It's 1990. The stage is set: a caravan slouches toward Baghdad. Cue Operation Desert Storm, the first war to bring America's military might live, via television, right into our living rooms.
One of the stars of that first Gulf War was the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV or the M998 Humvee), manufactured by AM General in the 1980s for military use. It could climb over 22-inch high obstacles, haul itself up steep grades (as much as 60%), and rumble through the water as deep as 30”. Suddenly it seemed as if every red-blooded American male wanted one and so AM General acquiesced, putting the first Hummers into production for the civilian market in 1992. General Motors purchased the brand and began production of the Hummer H1 in 1998 and releasing the H2 and H3 models shortly thereafter.
The Hummer H1 is technically a pickup truck/SUV and comes in a 2-door soft top, 4-door hard-top SUV and an Alpha Wagon version with a 6.6 liter turbo diesel V8 engine. There is also a 2-door pickup truck that can hold rocket launchers or people. There are actually five different engine types available: a 6.2 and 6.5-liter Detroit diesel V8, a 5.7-liter Vortec V8, a 6.5-liter turbo Detroit Diesel V8 and a 6.6-liter turbo DMAX Diesel V8. Transmission choices include a GM TH400/3L80 3-speed automatic, a GM 4L80-E 4-speed automatic, an Allison 1000 5-speed automatic and Allison 1000 6-speed automatic.
Being commanded by young soldiers, the Hummer H1 engine is often worn out in the surplus models. This has led many restoration experts to swap in gas engines that were offered in later models. For those in the market, both the Duramax and Detroit Diesel engines were offered without turbocharging. Given the weight of the vehicle, the naturally aspirated Hummer H1 engines are underpowered. This can be a great bargaining chip in your negotiations.
These vehicles were neither built for comfort nor for speed, but who needs that when you have what is essentially a 4WD on steroids? With 16” of ground clearance the Hummer H1 can climb stairs. It has a Central Tire Inflation System (CTIS) that allows the driver to increase or decrease the amount of air to the tires in order to get the optimum footprint for climbing over objects and inboard brakes and portal gears as well as an air intake tucked up high for protection behind a tubular, reinforced undercarriage.
The Hummer H1 has a generous 130” wide wheelbase and runs on run-flat tires, although options include magnesium-aluminum alloy inserts in its tires for run-flat ability. Being built tough enough for airdrops required a thick frame. The Hummer H1 specs mandate it being capable of being slung under a helicopter, suspended by only four points. Being battle-ready means the Hummer H1 weight is 5,200 lbs at the lightest. Armored examples can have a GVWR of nearly double this in order to stop 30-caliber fire.
Those of us who need the ability to fend off Soviet advances should be willing to pay for the experience. When considering the Hummer H1 price, you must also factor in the cost of replacement parts. Pristine examples can be had for $150,000 with project builds accessible easily under the century-mark.
Many owners of the original Hummer often lament the ride quality compared to newer 4WD models. While every AM General Hummer H1 has independent suspension, it is rated to handle 3,000 lbs of cargo. This translates to a stiff ride on the pavement along with confidence when heading off-road.
Driving any Hummer H1 for sale is a learning experience. That's because the Hummer H1 dimensions are very wide. This makes simple tasks like parking and changing lanes involve much more effort than you are probably used to.
Because it was built to be reliable, the Hummer H1 horsepower is also not a talking point. Horsepower sells trucks and torque wins wars. When the original Hummer arrived in 1984 it was rated at 130 horsepower. When the 6.2 Detroit Diesel was phased out in 1993, the new 6.5-liter was rated at 165 horsepower until 2006. You don't have to live with this, because diesel technology has advanced by leaps and bounds.
The first Hummer lacked power because it was not turbocharged. That is why the aftermarket offers turbo kits that include fuel management along with digital controls. From here you will need to upgrade the exhaust to something 3" or more.
Behind every Hummer H1 engine is a Chevrolet TH-400 transmission. Probably the best automatic transmission ever built, it can be loaded with overdrives while handling over 600 horsepower. They can be rebuilt in a few hours for under $500.
Many purists look for the AM General Hummer H1 because of superstition. Every original Hummer before 1999 was built outside of the General Motors empire. While in reality there is not much difference between the first Hummer and the later models, it was GM that is responsible for the brand's demise.
Ending on a high note, the final Hummer H1 for sale was the product of a complete redesign. The Hummer H1 Alpha was intended to be the second generation. It is tougher, more powerful, and more capable, and it took the industry by storm when it arrived in 2005. Unfortunately, GM did a bad job at marketing the new Hummer H1 for sale, so only 693 examples were offered. The final Hummer H1 was assembled in May of 2006, and the brand was shuttered soon after. There is talk of a new Hummer for sale nearly 15 years later so perhaps there will be a Phoenix from the ashes.
