Before there was HUMMER - H1, H2, and H3 -- there was HMMWV, or "Humvee" in the words of the American soldiers whose lives frequently depended on the capabilities of the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles, produced by a very small and relatively unknown truck and former city bus builder, AM General. In 1979, AM General began preliminary design work on the M998 Series High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV, pronounced Humvee); a 1.25-ton truck intended to replace the M151 and other light tactical vehicles. The US Army awarded AM General a prototype contract in 1981 and the development and operational testing was conducted over a five-month period in 1982. In March 1983, AM General won an initial $1.2 billion contract to produce 55,000 Humvees to be delivered in five basic models and 15 different configurations over a five-year period. The Army subsequently increased their order with over 15,000 additional vehicles, raising the total contract order to 70,000 Humvees valued at $1.6 billion. The Humvee offered exceptional speed, mobility and agility and was built on a multi-purpose platform, which could accommodate a broad range of configurations.

In January 1985, AM General rolled the first HMMWV (aka. HUMMER) off the assembly line of their new South Bend facility. The first HMMWV was a standard Military vehicle. In 1989, AM General completed its remaining medium truck business and closed the Chippewa Avenue facilities in South Bend which had been acquired from Studebaker in 1964. In early 1990, the AM General headquarters relocated from Chippewa Avenue to its current offices in downtown South Bend. In 1992, AM General began production of versions of the Humvee, called the HUMMER, for civilian use. Known as "the world's most serious 4x4", the vehicle has found favor with commercial users who appreciate the value of HUMMER's long life and amazing performance, and individuals who seek the ultimate in toughness and mobility. In December 1999, AM General and General Motors Corporation finalized an agreement to jointly pursue product, marketing and distribution opportunities for HUMMER. GM acquired the exclusive ownership of the HUMMER brand name worldwide and the current HUMMER was renamed the HUMMER H1. In 2002, AM General began assembling the HUMMER H2, a new "next-generation" sport utility vehicle designed by GM, at a new factory in Mishawaka. GM now has responsibility for marketing and distributing all HUMMERs. HUMMER's iconic design and unparalleled capabilities are legendary and backed by a history of proven performance in off-road and desert racing environments. In recent years, the H2 and H3 have brought HUMMER's experience to all-new audiences and racers.

For 2008, a new, more powerful engine, along with an all-new interior and other enhanced details, elevates the capabilities and refinement of H2 models. A new H3 Alpha is available, which includes the first application of a V-8 engine in the H3 lineup. The engineering for the V-8 engine drove vehicle-wide enhancements; many shared among all '08 H3 models.


2008 HUMMER H2
The iconic HUMMER H2 enters 2008 with a raft of changes, delivering a more refined interior that combines luxury with HUMMER's legendary ruggedness; enhanced safety features and a more efficient, powerful engine that is coupled with a new, six-speed automatic transmission. The H2 SUVs and H2 SUT continue as the distinct body styles of the lineup. The new powertrain combination consists of a 6.2-liter all-aluminum small-block V-8 engine, rated at 393 horsepower - an increase of about 20 percent over the previous engine - and a Hydra-Matic 6L80 six-speed automatic transmission.

2008 HUMMER H3
The 2008 H3 Alpha broadens HUMMER's range of versatile, do-anything and go-anywhere vehicles. The H3 Alpha is the second member of HUMMER's exclusive Alpha series, representing the pinnacle of performance, both off the road and on it. It comes with a new, 5.3-liter V-8 engine that delivers 300 horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque. It is partnered with a four-speed automatic transmission and enables a maximum towing capacity of 6,000 pounds - an increase of more than 33 percent over other H3 models.