Hummer facts for kids
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2024 GMC Hummer EV3X SUV
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| Owner | General Motors (1999–present) |
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| Introduced | 1992 |
| Markets | Worldwide |
| Previous owners | AM General |
Hummer is a well-known brand of large pickups and SUVs. It first appeared in 1992. Back then, a company called AM General started selling a version of its military vehicle, the M998 Humvee, to the public.
Even though Hummer vehicles stopped being made in 2010, the name came back in 2020. Now, it's a special model under the GMC brand. In 1998, General Motors (GM) bought the Hummer brand name from AM General. GM then sold three types of Hummer vehicles. These included the original Hummer H1, which was like the military Humvee. They also introduced two new models, the H2 and H3. These were built on smaller car bases made for everyday use.
Around 2008, people started to wonder if Hummer would survive. This was because of a tough time for the economy. GM decided to keep the brand and try to sell it. However, no deal was made, and Hummer dealerships began to close in 2010.
The Hummer name returned for the 2022 model year. It's not a separate brand anymore. Instead, it's used for electric pickup trucks and SUVs sold by GMC. These new vehicles are called the "GMC Hummer EV". Production of these electric Hummers started in November 2021. GM invested $2.2 billion to build these electric vehicles at its Detroit-Hamtramck factory.
Contents
History of Hummer Vehicles
How Hummer Started
AM General had thought about selling a civilian version of its Humvee since the late 1980s. These civilian Hummers had the same strong structure and most of the same parts as the military ones. But they were painted in shiny colors and had comforts like air conditioning, better seats, and stereo systems.
The idea for a civilian model partly came from actor Arnold Schwarzenegger. He saw an Army convoy while filming a movie in Oregon. He then pushed for a version of the Humvee to be sold to the public. In 1992, AM General started selling the civilian Humvee under the "Hummer" brand. Arnold Schwarzenegger bought the very first two Hummer H1s.
General Motors Buys Hummer
In December 1999, AM General sold the Hummer brand name to General Motors. However, AM General continued to build the vehicles. GM was in charge of selling and distributing all the civilian Hummers made by AM General. Soon after, GM introduced two new models they designed: the H2 and H3. They also renamed the original vehicle the H1.
AM General kept building the H1 until 2006. They also had a contract with GM to make the H2. The H3 was built in Shreveport, Louisiana. It shared parts with the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon pickup trucks. Hummer dealerships often had a unique roof style that looked like a military Quonset Hut. This reminded people of Hummer's military roots.
By 2006, Hummer vehicles were being sent to and sold in 33 countries. On October 10, 2006, GM started making the Hummer H3 at its Port Elizabeth factory in South Africa. These were for international markets. At first, they only made left-hand drive models. Later, they added right-hand drive versions for places like Australia.
The H2 was also put together in Kaliningrad, Russia, by a company called Avtotor. This happened from 2006 to 2009. The factory made a few hundred vehicles each year. These were mostly sold in Russia through five dealerships.
On June 3, 2008, GM's CEO, Rick Wagoner, announced that the Hummer brand was being reviewed. He said it might be sold, completely changed, or stopped. This was because fewer people wanted large SUVs due to higher oil prices. Soon after this announcement, some Indian carmakers showed interest in buying Hummer.
In April 2009, GM President Fritz Henderson said that several companies wanted to buy the Hummer business.
Failed Sale and Shutdown
On June 1, 2009, GM announced that the Hummer brand would be stopped. This was part of the General Motors bankruptcy news. However, the next day, GM said it had a deal to sell the brand to a secret buyer. Later, it was revealed that the buyer was a Chinese company called Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Company.
On January 6, 2010, GM's CEO, Ed Whitacre, hoped to finish the deal with Tengzhong by the end of that month. On February 1, 2010, it was announced that Sichuan and General Motors agreed to extend the deadline. This was because Sichuan was trying to get approval from the Chinese government. The price for the Hummer brand was said to be $150 million.
However, on February 24, 2010, GM announced that the deal with Tengzhong had fallen apart. The Hummer brand would soon shut down. There were reports that Sichuan Tengzhong might still try to buy Hummer privately. But financial problems made it hard for them. Also, the value of the Hummer brand kept going down because of high fuel prices and low demand.
GM said it would consider other offers for parts of the company. An American company, Raser Technologies, and others showed interest. But on April 7, 2010, this attempt also failed. General Motors officially said it was closing down the Hummer SUV brand. They offered big discounts to sell the remaining 2,200 vehicles.
The last Hummer H3 was made at the Shreveport factory on May 24, 2010. It was part of an order for a rental car company.
Hummer's Return
In mid-2019, rumors started that General Motors might bring back the Hummer name in 2021. This was because off-road vehicles were selling very well. GM President Mark Ruess was asked about it in 2019. He said, "I love Hummer. I don't know. We're looking at everything."
The rumors became stronger after a big strike at General Motors in 2019. GM promised to save its Detroit-Hamtramck factory. They would invest in it and change it to build future electric trucks and SUVs. These vehicles would use GM's new "BT1" electric truck platform. GM's own papers listed three brands getting products from this new platform: Cadillac, Chevrolet (for an electric Silverado), and a third unknown brand called the "M-Brand."
People in the car industry said that the "M-Brand" was Hummer. They believed bringing back a well-known name like Hummer would save money on advertising. The Hummer return on the BT1 platform was known inside GM as "Project O." This was possibly named after Al Oppenheiser, who helped bring back the Chevrolet Camaro in 2010. He was moved to oversee an electric vehicle program.
By November 2019, news reports almost confirmed that Hummer would return. It would have two electric models, a truck and an SUV, around 2021. On November 21, 2019, General Motors CEO Mary Barra confirmed that GM would release an electric pickup truck in late 2021. But she did not say which brand it would be under.
The new Hummer line is not a separate brand anymore. It is now a model within GM's GMC brand. On January 30, 2020, GM released videos showing the return of Hummers as electric SUV and truck models. These are sold under the GMC brand. A 30-second Super Bowl ad featured NBA superstar LeBron James. The vehicle was first planned to be shown on May 20, 2020. But the date was moved to October 20, 2020.
The Hummer EV SUT pickup truck was officially shown on October 20, 2020. The Hummer EV SUV was shown during the NCAA Tournament Final Four on April 3, 2021. There will be several versions of the GMC Hummer EV. At first, only the most expensive "Edition 1" four-door pickup was available. Other models and an SUV version will come later.
Hummer Models
Hummer H1
The first Hummer vehicle was the Hummer H1. It was based on the military Humvee. This vehicle was released for the public in 1992. It was designed by American Motors' AM General company. They designed it to meet U.S. Military needs from 1979. Production of the H1 for civilians continued until 2006.
Hummer H2
The Hummer H2 was the second vehicle in the Hummer family. It was built at the AM General factory for General Motors from 2002 to 2009. There were two types: the H2 SUV and the H2 SUT (a pickup truck version).
Hummer H3
The H3 and H3T pickup truck were the smallest Hummer models. They were based on the GMT355 platform. This platform was also used for the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon compact pickup trucks. General Motors made the H3 line from 2005 to 2010.
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Hummer H1
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Hummer H2
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Hummer H3
Concept Vehicles
Hummer HX
The Hummer HX was a special concept car developed in 2008. It was an open-air, two-door off-road vehicle. It was designed to be smaller than other Hummer models.
Racing Hummers
Team Hummer Racing started in 1993. Led by off-road racer Rod Hall, Team Hummer raced in special stock classes. They used Hummers with special racing parts and safety gear. Rod Hall drove a Team Hummer H3 to win its class in the 2005 Baja 1000 race. Team Hummer won 11 production-class races at the Baja 1000.
A very changed, two-wheel drive Hummer was raced by Robby Gordon in the Dakar Rally. He competed in several races from 2006 to 2013.
Stretch Limousines
Some companies have made the Hummer H2 into long limousines. They would cut the H2 behind the front seats and make the frame longer. This created a passenger area for 14, 16, or even 22 people.
Where Hummers Were Made
- AM General Hummer H1 Assembly Plant, Mishawaka, Indiana: This factory opened in 1984 to build the military HMMWV (HUMVEE). It started making the H1 in 1992. H1 production stopped in 2006, but military HUMVEE production continues.
- AM General Hummer H2 Assembly Plant, Mishawaka, Indiana: This factory opened in 2002. H2 production ended in 2009.
- General Motors South Africa Struandale Assembly Plant, Port Elizabeth, South Africa: This plant was built in 1996. It was made bigger to build H3 models. H3 production ended in 2009.
- General Motors Shreveport Operations, Shreveport, Louisiana: In 2005, this GM plant was made bigger to make the H3. GM stopped regular H3 production in July 2009. However, they made a special order of H3s for Avis Rent a Car System.
- Avtotor Kaliningrad, Russia: This factory made a licensed version of the H2 from 2006 to 2009.
Criticisms of Hummer Vehicles
People had many criticisms about Hummers, even more than other SUVs. Here are some of the main points:
- Size: Hummers, especially the H1 and H2, are much bigger than other SUVs. This can make it hard to park, drive, and fit them in a garage. Their large size might also be a danger to smaller cars and people walking.
- Poor Fuel Economy: Hummers use a lot of fuel, even compared to other large vehicles. For example, an H2 might get only about 14 miles per gallon on the highway and 10 miles per gallon in the city. This is because it is a very heavy vehicle.
- Safety Concerns: Hummers are so large that they are not held to the same safety rules as smaller cars. The H1 did not have some common safety features. These included child safety locks, side airbags, and stability control. Also, their large blind spots made driving and parking difficult and potentially dangerous.
- Drivers: One study found that drivers of Hummer H2 and H3s received about five times more traffic tickets than the average for all vehicles.
Hummer Licensing
GM has allowed other companies to use the Hummer name. You can find Hummer trademarks on many different products. These include colognes, flashlights, bicycles, shoes, coats, hats, laptops, toys, and video games. An electric small vehicle, like a quad bike, was even made in the UK with the Hummer name.
See also
In Spanish: Hummer para niños
- GMC Hummer EV
- Humvee
- List of defunct United States automobile manufacturers
- VLF Automotive#HUMVEE C-Series
