Hot off the press!
No takers for Hummer . . .yet: Although General Motors boss Rick Wagoner says the automaker has received “significant interest” in the sale of more than US $4 billion worth of assets, apparently the company’s Hummer brand isn’t quite making the phone ring off the hook. Although previous reports had India’s Mahindra & Mahindra pegged as the leading candidate to buy GM’s off-road brand, the automaker now reveals that it is not interested. “There has been a lot of speculation. I want to say categorically we are not pursuing Hummer,” Mahindra Vice Chairman Anand Mahindra told trade paper Automotive News. The Sleuth also hears that China’s Hunan Changfeng Motor Co. has shied away from buying Hummer. GM might have a harder time than it first thought about unloading Hummer in an environment where fuel economy seems to be a sign of the future.
Next stop? Your Alfa Romeo dealership: Talk about timing. North Americans are interested in fuel economy but still want to drive something fun. OK, how about an Alfa Romeo? The Italian automaker is primed for a successful reintroduction into the market in 2010 or 2011. Fiat-owned Alfa Romeo stopped selling vehicles in the United States in 1995. The 8C sports car is already earmarked to be the first Alfa vehicle available here, but it remains unclear which models will round out the company’s offerings, although several small cars and a full-size luxury car are possible.
