GM begins clearance sale for Hummer

General Motors is shutting down the Hummer brand for good, taking the last of its four discarded U.S. brands off the market.

GM had said it would consider offers to buy Hummer after a deal to sell the brand to Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery failed to receive Chinese government approval in February. Now GM has decided to move forward with closing the brand, Hummer spokesman Nick Richards said.

With the brand shutting down, Hummer CEO Jim Taylor has retired, effective immediately, Richards said.

Jim Bunnell, GM's general director of network support, broke the news to Hummer dealers on a conference call Tuesday morning, Richards said. Bunnell said GM had not found any viable buyer, according to dealers who listened to the call. Hummer has 153 U.S. stores.

GM put Hummer up for sale a year before its June bankruptcy. It has sold Saab and is shutting down Pontiac and Saturn as part of its U.S.-steered rescue.

“This is for real,” Texas dealer Will Churchill said. “I cried big crocodile tears.”

To clear out the remaining 2,200 new Hummers still in stock, Richards said Hummer will run incentives through the end of April. Consumers can get 0 percent financing for 72 months or choose consumer cash. GM is offering $4,000 off 2010 H3s and H3Ts, $5,000 off 2009 H3Ts and $6,000 on 2009 H2s or H3s.

In the next couple of days, Hummer will run ads in 20 key markets promoting the discounts. “Last chance to buy a Hummer,” Churchill said.

Hummer 153 U.S. dealers had already signed wind-down agreements that give them some cash, and those now go into effect, Richards said.

Some dealers had been delaying the start of life without Hummer until they heard the final verdict from GM. Churchill said he'll focus on his Cadillac and Honda franchises, servicing Hummer customers through Cadillac. Texas dealer Carl Sewell said he's exploring all options for getting new franchises for his two stand-alone Hummer stores.

“We're not quite there yet. We're chasing,” Sewell said.

GM put Hummer up for sale a year before its June bankruptcy. It has sold Saab and is shutting down Pontiac and Saturn as part of its U.S.-steered rescue.

Taylor took over Hummer in late 2008 after playing key roles at Cadillac, including general manager.

Jamie LaReau contributed to this report

By Chrissie Thompson- Automotive News