History of Legendary Hummer 

From its ancestors in the service of the military to its introduction to civilians, Hummer has a rich history of making headlines. ٍEven when the going got tough, Hummer proved to be a headstrong beast.   

Rise of a Legend 

In 1979, the U.S. Army drafted specifications for a High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) to replace its old light tactical vehicles. The specifications called for excellent on/off-road performance, the ability to carry a massive payload, and survivability against indirect fire. Of sixty-one companies that showed interest, only three submitted prototypes.  

In July 1979, AM General, a subsidiary of American Motors Corporation, began preliminary design work; less than a year later, its prototype was tested. Meanwhile, Chrysler Defense and Teledyne Continental were also working on similar competing designs.  

In June 1981, the U.S. Army awarded AM General a contract to develop additional prototypes to be delivered to the government for another series of tests. In 1983, AM General signed a contract to produce 72,000 HMMWVs called Humvees. This included 55,000 for the military, of which 39,000 were to be made for the Army. 

Superstars’ Favorite 

The Humvee managed to shine in the first Persian Gulf War, as well as the invasion of Panama and became known for its incredible ruggedness and extreme off-road capability. This sparked the interest of many civilians to own and drive one of these vehicles. 

Due to high demand, a civilian version of the Humvee called the Hummer HMC was launched in 1992 and quickly became popular, especially among the A-list celebrities in Hollywood at the time, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger.  

In 1999, AM General entered into negotiations with General Motors, exchanging the rights to sell and distribute Hummer to GM; although AM General continued the vehicle’s manufacture. It was at this point when GM renamed the military version known as the Hummer HMC to Hummer H1. 

Later in 2002, GM surprised the market with an all-new generation of Hummer, known as H2. Produced by AM General again, Hummer H2 had a more practical approach than its predecessor as it was notably smaller and less expensive than Hummer H1. 

2005 saw the birth of Hummer H3, the smallest Hummer ever produced as well as the first one fully developed and manufactured by General Motors.  

Hummer Temporarily Discontinued 

Buying the rights to Hummer when the economy was stable was a wise decision, as GM was the world’s largest seller in the automotive industry until 2008. But then 2008 hit like a tornado. 

The crisis in the automotive industry, which was part of a global recession in those years, hit the industry giant hard. So much so that GM had to file for bankruptcy.  

This also prompted GM to sell the Hummer brand as talks were underway for a Chinese company to continue the brand. However, negotiations to sell the brand failed, and Hummer was discontinued.  

Resurrection 

Rumors of a Hummer revival began to surface in mid-2019, with the onset of the growing demand for SUVs. In 2020, the much-hyped revival of Hummer was officially announced by GM. This time, it would be under the GMC brand rather than a standalone.  

Introducing The ALL New 2023 Hummer EV 

For the 2023 model year, GMC Hummer went EV and is being introduced available in two models, the GMC Hummer EV Pickup and the GMC Hummer EV SUV. Retaining the classic rugged, bold, and chiseled exterior, it’s heavy duty resilience to climate, and added luxurious interior. Hummer has come a long way. 

Proud of its rich history, Hummer has risen from the ashes and is now available to custom order and reserve your new Hummer EV Pickup or Hummer EV SUV at Ewing Buick GMC. Our experienced GMC sales and service staff are ready to assist with your new vehicle and custom Hummer accessories today.