The Hummer H1 is a full-size four-wheel-drive utility vehicle based on the M998 Humvee, which AM General developed while it was a subsidiary of American Motors. The civilian version was produced from 1992 to 2006 and was the first of the Hummer line.
Hummer H1 at a glance
| Maker | AM General, Mishawaka, Indiana |
|---|---|
| Based on | M998 Humvee (HMMWV) |
| Production | 1992–2006 |
| Class | full-size four-wheel-drive utility vehicle |
| Engines | 5.7 L petrol V8, 6.2 L and 6.5 L GM diesel V8, 6.5 L turbo diesel |
| 2006 Alpha engine | 6.6 L Duramax turbo diesel, 300 hp and 520 lbf·ft |
| Gearboxes | GM three- and four-speed automatics; Allison 1000 five-speed in 2006 |
| Width | 86.5 in (2.2 m) |
| Ground clearance | 16 in (406 mm) |
| Wading depth | 30 in (762 mm) |
| Seats | four |
| Angles | approach 72°, departure 37.5° |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Hummer H1.
History of the Hummer H1
From the HMMWV
On 22 March 1983 AM General was awarded a production contract for 55,000 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles, nicknamed the Humvee. The trucks were used by the US military and became famous in photographs from the Persian Gulf War of the early 1990s. The actor Arnold Schwarzenegger was so taken with the design that he pressed AM General to build a civilian version.
The civilian Hummer
After the Gulf War AM General modified the M998 for the civilian market, powered by a 6.2 L GM diesel V8. The civilian version, marketed as the Hummer, went on sale in 1992. Its interior was largely influenced by semi-trucks, and it shared brakes, axles, frame and major body panels with the military vehicle; both were built on the same assembly line, with the civilian H1s painted and finished in a separate building.
General Motors and the H1 name
Under a 1999 deal General Motors bought the marketing rights to the Hummer name and began selling Hummer-branded vehicles of its own design, rebadging the original AM General product as the Hummer H1. GM also marketed the H2, assembled by AM General on a modified GMC Sierra 2500HD chassis.
The end and the Alpha
GM announced that 2006 would be the last model year, with civilian production winding down in June 2006 because of new diesel emission rules due to take effect in 2007. The final cars had the most powerful engine and the best fuel economy of the line, about 10 mpg. The 2006 H1 Alpha used GM’s 6.6 L Duramax diesel and a five-speed Allison, a conversion that needed 23 engine component changes and a 2.0 in body lift. AM General continued building military Humvees until 2018.
Design and features
- Military width: the 86.5 in track was chosen so the Humvee could run in the tracks left by tanks.
- High driveline: inboard brakes and portal gears raise the half-shafts for 16 inches of ground clearance.
- Central tyre inflation: tyre pressures can be lowered for soft ground and raised again for the road.
- Wading and climbing: a high air intake lets the H1 ford 30 inches of water and climb a 22-inch step.
Hummer H1 versions
- Soft top: the convertible-like open version.
- Sport Utility Truck: four-door hard top.
- Alpha Wagon: the wagon body version.
- Two-door pickup and four-door slantback: rarer bodies, the slantback sharing the military Humvee shape.
- H1 Alpha (2006): Duramax diesel and Allison gearbox.
The H1 shares its ancestry with the M151 jeep it indirectly replaced, and it sits alongside AM General’s trucks, the M35 and M939, in the AM General collection.
Video: 2000 AM General Hummer H1 Passenger Wagon Start Up, Engine, and In Depth Tour
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Hummer H1, English Wikipedia: history, engines, dimensions, Alpha
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