NEW BUYER FOR HUMMER ?????

The Phantom called from his office yesterday afternoon and said that a US buyer is showing "significant interest in Hummer in the last week." Until the final deal is signed, Tenghong only has an agreement in principle. The Phantom said dealers will be told the deal isn't going through with Tengzhong tomorrow. The Phantom was uncharacteristically tight lipped as to whether the buyer considering Hummer is a consortium, a player in the past negotiations, or an existing heavy equipment manufacturer.

The Phantom said that Tengzhong had done no advertising for the new 2010 Hummer and any GM exec will tell you that advertising sells cars, so it makes him suspicious as to their intentions to ever buy Hummer. The Chinese government is throwing up more barriers daily to the sale of Hummer. Everyday they don't advertise sales will drop and they're going to start loosing more dealers. GM sees the writing on the wall he tells me, shutting down Hummer production at the Shreveport H3 plant. "Doesn't this tell you something about the GM Tengzhong deal?" the Phantom quips.

The Phantom told me one reason he hasn't retired yet is that he loves sitting back watching the Hummer drama and the new course GM is taking. He also wants one of those new Corvette Z06s or a signed 427. It's another case of those who like Hummers, like Corvettes..... I have no idea why that is.

The Phantom tells me his respect and admiration for long time friend Martin Walsh is one of the reasons he is staying at his post. The Phantom also tells me that if he does retire in 2010, he is seriously thinking about writing a book about GM and Hummer and the numerous factors that worked against it at GM. He described the bad press the Hummer has received and how little has been made of the 18mpg highway figures for the H3 and GM's research with FlexFuel engines. However, what bothers him the most is how little the capabilities of the Hummer in general and H3 have been touted in the past in what he tells me is one of the worst advertising campaigns in GM history. The H2 was touted in advertising more as a status symbol than the unique rugged one of a kind vehicle it is.