Tengzhong has a bumpy road ahead to break in Hummer

For many it's appropriate that Hummer means a horse that cannot be tamed in Chinese because they believe the bulky, gas-guzzling utility vehicle would not co-exist happily with Tengzhong's stable of other products.

Although the first, tentative hurdles with bankrupt General Motors have been cleared, a long and tricky field lies ahead before the Sichuan-based heavy industrial machinery company can gallop past the finishing post to claim its prize.

Some punters believe it's a race that cannot be won; others claim it's a race not worth winning.