History
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).
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AM General began to make plans to sell a civilian version of the
vehicle after the military model received so much public interest
in 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, for they were built to drive
on off-road terrain. The highlights of this journey were broadcast
in the United States on ESPN. This publicity would pale in comparison
to the attention that the Hum-Vee 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.
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Team Hummer
Team Hummer Racing was created in 1993 and showcases the Hummer's
abilities. Led by off-road racer Rod Hall, Team HUMMER competes
in the Stock classes of both BitD and SCORE, which feature production-based
vehicles with stock frames, stock suspension designs, and production-based
engines. Specialized racing shock absorbers, tires, and other minor
modifications are allowed, along with the required supporting components
and mandatory safety equipment. Team Hummer stock-class H3 driven
by Hall finished first in class with the H3 in the 2005 Baja 1000.
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