Why Are There Still New Hummers After Production Has Been Discontinued?
3 Answers
There may still be new vehicles available due to existing inventory. Below is relevant information about Hummer: 1. Overview: The domestic Hummer refers to the Hummer vehicles produced independently by Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery after acquiring the Hummer brand. Their main features include fuel efficiency and a significantly lower price compared to foreign Hummer models. On the afternoon of June 8, 2009, the company linked to a "Confidence in Acquisition" website on its official site and issued a statement indicating that after the acquisition, it would establish a production base in China at an appropriate time, with energy conservation and environmental protection as the R&D direction. 2. Background: Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co., Ltd., a relatively unknown private enterprise in China, stepped forward to "acquire" the famous brand "Hummer" from General Motors when the latter was "on the verge of collapse." Most people's impression of "Hummer" likely comes from the military vehicle HMMWV, which was extensively used by the U.S. military during the Afghanistan War and the Gulf War. However, the Hummer acquired by the Chinese private enterprise is actually the other "Hummer"—HUMMER, which is unrelated to military products.
I used to follow Hummer news closely, and it's true that it was discontinued around 2010. But the main reason you can still see new cars now is that there are still unsold inventory vehicles left. Before discontinuing production, manufacturers usually produce a batch of cars to store in warehouses or at dealerships, gradually clearing the inventory, which can sometimes take a year or two. Places like 4S stores or used car dealers might still have a few unregistered Hummers left, especially those with special configurations or custom colors. Although these cars were manufactured before discontinuation, they have low mileage and have never been registered, making them legally new cars. Additionally, luxury car inventory management cycles are long, and some cars might have been used for exhibitions before returning to the market, leading buyers to mistakenly think they are newly released when they are actually just clearing stock. It's advisable to check the manufacturing date carefully when buying a car to avoid being misled.
I worked in the automotive industry for several years and noticed that after Hummer ceased production, many so-called new cars were actually parallel imports. For example, there were dealer inventories in regions like the Middle East or Russia, or a small number of production inventory vehicles, which were bought in bulk by importers and shipped back to the domestic market. These vehicles, which hadn't sold out overseas, were legally imported, underwent modification certifications, and were then sold as brand-new cars domestically. Although the Hummer brand had stopped production, the global supply and demand weren't synchronized, leading to inventory surpluses in some regions where prices were cheaper than in the local market. Importers took advantage of this to profit from the price differences. So, those new Hummers you see in showrooms with temporary plates are most likely imported from overseas, essentially being old-year inventory.
