Hummer  is a brand of trucks and SUVs, first marketed in 1992 when AM General began selling a civilian version of the M998 Humvee. In 1998, General Motors (GM) purchased the brand name from AM General and marketed three vehicles: the original Hummer H1, based on the military Humvee, as well as the new H2 and H3 models that were based on smaller, civilian-market GM platforms.

By 2008, Hummer's viability in the economic downturn was questioned. Rather than being transferred to the Motors Liquidation Company as part of the GM bankruptcy in 2009, the brand was retained by GM, in order to investigate its sale. No final deal was made, and in 2010, Hummer dealerships began shutting down.

The manufacturer of the Hummer H1 and H2, AM General, lost their bid to build the HMMWV's replacement for the U.S. military in 2015, to Oshkosh Corporation.

In 2020, the nameplate returned—not as a separate brand, but as two models, an electric pickup truck and SUV, to be sold under the GMC brand as the "GMC Hummer EV". The production EV is scheduled to launch in fall 2021.

h1

AM General had planned to sell a civilian version of its Humvee as far back as the late 1980s. Having the same structure and most mechanical components, the civilian Hummers were finished in automotive gloss paint, adding passenger car enhancements such as air conditioning, sound insulation, upgraded upholstery, stereo systems, wood trim, and convenience packages. The civilian model began in part because of the persistence of Arnold Schwarzenegger, who saw an Army convoy while filming Kindergarten Cop in Oregon and began to campaign and lobby for a civilian version to be available on the market.

In 1992, AM General began selling a civilian version of the M998 Humvee vehicle to the public under the brand name "Hummer". The first two Hummer H1s to be sold were purchased by Schwarzenegger.

The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV; colloquial: Humvee) is a family of light, four-wheel drive, military trucks and utility vehicles produced by AM General. It has largely supplanted the roles previously performed by the original jeep, and others such as the Vietnam War-era M151 jeep, the M561 "Gama Goat", their M718A1 and M792 ambulance versions, the Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle, and other light trucks. Primarily used by the United States military, it is also used by numerous other countries and organizations and even in civilian adaptations. The Humvee saw widespread use in the Gulf War of 1991, where it navigated the treacherous desert terrain; this usage helped to inspire civilian Hummer versions. After going through a replacement process, the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) was chosen as its successor.

The HMMWV has become the vehicular backbone of U.S. forces around the world. Over 10,000 HMMWVs were employed by coalition forces during the Iraq War. The Humvee has been described as a vehicle with "the right capability for its era": designed to provide payload mobility in protected (safe) areas. However, deploying the vehicle to conflict zones where it was exposed to a full spectrum of threat that it was neither designed to operate nor be survivable, led to adding protection at the cost of mobility and payload.

In December 2014, the Department of Defense began auctioning off some 4,000 used Humvees to the public. While some have been transferred to domestic law enforcement agencies, this is the first time the military vehicles have been made available for civilian ownership. The idea is to sell them with starting bids at $10,000 each, for off-road use only, rather than simply scrapping them as a way to save money and repurpose them. M998, M998A1, M1038, and M1038A1 model Humvees are available, which are out of U.S. service and lack armor. AM General has been opposed to the resale of military Humvees to the general public, primarily because surplus government vehicles would have cut into sales related to the civilian Hummer model, whose production ended in 2010. The first sales from auction occurred on 17 December 2014 for 25 of the Humvees. Bids ranged from $21,500 for a 1989 M1038 to $41,000 for a 1994 AM General M998A1. The average bid was around $30,000 and the sale of the 25 vehicles netted $744,000 total. GovPlanet has since taken over the contract and sells Humvees at its weekly auctions.

h2

The Hummer H2 is a large SUV that was marketed by Hummer and built in the AM General facility under contract from General Motors from 2002 to 2009. It is based on a modified GMT820 Chevrolet 2500 HD in front and 1500 frame in back. A four-door pickup truck version with a midgate that opens the vehicle's interior to the external cargo bed was introduced for 2005 as the H2 SUT (sport utility truck). The H2 was built by AM General under contract with General Motors at AM General Military Assembly Plant in Mishawaka, Indiana.

The Hummer 2 is actually longer and taller than the original H1, but doesn’t look it. The H2 represents an impressive production achievement: In just 16 months from the go signal, the Hummer H2 was designed, engineered and tested, and the new factory was built. It’s a serious off-road SUV built on GM’s superb T800 truck platform, which is shared with the Chevy Suburban and Tahoe SUVs and the Chevy Silverado pickups, plus the Cadillac Escalade, Chevy Avalanche, GMC Sierra and Yukons, and other vehicles.

engines

• 2002–2003 Vortec 6000 6.0 LQ4  V8   320 PS at 5200 rpm - 0-100 times: 10.9 sec

• 2004–2007 Vortec 6000 6.0 LQ4  V8   330 PS at 5200 rpm - 0-100 times: 10.7 sec

• 2008–2009 Vortec 6200 6.2 L92   V8   398 PS at 5700 rpm - 0-100 times: 9.1 sec

h3

Development of the GAZ-24 (then called M-24) finished in 1966 when several prototypes were built. The Volga GAZ-24 was unveiled towards the end of 1967. However, only 32 units were built in 1968). primarily for road tests, with another 215 units built in 1969. 1968/69-built Volgas are often called "pre-serial" because full-scale manufacturing started only in 1970 (18,486 units built). Distinctive feature of the very first several prototypes were two outside rearview mirrors fixed on front fenders. Most of the pre-serial and all serial cars got one mirror placed on front left door.

The GAZ-24 was developed to replace the outdated Volga GAZ-21 developed in the 1950s. The car was designed to last for years in severe road conditions, and its reinforced unibody construction gave the Volga extra weight if compared to foreign analogues. Yet power steering was not even an option, and it gained the nickname "barzha" (barge).

hx

2008

The objective of the HX concept car project was to potentially market a Hummer branded vehicle in the smaller-sized and lower priced SUV market segments. Development of the vehicle, dubbed H4, began in 2004 and the new model was to be Jeep Wrangler sized.

The 2008 HX show car was smaller than both the H2 and H3. It featured a 3.6 L V6 engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The HX shared with other Hummers a body-on-frame design, with front and rear independent suspensions, four-wheel-disc brakes, and full-time four-wheel drive. The Hummer HX never reached production through GM, however MEV (My Electric Vehicle) won exclusive rights to the Hummer HX brand. MEV produce the Hummer HX as a small electric vehicle with similar proportions to the original HX concept although significantly smaller and is intended as a resort vehicle/golf cart. It utilizes a 72v drive system, powering an AC brushless motor, giving a range of 60+ miles and top speed of 19mph. MEV also produce the Hummer HXT, which is a soft-top version of their HX.

ev

Arriving to production line in 2022, Edition 1 is the sole model available for the first year and considered to be a limited edition that was available for pre-order by the end of the launch event on October 20, 2020. All Edition 1 units are white with a black roof with bronze-colored wheels and a two-tone black-and-gray interior with bronze accents and Edition 1 badges. In addition, the Edition 1 will feature Easter eggs themed after the Apollo 11 moon landing.

Edition 1 has three electric motors with 1000 horsepower, 350+ miles of range, and comes fully loaded with the Extreme Off-Road package, which includes 35-inch mud-terrain tires, skid plates, and rock sliders.

The Hummer EV Edition 1 sold out in the first 10 minutes of opening the pre-orders. The Edition 1 is expected to be available Fall 2021.

One of the exclusive features introduced with the Hummer EV and comes standard in Edition 1 is the new "Crab Walk", which allows the Hummer EV to travel diagonally by using a four-wheel steer. Edition 1 also includes UltraVision underbody cameras for easier off-road maneuverability and visibility, Watts to Freedom system, adaptive air suspension, steel underbody armor, Extract Mode (lifts the suspension six inches for more clearance), Super Cruise (GM's driver assistance system that allows for automatic lane change and hands-free driving on compatible highways that have been mapped by GM), a digital key, removable roof panels, GMC's MultiPro Tailgate.