DTN News: US To Supply 2,526 Humvees To Afghan Forces

DTN News: US To Supply 2,526 Humvees To Afghan Forces

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources including Reuters ~ Reported by Jim Wolf and Edited by Gary Hill

(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - August 13, 2010: AM General, LLC, has been awarded an U.S. Army contract valued at $619 million for 2,526 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles, or Humvees, for the Afghan police force and National Guard, the U.S. Defense Department said on Friday. Work is to be performed in South Bend, Indiana, with a projected completion date of Dec. 31, 2013, the Pentagon's daily contract digest said. The contract was awarded July 30. One bid was solicited with one bid received, the notice said. AM General is privately held. In December 1999, AM General and General Motors Co GM.UL finalized a deal to jointly pursue product, marketing and distribution opportunities for HUMMER brand vehicles much like their Humvee military cousins. The High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) uses independent suspensions and portal geared hubs similar to portal axles to make for a full 16 inches of ground clearance. The vehicle also has disc brakes on all 4 wheels, and 4-wheel double-wishbone suspension.

The brake disks are not mounted at the wheels as on conventional automobiles, but inboard mounted disk brakes, which are attached to the outside of each differential.

The front and rear differentials are Torsen type, and the center differential is regular, lockable type. There are at least 17 variants of the HMMWV in service with the United States armed forces.

HMMWVs serve as cargo/troop carriers, automatic weapons platforms, ambulances (four litter patients or eight ambulatory patients), M220 TOW missile carriers, M119 howitzer prime movers, M1097 Avenger Pedestal Mounted Stinger platforms, MRQ-12 direct air support vehicles, S250 shelter carriers, and other roles. The HMMWV is capable of fording 2.5 ft (76 cm) normally, or 5 ft (1.5 m) with the deep-water fording kits installed.

In June 1981, the Army awarded AM General a contract for development of several more prototype vehicles to be delivered to the U.S. government for another series of tests, and the company was later awarded the initial production contract for 55,000 HMMWVs to be delivered in 1985. HMMWVs first saw combat in Operation Just Cause, the US invasion of Panama in 1989. The HMMWV has become the vehicular backbone of U.S. forces around the world. Over 10,000 were employed by coalition forces during Operation Iraqi Freedom, the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

International versions

*EQ2050/SQF2040 - Chinese versions of the HMMWV. There are at least two Chinese automobile manufacturers building HMMWV copies. Both HMMWV copies rely heavily on imported U.S.-made parts including chassis, gear box, and diesel engine. It appears that at least one company, Dongfeng Motor Corporation (DFM), has the full consent and cooperation of the General Motors Corporation. Both manufacturers claimed that they will be able to gradually increase the percentage of indigenously made content on the vehicles in the future, since the PLA is unlikely willing to accept any equipment that relies largely on foreign made parts. *Bulgaria - Bulgarian HMMWVs have been fitted with PKS heavy machine guns. Bulgaria usually replaces western machine guns on its vehicles to simplify maintenance, since the country is an active producer of Soviet/Russian-type ammunitions. *Greece - Greek unarmored M1114, built entirely by ELBO in Greece, equipped to fire the Russian 9M133 Kornet ATGM. It has storage room for 10 missiles. Israel's Plasan has developed armored versions of the HMMWV, assembled by ELBO in Greece as the M1114GR and M1118GR. *Plasan has also designed and supplied an HMMWV Armored Protection Kit for the Portuguese Army and a different version assembled by Automotive Industries in Nazareth for the Israel Defense Forces. *Poland - Polish Land Forces currently operate 222 different variants of HMMWVes (5 unknown variants are operated by special forces). Over 200 are used by the 18th Airborne Battalion which is a part of the 6th Air Assault Brigade. The used variants are designated as follows: Tumak-2 - M1043A2, Tumak-3 - M1025A2, Tumak-4 - M1097A2, Tumak-5 - M1045A2, Tumak-6 - M1097A2 (variant used for transport of special containers), Tumak-7 - M1035A2. All vehicles are modified to meet Polish rules of the road and are equipped with Polish communication devices. 140 HMMWVes are equipped with Fonet digital internal communication device. 120 M1025A2s and M1043A2s have a rotatable mount which can be fitted with either the UKM-2000P 7.62 mm general purpose machine gun or the NSW-B 12.7 mm heavy machine gun. M1045A2s are used by anti-tank subunits and are armed with Spike-LR which can be dismounted in field conditions. Additionally Polish forces of ISAF operate 120 HMMWVes on loan from the US forces. *The Swiss MOWAG Eagle light armored vehicle, designed for reconnaissance surveillance, liaison, escort, border patrol and police missions. Early versions of the Eagle utilize the HMMWV chassis, although the latest uses a Duro III chassis. It is an NBC-tight, air conditioned and armor protected vehicle. Eagle is in service and available in several configurations with varying levels of armor protection. The Eagle can be fitted with a wide assortment of armaments which can be manually or remotely operated turrets. *Egypt - AOI has a project of fitting HMMWVs with anti armor weaponry, options include: TOW, Milan, or HOT missiles.

HMMWV replicas

Due to the popularity of the HMMWV, kits have been produced for the general market to build a HMMWV-lookalike at home. While the kits do not allow you to build a HMMWV from scratch (kitcar), they do allow you to turn a sedan into a HMMWV lookalike. An alternative is to buy a preconstructed (or "turnkey") wombat. Various kits exist, but one of the most famous names is the "Wombat" (previously called a HummBug). The former vehicle can be purchased for US$18,000; this puts it considerably cheaper than the actual HMMWV ($56,400.00), or Hummer. In Australia, a Gold Coast-based company called Rhino Buggies produces replicas of the Hummer H1 based on the Nissan Patrol 4WD vehicle for around AU$30,000. Some local vehicle assemblers in the Philippines even make small and full-sized replicas of the HMMWV. They are usually mounted on chassis intended for jeeps, jeepneys, or (in case of the full-sized replica) small trucks, and is powered by surplus gasoline or diesel engines. It looks like a real HMMWV, but it is smaller in size, and is priced the same as an ordinary "owner-type" jeep (Php80,000 upwards).

DTN News: GM To Shut Down Hummer After Deal Collapses

DTN News: GM To Shut Down Hummer After Deal Collapses * Analyze: GM started to work with Chinese counterpart for sale of Hummer at approx. $ 600 million, negotiation took over 2 years and revised counter-offer was made at $ 150 million. In the interim, during negotiation period Chinese counterpart (Sichuan Tengzhong) were able to grasp info on Hummer and felt GM Hummers are a white elephant (gas guzzler vehicles) and they (Chinese/Sichuan Tengzhong) can produce similar vehicle with better mileage, technology and at half the price of GM HUMMER, no binding of agreements and territories, meaning Sichuan Tengzhong can produce and sell similar vehicles around the globe competitively and R&D costing minimal. China is a sleeping dragon and has cornered foreign exchange reserves of $ 2.4 trillion with its SAR territories Macao and Hong Kong would have one third ($ 3 trillion) of the global total foreign exchange reserves of $ 9 trillion. In conclusion, WATCH OUT FOR THE GIANT SLEEPING DRAGON in the year of the TIGER. By Roger Smith ~ Defense-Technology News/DTN News. *Source: DTN News / AP (NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - February 25, 2010: Hummer, the off-road vehicle that once symbolized America's love for hulking SUVs, has hit a dead end after its planned sale to a Chinese heavy equipment maker collapsed late Wednesday. Heavy equipment maker Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machines Co. pulled out of the deal for Hummer, known for its military-like SUVs, because it was unable to get clearance from Chinese regulators within the proposed deal timeframe, the manufacturer said in a separate statement. GM said it will continue to honour existing Hummer warranties. "We are disappointed that the deal with Tengzhong could not be completed," said John Smith, GM's vice-president of corporate planning and alliances. "GM will now work closely with Hummer employees, dealers and suppliers to wind down the business in an orderly and responsible manner." GM has been trying to sell the loss-making brand for the last year and found a suitor in Tengzhong, but resistance from Chinese regulators created difficulties from the start. As recently as Tuesday, private investors were trying to set up an offshore entity in a last-minute effort to complete the acquisition ahead of a Feb. 28 deadline. Hummer, which traces its origins to the Humvee military vehicle built by AM General LLC in South Bend, Ind., acquired a devoted following among SUV lovers who were drawn to the off-road-ready vehicles. But they drew scorn from environmentalists and sales never recovered after U.S. gasoline prices spiked above $4 US a gallon in the summer of 2008. Sales peaked at 71,524 in 2006. But in December 2009, only 325 Hummers were sold, down 85 per cent from the previous year, according to Autodata Corp. Hummer is the second brand after Saturn that GM has failed to sell as part of its restructuring. GM sold Swedish brand Saab to Dutch carmaker Spyker Cars NV earlier this year. Pontiac is being discontinued. GM is focusing its efforts on its four remaining brands: Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac and Buick.

DTN News: Pentagon Eventually To Replace Armored Humvee With Oshkosh M-ATV In Afghanistan

DTN News: Pentagon Eventually To Replace Armored Humvee With Oshkosh M-ATV In Afghanistan *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) ARLINGTON, VA - November 3, 2009: M-ATV Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) All TerrainVehicle is displayed outside the Pentagon November 2, 2009 in Arlington, Virginia. The vehicle is designed to replace the up-armored Humvee in Afghanistan and about 40 of them have been deployed. Oshkosh Defense is committed to providing the best protection and mobility to our Warfighters – through the most threatening terrain, in the most treacherous of circumstances. They get that with the Oshkosh® M-ATV. Because it’s engineered specifically for their difficult missions – to move them in and get them out as safely as possible. The Oshkosh M-ATV incorporates rugged, durable, patented components and systems for maximum Warfighter mobility and survivability. Derived from the Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) platform, the M-ATV incorporates the proprietary TAK-4® independent suspension system with battle-tested technology. It has the wheel travel, payload capacity, side slope stability, vehicle durability, extreme mobility and necessary Warfighter protection for today’s fight. In today’s most challenging battle zones, the M-ATV is the combat-tested, mobile, survivable, durable solution – the solution to getting Warfighters to the fight and back again M-ATV Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) All TerrainVehicle is displayed outside the Pentagon November 2, 2009 in Arlington, Virginia. The vehicle is designed to replace the up-armored Humvee in Afghanistan and about 40 of them have been deployed.

DTN News: China Buys All-American Hummer For $150 million

DTN News: China Buys All-American Hummer For $150 million

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON, DC - October 11, 2009: Nothing was more American than the Hummer. It was Schwarzenegger, cigars and swagger, laughing in the face of scornful environmentalists. Only now the Chinese are laughing.

General Motors Co., seeking to shed brands after emerging from bankruptcy, is nearing an agreement to sell its Hummer sport-utility vehicle business to China’s Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co. for about $150 million, said three people familiar with the deal. General Motors sold the military-inspired off-road brand to China's Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co. for a reported $150 million on Friday, consummating a deal announced in early June.

Tengzhong, a sprawling conglomerate with no car-building experience, will own 80 percent of the company. Hong Kong investor Suolang Duoji, who in turn is a major investor in Tengzhong, will own the rest. They will assume existing agreements with Hummer's 160 U.S. dealerships, including two in the Washington area. In its June bankruptcy filing, GM estimated that Hummer was worth $500 million. The deal requires regulatory approval in both Washington and Beijing. GM said it will continue to make the Hummer at least until June 2011, with an option to continue another year. Hummer's management team will stay in place, and company headquarters will be located in the Detroit area. After GM's attempts to sell its Saturn brand failed last week, analysts called the deal a victory for GM despite the low price tag. "It's good news for General Motors, they actually got some money out of it versus having to spend money to wind it down, as they have to do with Saturn," said Michelle Krebs, an analyst with auto information site Edmunds.com. Back in February, while seeking more federal aid, GM said that it would sell or close its Hummer, Saturn and Saab divisions in an effort to succeed as a leaner, more profitable company.

Concern about Hummer's sale to the Chinese was muted. "Yeah, it feels a little weird," said Anthony Cancel, new car sales manager at Moore Cadillac Hummer in Chantilly. "But Americans are still going to build these cars" for a while, Mr. Cancel said. "That's going to employ 3,000 Americans." He noted that even with Hummer's future in doubt, his dealership was still selling 15 of the vehicles a month, down from a peak of 75. GM has not produced the car for six months, he said. "It came at a pretty good time, we only have two left. From the time they turn the factory on it takes four weeks for us to get cars," Mr. Cancel said. Ms. Krebs said the Chinese are following the lead of the Japanese and Koreans, but not by building the cars on their own. "The Chinese are achieving a global presence by acquisition rather than introducing their own brands," she said. "They're buying low right now."

"The Chinese are achieving a global presence by acquisition rather than introducing their own brands," she said. "They're buying low right now." Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co. has joined a Swedish consortium led by Koenigsegg seeking to complete the purchase of Saab this month. China's Geely Automobile was interested in buying Opel from GM and is bidding to buy Volvo from Ford Motor Co. "It's the same with the Indians, with Tata [Motors] buying Jaguar and Land Rover," Ms. Krebs said. The Financial Times reported this week that Geely's bid for money-losing Volvo was worth $2 billion but that Ford had concerns about protecting its technology. The London newspaper reported that a U.S. consortium led by former Detroit executives has also placed a bid. Independent auto analyst Tom Libby said trade is so interconnected now that Chinese ownership of Hummer is unlikely to diminish its macho appeal. "I have always held that the Hummer brand has value in this market and I consider it a viable competitor to Jeep," he said. The Jeep had its origin in the U.S. military, he said, and still benefits from "sort of a patriotism connection." The Hummer is derived from the Humvee, the U.S. military's successor to the Jeep. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican and former action-movie hero, persuaded military contractor AM General to make a civilian version of the Humvee in the early 1990s. AM General of South Bend, Ind., continues to make the military Humvee.

The challenge for Hummer, with fresh capital from Tengzhong, will be to reinvent the brand, which has suffered in recent years from its gas-guzzling image. The company will improve efficiency and performance and branch out to alternative fuels and diesel engines. There's no image problem in China, though. "I think it works for China," Ms. Krebs said. "I have been to China and Hummers are real popular there, even though they are only sold on the gray market. I've seen them on the streets of Shanghai. "They're popular in the Middle East and there are opportunities elsewhere, such as Russia," she said.

DTN News: BAE Systems Receives $89 Million Contract For Vehicle Emergency Escape Windows

DTN News: BAE Systems Receives $89 Million Contract For Vehicle Emergency Escape Windows *Source: DTN News / BAE Systems (NSI News Source Info) MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota - August 25, 2009: BAE Systems will supply Vehicle Emergency Escape (VEE) windows for new production M1151 Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV) under a contract with AM General. The patent-pending VEE Window technology enables soldiers to quickly exit the vehicle in the event of an emergency, such as a rollover or accident, by releasing and pushing out the front window. The simplicity of the design requires no additional training for soldiers. The total potential value of this indefinite deliver/indefinite quantity contract is up to $89 million. "For the first time the VEE Window will be incorporated into AM General’s M1151 HMMWV production line," said Mark Signorelli, vice president and general manager of New Vehicles & Amphibious Systems. "This life-saving technology is standard on the HMMWV platform is another step in our commitment to Warfighter safety in an unpredictable environment." The VEE Window is part of the Army’s Fragmentation Kit Seven (FRAG 7), which is a set of survivability upgrades to already fielded M1151 HMMWVs. This contract raises the total orders for VEE Window kits to more than 29,000, with more than 10,000 kits already shipped for the up-armored M1114 and M1151 HMMWVs. The VEE Window technology is adaptable to many tactical up-armored combat vehicles, including Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles, the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles or Marine Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacements. Work on the VEE Window order will be performed at BAE Systems and industrial partner facilities in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Butler, Pennsylvania. About BAE Systems BAE Systems is the premier global defense and aerospace company delivering a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions and customer support services. With approximately 105,000 employees worldwide, BAE Systems' sales exceeded $34.4 billion in 2008.

DTN News: Technology TODAY August 11, 2009 ~ Humvee Still Made In America

DTN News: Technology TODAY August 11, 2009 ~ Humvee Still Made In America

*Source: DTN News / Defense Media (NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON, USA - August 11, 2009: The military’s High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, also known as a “HMMWV” or a “Humvee,” will continue to be made in the United States, by an American-owned company. The recent announcement that Detroit-based General Motors will sell their Hummer brand of vehicles to Chinese-based Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Company, has no bearing on the U.S. military’s Humvee. “The Army’s Humvee and the civilian Hummer look similar and share a common appearance,” said spokesman Lt. Col. Martin Downie. “But the rights to produce those two different vehicles are no longer owned by the same company.” Humvee manufacturer AM General is an American company based in South Bend, Ind. The company produced the first 55,000 Humvees for the Army in 1985. The company continues today to produce the Humvee for the military. In the early 1990s, AM General began producing a civilian version of the Humvee, calling it a “Hummer.” But by the late 1990s, AM General had sold the Hummer name to General Motors. While GM will sell the Hummer nameplate to Sichuan Tengzhong, the military’s Humvee, its designs, unique performance capabilities and technologies will continue to be owned by, and the vehicle produced by, AM General.

DTN News: New Look ~ Hummer With Tracks At An Auto Exhibition In Beijing

DTN News: New Look ~ Hummer With Tracks At An Auto Exhibition In Beijing

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) BEIJING, China - July 31, 2009: The Hummer H2 is an SUV and SUT sold by General Motors under the Hummer brand. It is a large truck (lighter and slightly slimmer than the Hummer H1, while slightly longer and slightly taller) with room for six passengers (including driver). The rearmost part of the H2 SUV was modified to a pickup truck bed for the 2005 H2 SUT ("Sport Utility Truck").

A man looks at a Hummer with tracks in place of wheels at an auto exhibition in Beijing, China, Friday, July 31, 2009. The five-day exhibition showcases imported cars, many of them high-priced luxury models.

The H2 is built under contract by AM General at a specially constructed plant in Mishawaka

Indiana, USA. Although it shares GM's GMT820 truck platform with the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon, those vehicles differ in many ways and are constructed in three other GM plants. The H2's final frame assembly is made up of 3 sections:

The front uses a modified GM 2500-Series utility frame, the mid-section is all new and is completely boxed, and the rear section uses a modified GM 1500-Series frame which is upgraded for the 8,600 pound (3629 kg) gross vehicle weight. The 2008 Hummer H2 does 0-60 in 8.2 seconds.

The H2 has a massive truck frame and has a wider-than-average track firm that may offer stability against overturning compared to some of the more common light truck SUVs, although objective tests have not been performed by the government or other outside parties due to its specialized vehicle class.

It is marketed as both a general purpose vehicle and as an off-road vehicle. Because of mass marketing by GM, it is primarily used as a passenger vehicle on typical roads. Along with the Ford Excursion, the H2 is also a very common vehicle for a limousine conversion.

DTN News: Humvee Still Made In America / Humvee Production Will Stay In America

DTN News: Humvee Still Made In America / Humvee Production Will Stay In America

(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - June 5, 2009: The military's High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, also known as a "HMMWV" or a "Humvee," will continue to be made in the United States, by an American-owned company.

This Humvee prepares for a convoy mission inside the yard at Convoy Support Center Scania, Iraq, April 16. The military's Humvee is manufactured by AM General, an American company in South Bend, Ind. General Motor's decision to sell to a Chinese manufacturer their Hummer brand of vehicles, which shares a common background with the Humvee, will not affect where the Humvee is made.

The recent announcement that Detroit-based General Motors will sell their Hummer brand of vehicles to Chinese-based Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Company, has no bearing on the U.S. military's Humvee.

"The Army's Humvee and the civilian Hummer look similar and share a common appearance," said spokesman Lt. Col. Martin Downie. "But the rights to produce those two different vehicles are no longer owned by the same company."

Humvee manufacturer AM General is an American company based in South Bend, Ind. The company produced the first 55,000 Humvees for the Army in 1985. The company continues today to produce the Humvee for the military.

In the early 1990s, AM General began producing a civilian version of the Humvee, calling it a "Hummer." But by the late 1990s, AM General had sold the Hummer name to General Motors. While GM will sell the Hummer nameplate to Sichuan Tengzhong, the military's Humvee, its designs, unique performance capabilities and technologies will continue to be owned by, and the vehicle produced by, AM General.

DTN News: GM Strikes Hummer Deal With China Machinery Maker

DTN News: GM Strikes Hummer Deal With China Machinery Maker

(NSI News Source Info) DETROIT/NEW YORK – June 3, 2009: General Motors Corp said on Tuesday it reached a tentative deal to sell its Hummer brand to a privately held Chinese heavy machinery maker, part of an effort to drop four unprofitable vehicle lines and leave bankruptcy as a leaner company. Hummer is a brand of off-road vehicles sold by General Motors (GM). The original Hummer H1 was based on the military High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV, or Humvee). However, the Hummer H2 and the Hummer H3 were based on other, smaller civilian-market vehicles. On June 1, 2009, as a part of the General Motors bankruptcy announcement, the company revealed that the Hummer brand would be discontinued. However, the following day GM announced that instead it had reached a deal to sell the brand to an undisclosed buyer. On June 2, 2009 GM announced the sale of Hummer to an undisclosed Chinese company. The New York Times reported that day that the buyer would be the Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Company Ltd., a machinery company in western China, and later that day, Sichuan Tengzhong itself posted it on their own website.The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of this year and is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. Financial terms of the agreement will not be disclosed at this time. Credit Suisse is acting as exclusive financial advisor and Shearman&Sterling is acting as international legal counsel to Tengzhong on this transaction. Citi is acting as financial advisor to GM. GM, a day after filing for bankruptcy, said in a statement that it reached a memorandum of understanding with Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co for the sale. Tengzhong said it will retain Hummer's senior management and operational team. GM said Tengzhong will also enter into a long-term contract assembly and key component and material supply agreement with GM. Under the deal, which is subject to regulatory review and is expected to close in the third quarter, Tengzhong will assume Hummer's existing dealer agreements. Financial terms were still under discussion and will not be disclosed, GM said. Bankers have said Hummer could fetch about $100 million in cash in addition to other commitments. The deal marks the first time that a Chinese buyer has acquired a brand from one of the struggling U.S. automakers. Chinese parts suppliers and automakers have shopped for U.S. automotive assets, including those at also-bankrupt Chrysler LLC, but no deals have been completed despite the enormous pressure on U.S. automakers in recent years to cut costs. Based in the Chinese province of Sichuan, Tengzhong makes special-use vehicles, highway and bridge structural components, construction machinery and energy equipment. Tengzhong was formed in 2005 through a series of mergers and, according to its website has 4,800 employees, compared with GM's 243,000. The Chinese firm said in a joint statement with GM that it would expand into the premium off-road vehicle segment. "We will be investing in the Hummer brand and its research and development capabilities, which will allow Hummer to better meet demands for new products such as more fuel-efficient vehicles in the U.S.," Tengzhong CEO Yang Yi said. Tengzhong's website (www.sctengzhong.com:8080/tengzhong/weben/gytz.jsp) did not indicate whether the company has experience running plants overseas or of producing passenger vehicles of any kind. GM said earlier on Tuesday that the buyer of Hummer, who it did not initially identify, would contract to build the H3 model SUV and the H3T pickup truck at GM's plant in Shreveport, Louisiana, through at least 2010. In addition, GM said the investor would fund future vehicles for Hummer and invest in alternatives to the heavy gas-guzzling engines that are the hallmark of the brand. In Shreveport, where 800 workers work on a single shift building Hummer H3 and H3T models, there was relief that a new buyer would keep the line running for at least a while longer. "We're just excited that Hummer may live on," said Morgan Johnson, president of UAW Local 2166, which represents workers at the GM plant. DIMINISHED EXPECTATIONS GM had expected Hummer to fetch more than $500 million when it went on sale a year ago. The automaker said in a court filing on Monday that the sale could not proceed on "reasonable terms" due to tight credit and concerns about GM's financial condition. Part of the problem has been that the military-derived Hummer has become an emblem of excess, turning consumer tastes against the brand's macho styling and prices that can top $71,000. U.S. sales fell by more than two-thirds in January-April. First seen as multipurpose, off-road military vehicles, Hummers were originally built by AM General. Its first model was the Humvee, built for the military. GM bought the Hummer brand from AM General in 1999. AM General still makes the Humvee for the U.S. military. After losing $88 billion since 2005, GM is in the process of cutting debt, workers and brands in bankruptcy. It is seeking to sell its Saab and Saturn brands this year and plans to discontinue Pontiac by the end of 2010. That would leave a smaller GM to be rebuilt around the Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC and Buick brands. Together those account for more than 80 percent of current sales. Credit Suisse is acting as exclusive financial adviser and Shearman & Sterling is international legal counsel to Tengzhong on the transaction. Citi is financial adviser to GM. (Additional reporting by Kevin Krolicki in DETROIT, Chris Kaufman in NEW YORK and Fang Yan in SHANGHAI; Editing by Matthew Lewis & Ian Geoghegan)