Here’s a transcript of the video.
Narrator: You know what it is.
Matt DeBord: Everyone remembers the Hummer, even though it’s been gone for 10 years.
Narrator: Its tough look and military background made it instantly cool. And everyone from Mike Tyson to Britney Spears was driving one. Hummers were seemingly everywhere in the early 2000s. But in 2010, all manufacturing and sales came to a halt. So, what happened?
The Hummer story begins with the US military. The military used the Jeep as its vehicle of choice in the World Wars and the Vietnam War. But around the 1980s, he started looking for something more robust.
Matt: The Jeep didn’t have much power. The Jeep couldn’t pull much. He couldn’t bring many people. He had no armor.
Narrator: So the Pentagon gave AM General a billion-dollar contract to develop a fleet of High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles. Eventually called Humvees, the bulky vehicles were designed to transport troops and cargo.
Matt: The Humvee didn’t have much armor, however, it was at least a little easier to survive in terms of getting hit or exploding through anything next to it.
Narrator: Humvees have become famous after being seen in action during the Gulf War. They were also used in military processions, which is why they caught the attention of Arnold Schwarzenegger. While filming his movie “Kindergarten Cop” in Oregon, the actor saw Humvees passing by and quickly looked for one. In a 1991 interview with Rolling Stone, Schwarzenegger said it reminded him of his youth driving tanks while serving in the Austrian army. So he contacted AM General to check it out and get one. When it was rejected, the star insisted that a civilian edition be made. And AM General listened.
Matt: Because, you know, everyone was, I don’t know, influenced by Arnold Schwarzenegger at the time.
Narrator: Schwarzenegger, the first civilian to own a specially designed Humvee. AM General even wrote “Terminator” on the model. In 1992, a civilian edition of the Humvee officially went on sale. Called the Hummer, this bulky vehicle costs up to $100,000.
Matt: It was ridiculous to be rolling around in that thing on the public roads. I mean, the wheels were too high off the ground. It, yes, it had air-conditioning, had airbags, but I mean, you know, to drive it, you’re sort of, like, you’re sitting up like this and then you’ve got this big, this big compartment sitting over. I mean, not organized for comfort or luxury or anything like that.
Narrator: The Hummer averaged less than 10 miles per gallon and weighed 10,000 pounds. It’s so heavy that having one meant I could simply claim farm appliance tax credits from the IRS. True to its military roots, the Hummer’s original design featured an engine button classified as “Fire” until company lawyers intervened. In 1999, General Motors purchased the marketing and sales rights for Hummers from AM General. Thanks to the booming economy and low fuel prices, Hummer sales skyrocketed. Especially in Hollywood.
OG fan Schwarzenegger temporarily amassed a fleet of war chariots. Between 1999 and 2000 alone, the Hummers appeared in 32 films. Which only adds to the popularity of the logo that the vehicle already had thanks to its military pedigree. And it was his agreement with the military that boosted the Hummer’s popularity in America.
Matt: Other people first saw it in active use in the first Gulf War. And they thought, well, if this can withstand, you know, combat in the desert, then it could definitely be used for weekend camping trips.
I don’t really buy the argument that it implied a sort of warlike mentality or anything like that, but that was definitely part of its overall DNA. So if you were kind of pro, pro-military, pro-US, if you were really into the advertising, how much you supported the troops, owning a Hummer or even an H2 or H3, because it had that Hummer look, advertised that you had that mindset.
Narrator: While the first Hummer model was necessarily a carbon copy of its bulky military predecessor, the second model featured a sleeker design and cost around $50,000. Called H2, it has temporarily become Hummer’s best-selling style. And it was followed by the H3, which had a shorter length and value to attract more consumers. Hummer’s total sales peaked in 2006, with just over 70,000 units sold.
Matt: That’s pretty good. It is not very popular. In fact, that pales in comparison to some of the pickup trucks and other cars that, you know, General Motors was promoting at the time through its divisions. But for a vehicle as original as this, it’s pretty incredible.
Narrator: Hummers eventually came to embody America’s “supersized” lifestyle and the people who aspired to it.
Matt: You know, they have to come, they have to travel and they leave. You know, the G-Wagen, Mercedes G-Wagen type people. And for them, the Hummer was the one that hit 11 or maybe 11,000, you know, it’s the biggest, the baddest, the stupidest, the nastiest; It was absolutely inappropriate, most impractical in many ways.
Narrator: But while Hummer’s in-your-face quality initially drew consumers in, it soon led to its downfall. Hummers became a symbol of wasteful consumption.
Matt: People just saw it as a symbol of everything in Detroit. Everything that had to do with our American attitude toward automobiles, everything had to do with patriotism. Everything was with the militarization of American society. Everything related to the way we treat the planet.
Narrator: Hummer’s owners had to fend off critics and protesters who saw the Hummers as “polluting machines. “Some owners said they discovered their Hummer with a key, and others said they were looked dirty in parking lots. The “eco-vandals” went even further, smashing windows and digging tires. Throughout 2003, protesters set fire to Hummers at several Los Angeles dealerships.
And ironically, while one war helped make Hummers popular, another would bring them down. The war in Iraq caused fuel costs to skyrocket. Which made owning a Hummer even more impractical. Then, in 2007, the monetary recession hit. And Hummer’s parent brand, General Motors, is in serious trouble.
Matt: So, General Motors, prior to the financial crisis had become a big mess. It had too many brands. It had stopped making money.
Narrator: In 2009, General Motors filed for and discontinued several of its brands.
Matt: They had a lot of brands back then, a lot more than today. And you want marketing support from those brands. Each of those brands wants production support. Each of these brands wants studies and development. So they had to take a look at what they had and said, “Well, you know, Hummer is a pretty marginal brand. »
Narrator: In 2010, GM tried to sell the Hummer logo to Tengzhong, a Chinese manufacturer. But the deal fell through and GM stopped all Hummer production and sales. Thus ending the life of its once beloved logo. Today, Hummers are seen more as relics of a bygone era. No new models have been produced in almost a decade. But will General Motors bring back Hummer?
Matt: So Americans like big cars; They liked big cars. They will like big cars. At the time, the rest of Detroiters, because of the gravity of the situation after the currency crisis, were absolutely terrified about their future. And they forgot that.
Narrator: But since 2013, the market for giant SUVs and giant pickup trucks has seen a recovery. And in reaction to customer demand, all luxury car brands, from Rolls-Royce to Lamborghini and Aston Martin, have introduced SUVs.
Matt: Very soon we will have a Ferrari SUV. So Hummer returning as some sort of difficult luxury platform would probably be a halfway decent idea.
Narrator: General Motors is looking to expand its presence in the electric vehicle market. And it’s rumored that it could resurrect Hummer to do just that.
Matt: The business case is strong because it’s an iconic brand. Everyone already knows it.
Narrator: Arnold Schwarzenegger has already converted one of his original Hummers to run on electricity. Perhaps paving the way for Hummer once again.
Matt: The good thing about the logo is that if you could get rid of all the bad baggage and update it and give it a non-unusual sense, you know, you’d still have one of the toughest and maybe the longest-lasting cars of all time. You may need to keep this running on normal battery settings for decades and decades and decades. We are fighting global warming right here. Look at this, you know, it’s not just about fighting wars, it’s also about fighting global warming.
Narrator: So while other people may have once connected Hummers with all things American, maybe it’s time for a second chance.
Here’s a transcript of the video.
Narrator: You know what it is.
Matt DeBord: Everyone remembers the Hummer, even though it’s been gone for 10 years.
Narrator: His rough looks and military experience made him cool right away. And everyone from Mike Tyson to Britney Spears was driving one. Hummers likely existed in the early 2000s. But in 2010, all production and sales stopped. So what happened?
The Hummer story begins with the US military. The Army used the Jeep as a selection vehicle in the World Wars and the Vietnam War, but around the 1980s, it began looking for something more rugged.
Matt: The Jeep didn’t have a lot of power. Jeep couldn’t pull a lot of stuff. It couldn’t carry a lot of people. It had no armor.
Narrator: So the Pentagon awarded AM General a billion-dollar contract to expand a fleet of high-mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles. Over time, Humvees, the bulky automobiles, were designed to transport troops and cargo.
Matt: The Humvee didn’t have a lot of armor, but it was, you know, at least a little bit more difficult in terms of shooting or blowing up anything that was next to it.
Narrator: Humvees rose to fame after being seen in action during the Gulf War. They were also used in military processions and thus caught the attention of Arnold Schwarzenegger. While filming his movie “Kindergarten Cop” in Oregon, the actor saw Humvees passing by and quickly looked for one. In an interview with Rolling Stone in 1991, Schwarzenegger said they reminded him of his younger days, when he drove tanks while serving in the Austrian army. So he contacted AM General to check it out and get one. When it was rejected, the star opted for a civilian edition. And AM General listened.
Matt: Because, you know, everyone, I don’t know, was influenced by Arnold Schwarzenegger at that time.
Narrator: Schwarzenegger has become the first civilian to own a purpose-built Humvee. AM General even wrote “Terminator” on the model. In 1992, a civilian edition of the Humvee was officially released. Called the Hummer, this bulky vehicle costs up to $100,000. .
Matt: It’s ridiculous to drive that thing on public roads. I mean, the wheels were too far off the ground. yes, it had air conditioning, airbags, but I mean, you know, to drive it, you’re kind of sitting. So and then they gave you this big, big compartment on top. I mean, not designed for comfort, luxury, or anything like that.
Narrator: The Hummer averaged less than 10 miles a gallon and weighed 10,000 pounds. It was so heavy that owning one meant you could claim a farm equipment tax credit with the IRS. True to its military roots, the Hummer’s original design featured an engine button labeled “Fire” until company lawyers intervened. In 1999, General Motors bought the rights to market and sell Hummers from AM General. Thanks to the booming economy and low gas prices, Hummer’s sales took off. Especially in Hollywood.
Schwarzenegger, an OG fan, temporarily built a fleet of war chariots. Between 1999 and 2000 alone, the Hummers appeared in 32 films. This only increased the awareness of the logo that the vehicle already had thanks to its military pedigree. And it was his agreement with the military that increased the Hummer’s popularity in the United States.
Matt: So other people first saw its active use in the first Gulf War. And they thought, well, if this can withstand, you know, fighting in the desert, then it could definitely be used for weekend camping trips.
I don’t settle for the argument that it involved some sort of warrior mentality or something, but it was definitely a component of their overall DNA. So if you were more of a pro, pro-military, pro-American person, if they were interested in publicity, in how much they supported the troops, in having a Hummer or even an H2 or an H3, because it had that Hummer look, they were advertising it. They had that mentality.
Narrator: While the first Hummer model was necessarily a carbon copy of its bulky military predecessor, the second model featured a sleeker design and cost around $50,000. Nicknamed H2, it temporarily became Hummer’s best-selling model. And it was followed by the H3, which had a reduced length and extra value to attract more consumers. Total Hummer sales peaked in 2006, with just over 70,000 units sold.
Matt: So that’s pretty good. That’s not crazy popular. It certainly pales by comparison with some of the pickup trucks and other vehicles that, you know, General Motors was selling through its various divisions at the time. But for an offbeat vehicle like that, that’s kind of incredible.
Narrator: Hummers eventually came to embody America’s “supersized” lifestyle and the people who aspired to it.
Matt: You know, they have to come, they have to travel and they leave. You know, the G-Wagen, Mercedes G-Wagen type people. And for them, the Hummer was the one that hit 11 or maybe 11,000, you know, it’s the biggest, the baddest, the stupidest, the nastiest; It was absolutely inappropriate, most impractical in many ways.
Narrator: But while the Hummer’s brilliant quality first attracted consumers, it also temporarily led to its downfall. Hummers have a symbol of unnecessary consumption.
Matt: People just saw it as a symbol of everything in Detroit. Everything that had to do with our American attitude toward automobiles, everything had to do with patriotism. Everything was with the militarization of American society. Everything related to the way we treat the planet.
Narrator: Hummer had to fend off critics and protesters who saw the Hummers as “pollution machines. “Some reported locating their Hummer with a key and others reported getting dirty looks in parking lots. The “eco-vandals” went even further: they smashed windows and cut tires. “Throughout 2003, protesters burned Hummers at several Los Angeles dealerships.
And ironically, while one war helped make Hummers popular, another would bring it down. The war in Iraq shot up gas prices. Which made owning a Hummer seem even more impractical. Then, in 2007, the financial recession hit. And Hummer’s parent brand, General Motors, was in big trouble.
Matt: So General Motors, before the currency crisis, had quite a disaster. There were too many brands. He had stopped making money.
Narrator: In 2009, General Motors applied for and discontinued several of its brands.
Matt: At the time, they had a lot of brands, a lot more than they have today. And from those brands they wanted marketing support. Each of those brands wanted production support. Each of these brands desired studies and development. So they had to take a look. so they had and said, “Well, you know, Hummer is a pretty marginal brand. “
Narrator: In 2010, GM tried to sell the Hummer logo to Tengzhong, a Chinese manufacturer. But the deal fell through and GM stopped all Hummer production and sales. Thus ending the life of its once beloved logo. Today, Hummers are seen more as relics of a bygone era. No new models have been produced in almost a decade. But will General Motors bring back Hummer?
Matt: So, Americans like big cars; they’ve always liked big cars. They’re always going to like big cars. People in Detroit at the time, because of how dire the situation got around the financial crisis, were completely freaked out about their futures. And they forgot this.
Narrator: But since 2013, the market for big SUVs and large pickup trucks has made a robust recovery. And in response to consumer demand, luxury car brands from Rolls-Royce to Lamborghini to Aston Martin have all released SUVs.
Matt: Pretty soon we’re going to have a Ferrari SUV. So for Hummer to come back as kind of a really rough-and-tumble luxury platform would probably be a halfway decent idea.
Narrator: General Motors is looking to expand its presence in the electric vehicle market and there has been talk that it could resurrect Hummer to do just that.
Matt: The business case is because it’s an iconic brand. Everyone already knows it.
Narrator: Arnold Schwarzenegger once changed one of his original Hummers to run on electricity. Maybe paving the way for the Hummer again.
Matt: The good look of the logo is that if you could get rid of all the faulty luggage and update it and make a non-unusual sense of it, you know, you’d still have one of the toughest cars and maybe the longest-lasting car of all time. You may need to keep this running on normal battery settings for decades and decades and decades. We’re fighting global warming right here. Look at this, you know, it’s not just about fighting wars, but also about fighting global warming.
Narrator: So while other people may have once linked the Hummers to everything that happened in America, maybe it’s time for a second chance.
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