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Hummer

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This article is about the Hummer brand. For the Hummer H1, see Hummer H1. For other uses, see Hummer (disambiguation).
Hummer
Company typeDivision of GM
IndustryAutomobile
Founded1995
Headquarters
Detroit, Michigan
,
United States
Products(H1) pickup truck, SUV (H2, H3), Sport utility vehicles
ParentGeneral Motors
Websitewww.hummer.com

Hummer is a brand of off-road vehicles sold by General Motors, also known as GM. The H1 version was based on the military High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV, or Humvee). The H2 and the H3 were introduced as smaller civilian market versions.

History

Hummer radiator grille

Hummers were originally built by AM General Corporation, which was formerly AMC Jeep's General Products division[1], in its South Bend, Indiana assembly plant. AM General had planned to sell a civilian version of the Hum-Vee as far back as the late 1980s. In 1990, two matching white Hum-Vees were driven from London to Beijing over the rough roads of central Soviet Union. The Hummers made the trip with ease, for they were built to drive on off-road terrain. The highlights of this journey were broadcast in the United States on ESPN. This publicity would pale in comparison to the attention that the HMMWV received for its service in Operation: Desert Storm the following year.

In 1992, AM General began selling a civilian version of the M998 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV or Hum-Vee) vehicle to the public under the brand name "Hummer".

In 1998, AM General sold the brand name to General Motors, but continued to manufacture the vehicles. GM is responsible for the marketing and distribution of all Hummers produced by AM General. In the next few years, GM introduced two new homegrown models, the H2 and H3, and renamed the original vehicle H1. AM General continued to build the H1 until it was discontinued in 2006,[2] and is contracted by GM to produce the H2. The H3 is built in Shreveport, LA alongside the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon pickups, with which it shares the GMT-355 platform (custom modified and designated GMT-345).

2006 Hummer lineup: H3, H1, and H2 (L-R)

As of 2006, Hummer has gone international with selected importers and distributors in Europe and other markets.

Since October 10 2006, GM has been producing the Hummer H3 at its Port Elizabeth plant in South Africa for international markets.[3] Hummers at the Port Elizabeth plant are built both for local South African consumption and exported to Australia in the 2008 model year. In Europe, the Middle East, and Japan, the H3 is also already available. As of October 2006, Hummer vehicles are marketed by about 300 dealers in 34 countries. 173 of those are in the U.S.

The H2 is also assembled in Kaliningrad, Russia, by Avtotor, starting in June 2004. The plant produces a few hundred vehicles annually, and its output is limited to local consumption (five dealers in Russia initially).

GM CEO Rick Wagoner has said the Hummer brand of trucks will run on Biofuel Powertrains at last year's[clarification needed] Los Angeles International Auto Show.

The future of the Hummer brand is in doubt. On Tuesday 3 June 2008, one day prior to GM's annual shareholder meeting, CEO Rick Wagoner said the brand is being reviewed, and has the possibility of either being sold, having the production line completely redesigned, or being discontinued. [4] This is due to the decreasing demand for large SUVs as a result of higher oil prices. Almost immediately after the announcement, a pair of Indian automakers, one of them Mahindra & Mahindra, have expressed interest in purchasing all or part of Hummer.[5]

Off-road abilities

As of August 2008, Hummer is the only brand in the United States whose entire model range lineup comes standard with a low-range transfer case, relatively high-ground clearance, and off-road tires. Additionally, no two-wheel drive Hummers are offered at this time.

Racing

Team HUMMER stock-class H3 driven by Rod Hall. Hall finished first in class with the H3 in the 2005 Baja 1000.
File:Dakar 2006 Hummer Gordon.jpg
Robby Gordon's Dakar Rally H3.

Team Hummer Racing was created in 1993 and showcases the Hummer's abilities. Led by off-road racing legend Rod Hall, Team HUMMER competes in the Stock classes of both BitD and SCORE, which feature production-based vehicles with stock frames, stock suspension designs and production-based engines. Only specialized racing shock absorbers, tires and other minor modifications are allowed, along with the required supporting components and mandatory safety equipment. Minor modifications are allowed to the powertrain, although the rules stipulate it must be based on the stock engine and transmission combination.

The team's latest victories came in April 2008, when Team HUMMER swept the stock class races at the Terrible's Town 250..[6]

Team HUMMER has tallied one of the most impressive records in production-class racing, earning 11 class wins at the Baja 1000.

Dakar Rally

A highly modified, two-wheel drive Hummer was raced by Robby Gordon in the 2006 and 2007 (8th place) Dakar Rally.

Hummer H1 compared with HMMWV

The Hummer H1 is basically a HMMWV built for civilian use; it has no armor or weapons fittings. However the powertrain, chassis, body, suspension, etc., are the same. The H1 differs from the HMMWV in having a civilian interior, including trim, comfortable seats, stereo radio, and air conditioning as standard options. As a result of its commercial use, features introduced in the civilian Hummer have been incorporated into improved military versions. The H1's electrical system is 12-volt, with the two batteries wired in parallel. The HMMWV runs on a 24-volt system, where the two batteries are run in series.

Owner efforts

Since all Hummer vehicles have heavy-duty capabilities, they have been employed by owners for aid in large disaster situations. Hummer Owners Prepared for Emergencies (HOPE) was created by the efforts of The Hummer Club, INC. and the American Red Cross. Together, the two organizations train Hummer owners with CPR and First Aid skills, and basic off-highway skills so that they may assist victims during a disaster situation. GM paid the Red Cross $4 million to participate in the organization.[7]

Licensing

GM has been very active and effective in licensing the Hummer. Various companies have licensed the Hummer trademarks for use on colognes, flashlights, bicycles[8], shoes, coats, hats, laptops[9], clothing, CD players and other items.[10]

Starting in the early Nineties, when AM General started selling to the civilian market, Hummers began making appearances in the Film and Television industry. Some earlier and noticeable appearances include seaQuest DSV which used the Hummer H1 in place of Humvees, and Earth 2 which featured a large, "solar-powered" Hummer Concept truck as their main mode of conveyance. More recently noticeable appearances include CSI:Miami, being driven by the chief of the crime lab Lt. Horatio Caine (played by David Caruso) and in the 2007 Transformers movie the Autobot known as Ratchet transforms into a search and rescue Hummer H2.

Criticisms

Criticism of Hummers includes all the criticism of SUVs in general, although at a higher degree. See Criticism of sport utility vehicles.

Specific extra criticisms of Hummers include:

Poor fuel economy
Even compared to other heavy passenger vehicles, Hummers have poor fuel economy. Because the H2 is built to the over-8500-lb GVW class, its fuel economy is neither published by the EPA nor counted toward Corporate Average Fuel Economy.[11] For instance, H2 in one engine configuration averages about 14 mpg‑US (17 L/100 km; 17 mpg‑imp) on highways, 10 mpg‑US (24 L/100 km; 12 mpg‑imp) in the city, and has a curb weight of over 6,000 lb (2,700 kg).[12]
Safety
Crash data for Hummers is less complete than for other SUVs. Because of its weight, it takes longer and further to stop in emergency braking situations. As a Class 3 truck, Hummers are exempt from many DOT safety regulations.[13] The H1 lacks standard safety features, including child safety locks, child seat tethers, side air bags and stability control. Large blind spots make parking difficult and possibly dangerous.[13]
Size
Some Hummers are significantly bigger than other SUVs; this can cause problems parking, driving and fitting in a garage.[14]
Safety and ecology
Safety and ecological perceptions from other road users has attracted a lot of criticism.[15][16] The Hummer has been singled out as a symbol of ecological irresponsibility, sometimes using violent means.[17][18][19]

Review of the brand

GM is "undertaking a strategic review" of the Hummer brand and could either revamp the product line or sell the brand. [20] [21] It is also possible that brand could fold completely, as a result of high gas prices and environmental concerns making all large SUVs far less economically feasible and socially acceptable for many Americans.

Models

There are three current and possibly two future models in the HUMMER line:

Production models
Concept vehicles
Modified vehicles

See also

References

  1. ^ The History of AM General
  2. ^ Page expired - MSN Money
  3. ^ GM Media Online
  4. ^ GM Closing 4 Truck and SUV Plants in North America - washingtonpost.com
  5. ^ Indian Automakers Eyeing Hummer?
  6. ^ Racing with Team HUMMER: The Results
  7. ^ HUMMER Owners Become Unique Disaster Volunteers
  8. ^ Hummer Bikes
  9. ^ HUMMER® Laptops. This product has been decomissioned
  10. ^ Hummerstuff.com
  11. ^ "Road Test: 2003 Hummer H2: a tweaked Tahoe or the real thing?", Motor Trend magazine, retrieved on 2008-06-23.
  12. ^ "Road Test: 2003 Hummer H2, Overview", Motor Trend magazine, retrieved on 2008-06-23.
  13. ^ a b Hummer FAQ - Little Known Facts About Hummer H1 and H2 Vehicles
  14. ^ Hummer Cons: The Downsides Of Owning a Hummer H1 or H2
  15. ^ Drive.com.au review, with statements such as 'The mere mention of its name gets many people incandescent with rage']
  16. ^ H2 Hummer: Do You Need Attention This Badly? - The Car Family Reviews - National Motorists Association
  17. ^ Eco T-shirts: Anti-Hummer, anti-4x4 t-shirt
  18. ^ Eco-Terrorists Vandalize Hummer » Outside The Beltway | OTB
  19. ^ Hummer Owner Gets Angry Message - washingtonpost.com
  20. ^ Official Word from GM regarding HUMMER brand review
  21. ^ EERE News: EERE Network News - June 11, 2008
  22. ^ "Hummer H2 Gets "All Stretched Out" To Become the H6" Edmund's Inside Line, date posted: March 16, 2006, retrieved on August 25, 2008.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hummer vehicles.


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