Here’s a transcript of the video.
Narrator: You know what it is.
Matt DeBord: Everybody remembers the Hummer. Even though it’s been gone for 10 years now.
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. Jeep couldn’t pull many things. He couldn’t bring many people. He had no armor.
Narrator: Then the Pentagon awarded AM General a billion-dollar contract to expand a fleet of multi-purpose, high-mobility wheeled cars. Over time, Humvees, those bulky cars, were designed to carry 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, everybody, I dunno, was influenced by Arnold Schwarzenegger at that point in 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 was so burdensome that having one meant you could only claim farm appliance tax credits from the IRS. True to its military roots, the Hummer’s original design included an engine. command titled “Fire” until the company’s lawyers intervened. In 1999, General Motors purchased the marketing and sales rights for Hummers from AM General. Thanks to a booming economy and low fuel prices, Hummer sales took off, especially in Hollywood.
OG fan Schwarzenegger temporarily amassed a fleet of war tanks. Between 1999 and 2000 alone, the Hummers appeared in 32 films. Which only increases the notoriety 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: 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 basically a carbon copy of its bulky military predecessor, the second model featured a slightly sleeker design and cost about $50,000. Named the H2, it quickly became Hummer’s top-selling model. And was followed by the H3, which was further scaled down in size and price to appeal to more consumers. Hummer’s overall sales peaked in 2006, with a little 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 have eventually become the embodiment of the “big” lifestyle of America and others who aspired to it.
Matt: You know, they gotta, they gotta come, they gotta roll large everywhere they go. You know, the G-Wagen, Mercedes G-Wagen-type people. And for them the Hummer was just that turned up to 11 or maybe 11,000, you know, it’s, like, the biggest, baddest stupidest, most obnoxious — it was completely inappropriate, most impractical in a lot of ways.
Narrator: But while the Hummer’s striking quality attracted consumers in the first place, it temporarily caused its downfall. Hummers have a symbol of wasteful consumption.
Matt: People just saw it as a symbol of everything that was wrong with Detroit. Everything that was wrong with our American attitude about cars, everything was wrong with patriotism. Everything was wrong with, like, the militarization of American society. Everything that was wrong about the way we treat the planet.
Narrator: Hummer owners had to defend themselves from critics and protesters who viewed Hummers as “polluting machines. ” Some owners said they discovered their Hummer with a key, and others said they saw them dirty in parking lots. The “eco-vandals” went even further, breaking windows and digging up tires. ” Throughout 2003, protesters set fire to Hummers at several Los Angeles dealerships.
And ironically, while one war helped make the Hummers popular, another would bring them down. The war in Iraq has sent fuel costs soaring. This made owning a Hummer even more impractical. Then, in 2007, came the monetary recession. And Hummer’s parent brand, General Motors, is in serious trouble.
Matt: So General Motors, before the currency crisis, had a mess. There were too many brands. He had stopped making money.
Narrator: In 2009, General Motors filed for and dropped several of its brands.
Matt: At that 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 those brands wanted studies and development. So they had to take a look. for 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 halted all production and sale of the Hummer. Thus ending the life of his once beloved logo. Today, Hummers are considered rather relics of a bygone era. No new models have been made in nearly a decade. But will General Motors bring Hummer back?
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 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.
So for Hummer, coming back as a sort of complicated luxury platform would probably be a half-decent idea.
Narrator: General Motors is looking to expand its presence in the electric-vehicle market. And there’s been talk that it might be considering resurrecting Hummer to do just that.
Matt: The business case is because it’s an iconic brand. Everyone already knows that.
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 they could get rid of all the bad baggage and update it and transplant a non-unusual sense into it, you know, you’d still have one of the toughest and perhaps longest-lasting cars of all time. This may work 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 people may have once associated Hummers with everything that was wrong with America, it could be time for a second chance.
Here’s a transcript of the video.
Narrator: You know what it is.
Matt DeBord: Everybody remembers the Hummer. Even though it’s been gone for 10 years now.
Narrator: His rugged appearance and military experience made him cool right away. And everyone from Mike Tyson to Britney Spears drove one. The Hummers were likely from the early 2000s. But in 2010, all production and sales stopped. So what happened?
Hummer’s story begins with the US military. The military used the Jeep as its go-to vehicle during the world wars and through the Vietnam War. But around the ’80s, it started looking for something more heavy-duty.
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: Then the Pentagon awarded AM General a billion-dollar contract to expand a fleet of high-mobility, multipurpose wheeled automobiles. Over time, Humvees, those 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 survivable in terms of being shot at or having something blow up next to it.
Narrator: Humvees became famous after being seen in action in 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. Through it and without delay he searched 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 out to get one. When he refused, the star insisted that a civilian edition be made. And AM General listened.
Matt: Because, you know, everyone, I don’t know, was influenced by Arnold Schwarzenegger at that time.
Narrator: Schwarzenegger became the first civilian to own a specially made humvee. AM General even stenciled “Terminator” on the model. In 1992, a civilian version of the Humvee officially went on sale. Named the Hummer, the bulky vehicle cost up to $100,000.
Matt: It’s ridiculous to drive that thing on public roads. I mean, the wheels were too high off the ground. yes, it had air conditioning, airbags, but I mean, you know, to drive it, you sit like that and then you have this big compartment in the most sensitive part. I mean, not dressed up for comfort, 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 you could simply claim IRS agricultural appliance tax credits. True to its military roots, the Hummer’s original design featured an engine button classified as “Fire” until the company’s lawyers intervened. In 1999, General Motors purchased the rights to market and sell Hummers from AM General. Thanks to the booming economy and low fuel prices, Hummer’s sales skyrocketed. Especially in Hollywood.
OG fan Schwarzenegger quickly amassed a fleet of the war wagons. From 1999 to 2000 alone, Hummers were featured in 32 movies. Which only increased the brand recognition the vehicle already had thanks to its military pedigree. And it was its association with the military that really drove up the Hummer’s popularity in the US.
Matt: So, people saw it in active use during the first Gulf War for the first time. And they thought, well, if that thing can handle, you know, desert combat, then it could certainly be used for weekend camping trips.
I don’t believe in the argument that it implied some sort of warrior mentality or anything like that, but it was definitely part of their overall DNA. So if you were more pro, pro-military, pro-American, if you were interested in advertising, how much you supported the troops, if you had a Hummer or even an H2 or an H3, because it had that Hummer look, you were doing advertising. You had this state of mind.
Narrator: While the first Hummer model was basically a carbon copy of its bulky military predecessor, the second model featured a slightly sleeker design and cost about $50,000. Named the H2, it quickly became Hummer’s top-selling model. And was followed by the H3, which was further scaled down in size and price to appeal to more consumers. Hummer’s overall sales peaked in 2006, with a little over 70,000 units sold.
Matt: That’s pretty good. It’s not very popular. In fact, that pales in comparison to some of the 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 one, it’s pretty incredible.
Narrator: Hummers have eventually become the embodiment of the “oversized” lifestyle of America and others 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 that had to do with Detroit. Everything that had to do with our American attitude toward automobiles wasn’t all patriotism. All was not well with the militarization of American society. Everything that had to do with the way we treated the planet.
Narrator: Hummer owners found themselves fending off critics and protestors who saw Hummers as “pollution machines.” Some owners reported finding their Hummers keyed, and others said they got dirty looks in parking lots. “Eco-vandals” took things even further, breaking windows and slashing tires.” Throughout 2003, protestors set fire to Hummers at a number of dealerships in Los Angeles.
And ironically, while one war helped make the Hummers popular, another would bring them down. The war in Iraq sent fuel costs soaring. Which made owning a Hummer even more impractical. Then, in 2007, came the monetary recession. And Hummer’s parent brand, General Motors, is in big 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 bankruptcy and discontinued a number of its brands.
Matt: Back then they had a lot of brands, a lot more than today. And from those brands he wants marketing support. Each of these 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 attempted to sell the Hummer brand to Tengzhong, a Chinese manufacturer. But the deal fell through, and GM shut down all manufacturing and sales of Hummer. Effectively ending the life of its once beloved brand. Today, Hummers are seen more as relics of a bygone era. New models haven’t been manufactured in nearly a decade. But should General Motors bring Hummer back?
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 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 to Aston Martin, have introduced 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.
General Motors is looking to expand its presence in the electric vehicle market. And it has been said 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. Perhaps paving the way for the Hummer again.
Matt: The good look of the logo is that if they could get rid of all the defective luggage and upgrade it and transplant it with a not unusual sense, you know, you’d still have one of the toughest and maybe longest-lasting cars of all time. It’s possible that this will work with 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, it’s also about fighting global warming.
Narrator: So even though other people may have once linked the Hummers to all things America, maybe it’s time for a second chance.
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