COOL MOMS ADOPT MILITARY BRASS STYLE.

Byline: Naush Boghossian Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - Chrysler station wagons, Dodge Caravans, Jeep Cherokees and Ford Expeditions - all have been the preferred mode of transportation for generations of mothers shuttling their children to and from school, basketball practice and scout meetings.

But times, they are a-changin', especially among the affluent in Santa Clarita.

Local mothers have eschewed the functional, economical and fuel-efficient family car for high style that makes one the ``cool mom'' and the envy of men in the eye-catching new Hummer H2 that came out in June.

Cyndi Schramm, a mother of three, and her husband bought a Black Hummer H2 - the civilized version of the more military H1 popularized by actor Arnold Schwarzenegger. But while he loves the car - at about the same price as a new Porsche sports convertible - she's the primary driver.

``We liked the look of it. It's different than any other car out there,'' she said. ``My kids love it, and their friends love it.''

Parkway Motors officials, who sell the Hummers, said more than 80 percent of their customers are buying these cars for women, and the main attraction is the safety.

``It's very luxurious, like sitting on my sofa, and it's very strong and sturdy, and it makes you feel secure,'' Schramm said.

While not exactly fuel-efficient - the car gets 10 to 14 miles per gallon - those who can afford Hummers buy them as quickly as they arrive at the Parkway Cadillac Hummer Pontiac GMC Buick.

``We sell 80 percent to women,'' said Will Sample, a Hummer product manager. ``Husbands buy it for their wives because of safety - it sits higher than most other vehicles - and the cool factor. It's a Hummer.''

The Hummer H2 is so popular in Valencia that the dealer can't keep them on the lot. They don't have any in stock and there is a waiting list.

``The demand exceeds vehicle supply tenfold,'' said Michael Roth, general sales manager for the dealership. The cars are so popular that Hummer doesn't offer any incentives or rebates to its buyers.

Fueled by the rapid sales - the dealership has been selling 20 to 25 Hummers each month - the dealer decided to build the first Hummer showroom in the Western region, which will open this month on Magic Mountain Parkway.

The facility is replete with a test track that allows potential buyers to drive the car under different road conditions, as over 6-inch bumps, dips and steep grades.

When the showroom opens, the dealer expects to sell about 40 Hummers a month as demographic studies indicate that Valencia is the perfect market for the luxury vehicle.

Dealer studies indicate the typical sale is to a couple between the ages of 35 and 45 with two children and a median household income of $120,000.

``It says that the economy has a lot of discretionary income. We've got a higher-than-average household income (in Santa Clarita), and you need to have a market like that to support purchases of upper-end cars,'' said Mike Haviland, Santa Clarita's economic development manager.

About 40 percent of Santa Clarita's households earn $75,000 to $199,999, and 3.8 percent earn more than $200,000, according to the 2000 census.

Nationwide, the Hummer has been outselling other sports utilities in its class, which includes the Range Rover, Lexus LX, the Navigator and the Cadillac Escalade, for the past several months.

The H1 - aimed more at the military, selling between $95,000 and $125,000 and used in Desert Storm - does not sell as well as the H2, priced between $49,000 and $55,000.

``It's a phenomenon around the Hummer mystique,'' Roth said.

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Photo:

(color) While locals may be buying the Hummer largely for looks, salesman Will Sample drives on eithe dirt for fun.

(David R. Crane/Staff Photographer