Hummer H1 could be headed towards retirement
When people think of Hummer these days they’re more likely to conjure an image of the H2 than the original H1. A commemorated war veteran, the H1’s sales have fallen to fewer than 400 last year, though each Hummer dealer is still required to accept at least one unit per year. A $140,000 price tag and fuel mileage that barely breaks into double digits mean the H1’s days might be numbered.
The H3, Hummer’s smallest model, has quickly risen to become the brand’s most popular model, which indicates Hummer could be headed further down market with another smaller, more fuel efficient model. Martin Walsh, Hummer’s new general manager, reassures the Detroit News that the brand will not resort to car-based crossovers like Jeep has done. Was that a diss? We think it was.
[Source: The Detroit News]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Michael G 8:14AM (5/01/2006)
A guy on my street went to a milatary auction not too long ago and picked up one of these for $1500. He fixed it up and made it really nice. Think said and done he spent like 5-6 grand getting it really nice like the pics posted.
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Steve C. 8:17AM (5/01/2006)
It's about time. Every time I see one of these out-sized toys on the road I laugh so hard I almost lose it.
Fine, if you're a rancher in the west and you need to cover a lot of territory, crossing streams, over boulders, playing Rambo, whatever, you might have a good excuse . . .
I know there was a massive tax break given to business buyers of these things a couple of years ago. Fine, if you're driving your H1 courtesy of the subsidy you received from the rest of us, I understand. But if not, what's the point???
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gerrynjr 8:32AM (5/01/2006)
GM should have left AMG alone.
The Hummer is just about as iconic as the jeep wrangler, yet they are killing it.
Beleive it or not the hummer is just capable off road, if not moreso. The h2 and h3 can be barely called SUVs and are more for soccer moms. This is quite rediculous. (even if gas mileage sucks and prices are high)
AS a kid, I always wanted an true H1. Looks like i'll never be able to buy a new one now, be it hybrid, electric, propane, or traditional gas/diesel powered.
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LoneWolf 8:44AM (5/01/2006)
Hm,the US loses a lot of H1 in the Iraq, and they all had to be replaced...a good Deal for GM?
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Corey W. 9:07AM (5/01/2006)
The H1 was excellent for what it was built for, but in it's civilian duty, it was just a toy, rarely used for what it was designed for. The same mentality for owner a Hummer is the same for owning a 200+ MPH car, you will never get to use the vehicle to it's full potential, but if you can afford it, it's great to have the choice to buy such a vehicle. There is nothing else on the road like the H1, it's earned a place in automotive history and I'm sorry to see it go.
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G 9:47AM (5/01/2006)
Maybe the US military will follow what Canada uses, Mercedes-Benz G500s. Better fuel efficiency, not as large and wasteful.
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Philip Dunlop 9:54AM (5/01/2006)
You're talking about the Hummer heading further downmarket?
Well, a lot of rappers will be disappointed to hear you say that.
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Corey W. 10:13AM (5/01/2006)
G,
I'm not sure you understand the different roles and tasks served by the H1. The G500 is an excellent off road vehicle, but it could NEVER REPLACE and H1 in the military.
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scott 10:29AM (5/01/2006)
LoneWolf and G, this is the civilian version, not the military one. GM only has rights to the name 'Hummer' - AM General still sells the HMMWV to the military, IIRC. This would have no affect on any sales to them.
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Pinkerton 10:31AM (5/01/2006)
This article is about the civilian H1, not the military HMMWV.
The military vehicle is due for a replacement, possibly by a 2nd generation HMMWV if AM General has it's way.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/org/news/2005/050824-combat-vehicles.htm
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Michael Karesh 10:42AM (5/01/2006)
The H1 was designed to get the roof height as low as possible, to reduce the target presented to shoulder-fired missles.
In this and many other ways the G500 doesn't come close.
The big danger of discontinuing the H1 is that it supports the brand's credibility. It needs a better powertrain. The Alpha was a step in the right direction.
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Dustin Tarditi 10:49AM (5/01/2006)
The HMMWV was designed to be a platform to serve multiple missions... it's a tactical vehicle. It replaced many vehicle lines through the military branches with a common one with streamlined logistics and service. The HMMWV did the job VERY well... it is not an armored car or armored personnel carrier, though - people expected too much out of it in Iraq, initially - add 4000 pounds of personnel, gear, armor, mission-based equipment, and ammo to any other vehicle and it'll crush itself... the HMMWV was able to manage, but it was slowed down a bit. If you need a tank, use a tank.
The H1 is a great SUV - I had one for almost 3 years... very durable and reliable, and I got 12mpg, which is better than the Tahoe and other 1 1/4 ton trucks of similar vintage. It could tow effortlessly and fit fine on all the roads I ever drove it on. It's a great vehicle to load up with passengers and all their gear and head out for a week or so camping, kayaking, etc. It's probably not the most fuel efficient people hauler, but if that's what you need get a minivan.
Last I checked, 4 people, 2 kayaks, 2 tents, 2 coolers, camping gear, food, etc. will not fit in a Prius, and it CERTAINLY won't navigate the Rubicon Trail.
Let people drive what they want to... they pay the price in higher fuel/maintance costs and have luxury tax, gas guzzler tax, etc.
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Avinash Machado 11:10AM (5/01/2006)
I too am sad to see it go. I am from India where such vehicles don't exist which somehow added to their charm. The Hummer H3 will soon be launched in India.Already the Police in Mumbai are planning to order 2 as patrol vehicles despite the huge cost.All this mainly seeing the H1 on TV news clips.
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Mike 11:16AM (5/01/2006)
The H1 for the general public should still be offered. It is and was never supposed to be a volume vehicle. It is extremely important to the Hummer brand to offer it. Nothing compare's to it off road, and for the few that can and what one.....it needs to be offered. Without it the Hummer brand will be just another car brand. H1, yes is expensive and is a low volume model but is the Halo model needed to keep the future Hummer's image up. Since GM upgraded the H1 with the Alpha model it has a lot more things that was never offered to the H1 buyer before. It also has pushed the price near the $140,000.00 range. GM and Hummer should offer the H1 just in a base form also. That's what sold it in the very begining. For those who want an outstanding offroad SUV or just the military image. Hummer/Hummvee/H1 is an icon and needs to stay in the Hummer lineup!
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Juan 11:22AM (5/01/2006)
What right does GM have to slam Jeep for their crossovers? An H2 is just a Yukon + more ugly. Hummer is hardly a purist's brand.
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jon 11:29AM (5/01/2006)
there is this secret site for GM dealers that i got into and when listing 2007 models h1 was not there.
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Lithous 12:29PM (5/01/2006)
"What right does GM have to slam Jeep for their crossovers? An H2 is just a Yukon + more ugly. Hummer is hardly a purist's brand."
That isn't clear to me whether that happened or not. Here is the snippet fromt the article:
Walsh said Hummer would consider building a pickup truck, but would not -- as the Chrysler Group's Jeep brand recently started to do -- build car-based "crossover" vehicles.
It isn't quoted that Walsh mentioned Jeep, it could have just been the writer of the article throwing that in there.
But it would be the same "right" that allowed the Jeep which was created to battle Germany to be sold to a German company. People can do whatever in America, nothing is cherished.
And it could be up to AM General too how long the H1 is produced. My guess is on top of owning the rights to the Hummer name for a while GM also buys the H1 from AM General still as opposed to making the H2 (from the Tahoe platform) or H3 (from the Colorado platform). Maybe either the H1 is too low volume for AM General to want to fool with or for GM to modify (not quite sure if AM General does all the H1 work to make it civilian or if GM modifies them outside of AM General's factory. I think I read AM General does it all).
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Jeremy 12:43PM (5/01/2006)
Moving to a hybrid-electric powertrain is probably a good idea from a military standpoint. They get the functional benefits of a high voltage power source, the tactical benfits of silent operation, and a fuel mileage benefit. It could also be designed in such a way to provide redundancy in case of a hit. Independent motors to each wheel and redundant wiring throughout the vehicle would make it very difficult to stop should a blast take out a set of components, even the main engine itself. They could even bring the weight down by using a small gas/diesel-turbine instead of a conventional diesel ICE and an entirely electronic drivetrain (pure hybrid, like a locomotive or tank).
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MikeW 3:18PM (5/01/2006)
What GM failed to do was incorporate the extra overdrive ratio Allison transmission.
That would allow for a shorter axle ratio, for better acceleration, better mileage (torque converter clutch would be locked up more often)
Some engineer chimed in saying cooling is at the limit with the H1 alpha, so getting 360hp & 650ft-lbs from the duramax isn't going to happen.
The new 6th gear overdrive ratio is 0.61, the former top gear (now 5th) is 0.71, so the axle ratio can be up to 16% shorter.
The stock axle ratio is 2.56 (and geared hub ratio of 1.92:1) so out with 2.56 and in with the 2.73.
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Al 8:51PM (5/01/2006)
The natural evolution of the Hummer:
http://img348.imageshack.us/img348/858/hummer8hh.jpg
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