**A Chinese firm’s planned takeover of the off-road Hummer car brand may be in trouble.**Reports have said that the Chinese government has refused to approve the purchase from General Motors (GM), potentially scuppering the deal.
Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery has been trying to get approval for months, with rumours rife that China was not happy with the deal.
Tengzhong says it will make an announcement on 28 February.
GM sold the iconic brand last year, as it offloaded famous names it owned and went into bankruptcy protection.
GM emerged from Chapter 11 in July last year, announcing that it would discontinue the Pontiac and Saturn, and saying it would sell Swedish brand Saab and its European operations, Opel.
It eventually decided to keep Opel - which includes UK brand Vauxhall - and sell Saab to Dutch carmaker Spyker.
Waning popularity
Hummers were originally built as military off-road vehicles by a company called AM General.
The brand took off as US motorists flocked to the sport utility vehicles favoured by celebrities including Arnold Schwarzenegger.
GM bought the Hummer brand in 1999, but sales have suffered recently as the gas-guzzling performance and military image have become less popular.
Hummers weigh up to five tonnes and have fuel consumption of about 15 miles per gallon.
Tengzhong - which is based in China’s Sichuan province - specialises in making equipment for the road, construction and energy industries.
Under the terms of the original deal, Tengzhong would take an 80% stake in Hummer, with the remaining 20% going to Hong Kong entrepreneur Suolong Duoji.
The company also said it would be focusing on improving efficiency in Hummer models, including the introduction of diesel engines.