Oleg Deripaska (right), 40, the richest man in Russia with a fortune of $28 billion and the 9th richest man in world (Luxist fave Roman Abramovich is #15), has reportedly held talks with General Motors about acquiring their beleaguered Hummer division.

As my colleague Deidre Woollard reported last month, Hummer is in financial trouble in the wake of the oil and gas price explosion, with sales of the SUV having tumbled some 40 percent through June. Ailing GM has announced plans to unload the brand, and Deripaska, whose company Russian Machines recently acquired a major stake in Canadian auto parts manufacturer Magna International, is a natural buyer.

In the wake of the reports, Russian Machines issued a statement saying it was "not strategically interested in such a deal", which sounds to us like a non-denial denial. We would hardly expect him to invite counter-offers by publicizing a planned acquisition before the deal is signed. This past New Year's Eve Deripaska paid Barbadian signer Rihanna $500,000 for a private 40 minute performance for his friends.

For years, the Hummer from General Motors has been a symbol of American exuberance. The beefy road-dominating car was a freeway favorite for its spacious interior even spawning a whole fleet of Hummer limos. But with gas and oil prices at all time highs, the brand is in big trouble. In an article in the Baltimore Sun, new figures from Autodata show that sales of the SUV are down 40 percent through June. The Hummer has the dubious honor of being the worst selling car brand in America right now. Hummer owners are also facing increasing scrutiny from the more environmentally-minded drivers who see the car as a vehicular affront to green values.

Still, there will always be Hummer fans. Those who are very tall and those who have money to spend on big cars with low gas mileage such as professional athletes will always have room in their garage for this car. The Hummer's brash masculine style still drives people to showrooms but the recent economic woes have weeded out those who are not hard-core enthusiasts.

Fergie's 2005 HUMMER H2, pimped out by the guys at DUB Magazine and driven by Ms. Fergalicious herself, is up for bid on none other than eBay. The charity listing advertises her ride as having everything modified, including the suspension, two-tone suede seat inserts, audio (including a green suede-wrapped molding covering the woofer) and 24-inch wheels.

At press time, bids were just up past $64,000, and given the fact that the car is undoubtedly worth twice that, one would hope more money will be raised for charity by the auction's September 15 end date.

[Via Autoblog]

Does anybody else feel a little nauseous? That's a lot of pink.

But apparently pink is what European limo goers look for in a vehicle, as this large pink H3 Hummer is being billed as the U.K.'s most sought after limousine for hire. The inside is just as cotton-candy-crazy as you'd expect with pink and white seats, a mirrored ceiling with optic lights, and some kind of color-changing twinkling lights. And of course it has all the usual perks that come with a limo ride like champagne, flat screen TVs, and (dare we say it?) prestige.


Via Lussorian

Recently, Elizabeth Arden bought the rights to the Hummer scent. And we're not talking about the scent of gasoline and motor oil, but instead to the name and a scent that is inspired by the very idea of the luxury brand. Elizabeth Arden intends to release an eau de toilette and a deodorant, both with the Hummer name, across Europe and in China later this year. The perfume will have the "unmistakably seductive scents of tonka bean and patchouli," while the deodorant will feature "exotic spices such as cardamom and amber for a truly masculine adrenaline rush that can only be called Hummer." After a disappointing year of sales in the US, the company does not seem like it intends to release the new fragrances there.

[Thanks Joel]

Artist Heidi Heiss must be even more upset by the discontinuation of the Hummer H1 than we are - just kidding. She made this candy-coated Hummer as a tribute to "the soldiers who gave candies to children during the war." It is a life sized HumVee that is made of gumballs, steel and wire mesh. This one was on display at the MOCA Tucson in Arizona, but it's easy to imagine it ending up in the car collection of someone who really wants something different.

There's another picture, for perspective, after the jump.

[via OMG Blog]

The Hummer H1 is being discontinued by General Motors this year, which means that the last ones will be built in June. The car was the cornerstone of the Hummer brand, and though the company has sold 12,000 of the $140,000 (base price of $106,000) vehicles since they were introduced in 1992, spokespeople say that they plan to focus on models that will have a broader appeal. GM reps also noted that rising gas prices didn't impact their decision because their customer base for the massive SUV isn't comprised of people who typically worry about that sort of thing. They do, however, worry about more luxury options, which is where GM will be taking the brand.

What could make a Hummer more obnoxious? How about an extra set of wheels? The guys from H6 Players can stretch your Hummer and add alls sorts of nonsense to your interior from fiber optic lighting to a chrome ceiling, ice chest, 15" flatscreen tailgate monitor and the all-important rear speakers.

[via Transport Trends]