No more new H1s

[HoKC]

• To ALL HUMMER DEALERS:
  
  This communication is a follow-up to today's IDL broadcast announcing the discontinuation of the H1 Alpha. Please refer questions to Jeff Edwards, HUMMER sales director, at 313-665-0230. Inquiries from the news media should be sent to Dayna Hart, HUMMER Communications manager at 313-665-7718 or dayna.hart@gm.com. Thank you.
  
  HUMMER H1 Alpha is its official name, but in 1992 when the HUMMER brand was born and first went on sale to the public, it was simply known as "the HUMMER." Now, fourteen years and nearly 12,000 sales later, the model will cease production at the end of the 2006 model year.
  
  While the H1 was the foundation for the brand, the HUMMER sales continue to grow exponentially around the globe with the introduction of new models, like the H3. Rather than continuing to invest in the exotic, niche-market H1, HUMMER will dedicate its engineering, manufacturing, marketing and dealer resources to bringing more new or significantly revised models to market. AM General, the creator and manufacturer of the HUMMER H1, will focus all of its research and development efforts on continuing to make the finest light tactical vehicles in the world available to the U.S. Armed Forces.Due to the H1's extreme capability and durability, it helped establish the heritage and extreme off-road credentials consumers associate with the HUMMER brand and H2 and H3 today. Since H1 has an unusually long lifespan (typically up to 15 years), HUMMER owners can continue to depend on HUMMER dealerships to provide warranty repairs, parts and service for their vehicle for many years to come. AM General's military HUMVEE will continue to represent the brand's extremely capable DNA.
  
  AM General, maker of the H1 Alpha, has been converting its assembly lines from retail H1 Alpha production to production of HUMVEE models, which are in high demand by the U.S. Military. AM General and HUMMER/General Motors will continue to work closely together to produce the HUMMER H2, which is manufactured in AMG's Mishawaka, Indiana facility.
  
  History of the model: in 1992 an unprecedented window of opportunity opened, when
  production levels of the military HUMVEE decreased. This enabled AM General, using the same assembly line, to build a retail-version of the military HUMVEE, which was sold as the "HUMMER" model. The model name was changed to HUMMER H1 in 2000, after General Motors purchased the marketing rights to the HUMMER name. It became the H1 Alpha in the 2006 model year, and included an improved Duramax 6600 diesel engine, enhanced off-road capability, and improved fuel efficiency and driving comfort on the road.
  
  
  
  Martin Walsh
  HUMMER General Manager