An off-road ride in General Motors Corp.'s Hummer is anything but ho-hum. So Valley Cadillac Hummer in Rochester, N.Y., is building a course behind its dealership for test drives, according to the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. The 66-year-old family-owned dealership landed the Hummer franchise May 20 and started selling the military-style vehicle about a week later, according to the paper. Paul Taylor, chief economist for the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), said the pairing of Hummer with Cadillac dealers is a national trend. GM bought the Hummer brand from AM General in 1999. Cadillac dealers are now selling Hummers on the same lot with DeVilles, Eldorados and Escalades. Valley Cadillac hasn't sold any Hummers so far, but Meagher thinks there's enough local interest to sell three to six a year. John Lyboldt, president of the Rochester Automobile Dealers' Association, said that despite the recession, sales of new vehicles priced at $35,000 and up have outpaced sales of lower-priced new vehicles, according to the Democrat & Chronicle. GM is coming out with a less expensive model in July called the H2 that has more features for civilians. It will sell for $50,000 to $60,000.
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