Old Hummer plant now builds China-bound Mercedes SUVs - CNBC
Five years after General Motors shut down production of the Hummer at the AM General assembly plant in Mishawaka, Indiana, the assembly line that once built the H2 is cranking out another SUV. "With this R series coming in, it is good for the community, good for everyone's family," said Ashford, who has worked 14 years for AM General. Mercedes-Benz has contracted AM General to build the R Class because the luxury automaker no longer has the space to build the SUV at its plant in Vance, Alabama. So it's moved production of the R Class to northwest Indiana and hired AM General to build models that will be shipped to China, the only market where the SUV is sold. On Tuesday, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said retail sales of passenger vehicles dropped 6. 6 percent in July. It was the third time in four months auto sales have dropped in China, the world's largest auto market. In addition, China on Tuesday devalued its currency by nearly 2 percent , a move that could cut Chinese luxury consumption. But Mercedes-Benz is confident it can ride out any impact the devaluation action in China may have on its business. "Let's wait and see what happens," said Jason Hoff of Mercedes-Benz. Source: www.cnbc.com
