Hummer H 1 Classic Cars for Sale

The Hummer H1 is a sports utility vehicle (SUV) made by AM General and later General Motors.

History of the Hummer

The Hummer H1's history starts with a design contest launched by the US army in the early 1980s for a vehicle that could cope with any terrain. The contest was won by AM General with their High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle. The vehicle's cumbersome name was soon abbrievated to HMMWV or 'Humvee'. The Humvee found fame in the Operation Desert Storm of the first Gulf War as TV viewers took to the chunky style of the vehicle. To capitalise on this fame, AM General decided to produce a version available the general public from 1992, which they named the Hummer. Hummers proved popular with celebrities, notably Arnold Scharwzenegger. AM General produced the Hummers on the same production line as the Humvee military vehicles, meaning the two vehicles shared many of the same components.

The Hummer at General Motors

The Hummer brand was bought by General Motors in 1999, launching a joint venture with AM General from the late nineties. General Motors launched a new Hummer car in 1999, which they called the Hummer H2. The original Hummer was therefore re-designated the Hummer H1. The Hummer H1 continued to be manufactured by AM General.

Hummer H1 Strengths and Weaknesses

The Hummer H1 had an impressive ground clearance of over 20 inches, and it could climb the steepest slopes, up to a 60% grade. Many drivers liked the high driving position and increased visibility. The Hummer however lacked the comforts of most civilian vehicles. In particular, it was difficult to park on the street, owing to its huge size - being over 100 inches wide.

The Hummer H1 Alpha

The Hummer H1 Alpha was a special model of the H1, produced by GM in 2006. The H1 Alpha had a bigger engine, brakes and an extra gear, which improved the performance of the vehicle. However the high price (over $100,000), basic interior and difficulty in parking, shared by both the H1 and the H1 Alpha, meant that GM decided to retire the Hummer H1 Alpha at the end of 2006. Changes to emission laws that came into effect the following year would also have made it difficult for the Hummer to survive.

Demise of the Hummer Brand

In 2009, General Motors was under threat of bankruptcy. In order to try and save the company, GM discussed selling the Hummer brand to a Chinese company Tengzhong. Sadly this plan was scuppered by the Chinese government, leading to the end of the Hummer brand in February 2010.