ORIGINS

On March 22, 1983, the Pentagon awards a production contract worth more than $1 billion to AM General Corporation to develop 55,000 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV). Nicknamed the Humvee and designed to transport troops and cargo, the wide, rugged vehicles entered the spotlight when they were used by the American military during the 1989 invasion of Panama and the Persian Gulf War in the early 1990s.

In 1992, a civilian version of the Humvee, known as the Hummer, went on sale. The hulking, attention-grabbing road warrior tipped the scales at some 8,000 pounds and got less than 10 miles per gallon. General Motors purchased the rights from AM General to market and distribute the Hummer. In 2002, the Hummer H2, a smaller (some 6,000 pounds), less expensive version of the original model, debuted.

In 2005, the Hummer H3, an even smaller (4,800 pounds), more fuel-efficient (16 to 20 miles per gallon) vehicle, was released. In 2020, ten years after the last Hummer was produced, GM announced it would be relaunching the brand.