Former General Motors vice chairman Bob Lutz has remained out of the news for quite some time but it has just been revealed that he is continuing to frolic in the automotive world by building Hummer H1s and selling them in Africa, Europe, the Middle East and China.
As General Motors still owners the Hummer trademark, the vehicles are sold as the Humvee C-Series and are currently being constructed in small numbers at VLF Automotive’s factory in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
The venture isn’t the brainchild of Lutz and is instead that of five Humvee enthusiasts and entrepreneurs from Michigan. Speaking to Car and Driver, VLF Automotive president John Costin revealed that the company had been contracted to assemble the trucks.
This is possible despite GM killing the Hummer brand in 2010 as the vehicle’s contract manufacturer, AM General, has been offering C-Series kits for $60,000 since 2013. The company behind the project, Humvee Export, gets VLF to make them and then exports them internationally.
According to Costin, VLF will build up to 100 Humvee C-Series vehicles by the end of 2017 with most being sold to wealthy Chinese buyers.
The vehicle made its Chinese debut at April’s Shanghai Auto Show and for the most part, looks identical to the Hummer H1 we’re all familiar with. Power can be provided from a 6.5-liter diesel V8 with either 190 hp and 385 lb-ft, 205 hp and 440 lb-ft or 250 hp and 440 lb-ft. An LS3 6.2-liter petrol V8 is also available with 430 hp and 424 lb-ft of torque and mated to a 4L85-E four-speed automatic transmission.
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