Hummers

Hummers were originally built by AM General Corporation, which was formerly AMC Jeep's General Products division, in its Mishawaka, Indiana assembly plant. They were created under a contract for the United States armed forces. The first model, the Hum-Vee, was built in a variety of military-based equipment and versions. These included troop carriers, gun turrets and radar. The U.S. military, on receiving their quota, have adapted some of the vehicles, including modifications to facilitate a directional microwave crowd control beam (Active Denial System).

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 as they were originally designed to drive on off-road terrain, the highlights of this journey being broadcast in the United States. This publicity was great but would pale in comparison to the attention that the HMMWV received for its service in Operation Desert Storm the following year. Also a privately-owned Hum-Vee was modified into the first Snow-Vee, including the addition of caterpillar tracks, a new rear compartment and a new engine. This vehicle was designed for use in and just below the Arctic Circle, and the Antarctic.

The H2 Hummers are also assembled in Kaliningrad, Russia, by Avtotor, which started in June 2004. The plant produces a few hundred vehicles annually but its output is really only limited to local consumption. However the fact that Hummers are, in one form or other, produced in different parts of the globe, gives an indication of their worldwide popularity.

The future of the Hummer brand is in doubt, however. On the 3rd June 2008, one day prior to GM's annual shareholder meeting, Rick Wagoner, GM's CEO at that time, declared that Hummers were being reviewed and had the possibility of either being sold, having the production line completely redesigned or being discontinued. This is due to the decreasing demand for large SUVs as a result of higher oil prices. Almost immediately after that announcement, however, a pair of Indian automakers, including Mahindra & Mahindra, expressed interest in purchasing all or part of the Hummer operation. On the 17th February 2009, GM announced that it would shortly decide whether to sell off or eliminate the Hummer. The idea, however, that Hummers could disappear altogether seems almost inconceivable due to their huge global appeal.