It is being reported in the US that GM has decided to say goodbye to the Hummer H1 SUV, an iconic gas-guzzler that attracted celebrity buyers but served as a symbolic focus for the indignation of green campaigners.
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GM has said that the 2006 model year will be the last for the H1, based on the military’s Humvee.
“It’s a reflection of where we’re going with the Hummer brand,” Hummer general manager Martin Walsh said of the decision, according to AP. “The Hummer DNA still resides in the Humvee. … It will always be the core from where we come.”
GM expects the last H1s to be built next month, AP said.
Walsh told AP that Hummer plans to focus on models with broader appeal instead of the niche-market H1. Since taking over the Hummer name in 2000, GM has introduced the still hefty H2 and a smaller H3 sport utility vehicle.
The H1 gets about 10 miles per gallon, but Walsh said rising gas prices didn’t factor into GM’s decision, AP reported.
Last year, GM sold 374 H1s, down 16% from 447 in 2004.
