Hummer H1

The Hummer H1 is a civilian off-road vehicle based on the M998 Humvee, which was created by AM General. The vehicle was produced from 1992 through 2006, and was the first of what became the Hummer line. It was initially known only as the "Hummer"; however, in 1999 in a joint venture between General Motors and AM General, GM began marketing the Hummer H2, which was built on a heavily modified GMC 2500HD chassis. It was at this point that the original Hummer was given the H1 designation. For collectors, the most desirable model is the H1 Alpha, produced in the final model year of 2006. It had the most powerful engine and the best fuel mileage of the H1 vehicles. Overall, the H1 was a very limited production vehicle.

"Originally designed strictly for military use the four-wheel-drive utility vehicle was released to the civilian market due to popular demand. Boasting 16 inches of ground clearance as well as super-aggressive approach and departure angles, the Humvee could clamber over a 22-inch high obstacle, handle a 60 percent grade and wade through up to 30 inches of water."

Originally released in the civilian market March 14th 1992, the Hummer H1 owed its birth to the popularity of photos from Operation Desert Storm and the enthusiastic campaign from actor-politician Arnold Schwarzenegger, who owns several variants of Hummer vehicles. AM General announced that 2006 would be the last model year for the Hummer H1, with production winding down in June 2006 due to a new emission law for diesel engine vehicles, which took effect in 2007.

The Hummer H1 has three common variants: a convertible-like soft top, a four-door hard top Sport Utility Truck and an Alpha Wagon body version. Other less known variants include a two-door pickup truck, most commonly seen in the military sporting Anti-Air turrets and other launchers, or used as troop and cargo transports, and a four-door slantback, which shares the same body style of the Humvee employed by the U.S. Military. The convertible/soft top and the station wagon versions were the last ones available in the mass market. The two-door and four-door pickup versions are only available in fleet livery.

The Hummer H1 shares some common driveline parts with its HMMWV brethren. Items like brakes, axles, frame and major body panels are shared between the HMMWV and Hummer H1. All H1s and HMMWVs are produced on the same assembly line; civilian H1s are painted and finished in a separate building opposite the parking lot.

Hummer H1s are unique in the way they handle off road, and in their interior arrangement. Passenger and highway comfort are sacrificed for maximum mobility compared to civilian SUVs, with features much more radical than the original Jeep, though they do share a similarly cut simple grille opening. They are inherently very stable, thanks to their wide track. They can ford 30 inches of water and climb a 22-inch step. Their stock ground clearance of 16 inches is made possible by tucking driveline components inside a channel in the central space between the left and right seats. They have high approach/departure angles of 72/37.5 degrees. Most H1s are equipped with a Central Tire Inflation System, which enables the driver to increase or decrease the tire air pressure at the push of a button, since lower tire pressures are more suited for off road, and higher tire pressures are desirable on-road.

Hummer H1s have many unusual features, such as inboard brakes and portal gears which allow the drivetrain's half shafts a higher placement, for greater ground clearance. The radiator is up high, sloping over the engine on a forward-hinged hood. The air intake is high-mount, enabling the H1 to ford waist-level water. Rather than using simple runflat tires, magnesium-aluminum alloy or rubber inserts are an optional feature for runflat ability. A chemical agent resistant coating, or CARC, is available only on the military version.

In the original 1992 production run, the price of the basic open-top was $40,500 while a fully loaded wagon with all options was $54,700.

In 2006, the suggested retail price was $129,399.00 for the open-top; the wagon was $140,796.00, H1 Alpha was priced at $150,975.00.

On June 2, 2009, General Motors attempted a sale of its Hummer brand to a Chinese company, Tengzhong, as part of its bankruptcy settlement. GM stated at the time that it hoped the sale would save about 3,000 jobs in the US, after sales of the brand suffered despite its military image because of its low fuel economy.

On February 24, 2010, General Motors announced that the company was shutting down its Hummer brand due to Tengzhong withdrawing its bid. Tengzhong stated that the bid was withdrawn due to a failure to get approval from the Chinese government.

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