HUMMER

CHARLES HURST HUMMER

The Hummer brand has started to make its mark on the motoring map, certainly in America, if not so much in the UK, up until now. Originally known more for its production of military vehicle, the company now produce a range of road-going and off-road SUVs that the motoring public are starting to appreciate in evermore growing numbers.

UK customers can choose from a model range of two vehicles, the Hummer all-terrain H2 and the unconventional H3 off-roader. Drawing their influences from the original Humvee military vehicle (HMMWV - a military term for High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle for the curious), the idea for the Hummer H2 was hatched when General Motors bought the AM General Corporation of South Bend, Indiana. This company manufactured Humvee vehicles for the US military and had started selling Hummer versions with slightly more creature comforts to civilians such as Arnold Schwarzenegger. The growth of the high end Sports Utility Vehicle market in the US and the brand equity of the Hummer name made the company an attractive target and in 2002 GM unveiled the huge Hummer H2 in the US.
The H3 packs the Hummer look and feel into a more manageable size and is now offered in right-hand drive form for the UK market. ‘More manageable size’ should be put into perspective. This vehicle is still 1989mm wide, so piloting it around inner city streets is real heart in mouth stuff. If you want a vehicle that’s surprisingly capable off road and which thumbs its nose at convention, there’s not a lot to touch it.