India’s Mahindra eyeing Hummer?

UPDATE This rumor is downgraded to 'false' today. Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., India's largest maker of sport-utility vehicles, said it's not interested in purchasing the Hummer sport-utility vehicle brand of General Motors Corp., denying media reports. “There is lot of speculation. Let me categorically say that we are not pursuing Hummer,'' the Mumbai-based company's Managing Director Anand Mahindra told reporters today. GM is in talks with Mahindra, a Russian automaker and a Chinese automaker on a possible sale of the Hummer brand, Reuters reported July 31, citing people familiar with the matter. Bloomberg

08/01/08 General Motors Corp. is in talks with Indian automaker Mahindra & Mahindra and automakers in Russia and China about selling its Hummer brand, sources familiar with the matter said. One source close to the discussions said Mahindra was not very interested at this time as it has plans to launch a small sport utility vehicle in the U.S. market next year.

Mahindra would like to launch that SUV under its own brand and has signed up about 250 dealers to distribute the vehicle, the source said. But talks with GM – still in initial stages – were continuing, the source added.

GM declined to comment. Mahindra was not immediately reachable for comment. The sources did not name the Russian and Chinese companies talking with GM.