.

Sales of the H3 in Colombia are up 200% this year over last year, and the demand for good quality H1 Alphas in South America exceeds the supply. Dealers report that USED H3s in good condition go for as much as $70,000 US Dollars in Ecuador and in Brazil a new H2 will set you back $140,000 US Dollars. India has become the surprise new market for the Hummer with demand exceeding supply. One dealer in Saudi Arabia says that all of his Hummers are sold before they are unloaded off the boat and he has gone to flying them in by Lufthansa Air Freighter, because customers will cover the cost.

While the world economy is in a slide, demand for the Hummer outside of the United States is at all time highs reports Auto Week. Many dealers are sending their inventory of Hummers overseas now. One problem that has catapulted the H2 & H3 into a commanding position in third world countries is the lack of diesel fuel in comparison to gasoline. In many remote areas the situation was just the opposite only two years ago. People have found that in dirt, mud, gravel, desert, jungle and mountain areas there is nothing that compares to a Hummer. A service station owner in Manaus, Brazil recently told how he sends out his personal Hummer H2, lifted 4 inches and with Toyo MT Mud tires to bring back Land Rovers, Toyota FJs and Jeep Wranglers that get "stuck in the jungle mud."

When you consider that a new H3 in Thailand costs about $90,000 US Dollars and a new H2 can run well over $160,000 US Dollars, it won't be long before American dealers will be shipping most of their inventory overseas. Many in the world see a shortage of H1s inflating the prices to twice what they sell for now in the next three years. Only time will tell!