The recently announced demise of the Hummer (which may not be a “done deal”, as the Wall Street Journal has reported this morning that General Motors is revisiting two other offers) is only one more in what is rapidly becoming a rather long list of disappearing “name-plates”.

Of course, the shock wave began several years ago, when we sadly said good-bye to Oldsmobile.

Now, invested dealers, and consumers, have or will take a hit with the discontinuance of Hummer, Saturn, Pontiac, possibly Saab and others not far behind.