Hummer History

All Hummers had openings for four doors, but the back two door openings could be filled in with panels if they were not needed. A removable top and roll bar could be fitted, and the windshield could be laid flat on the hood. These troop/cargo carriers could seat two crew and eight soldiers. Another version of this model, the M1038, was fitted with a winch.


Remember the Rat Patrol television series about WWII-era desert fighting, where Jeeps with machine gun mounts terrorized German troops? That spirit was alive and well in Hummer-land. Special armament carrier versions, the M1025 and M1026, mounted gun rings that would accept machine guns and grenade launchers. The M966 model even carried TOW missiles into action! These missiles deployed two fine wires behind them to allow the operators to guide the missile to the target without worrying about radio jamming devices. TOW missile-armed Hummers accounted for several Iraqi tank kills in Operation Desert Storm. The M998 model even mounted Stinger missiles to keep hostile aircraft at bay.


Other specialized Hummers served as battlefield ambulances and shelter carriers. Some were armored to withstand light arms fire, while others towed howitzers and other equipment wherever needed. There were even special kits with a snorkel tube for the engine intake, allowing Hummers to traverse deep water without stalling out.


In 1991 AMG introduced the Heavy Hummer (M1097), which had a beefed-up chassis to handle heavier loads (up to 10,000 pounds). This chassis became the basis for many Hummer versions. In 1994 the M1097 model was upgraded into the Hummer A1 Series and began replacing the earlier Hummer versions. Improvements in the A1 resulted in the 1995 Hummer A2, which had a more powerful engine, a four-speed transmission and many other changes. Improved armor was specified for Hummers after the tragic the Somali expedition in 1992.

TV Star
When Operation Desert Storm went into high gear in 1990, the Hummer was on every American television set as U.S. forces drove into action. Movie star Arnold Swarzenegger fell in love with the Hummer and asked AMG to build him a one-off civilian version with a Corvette V-8. This attracted a great deal of attention, and soon others wanted a Hummer of their own.