REMEMBER the Hummer?
That’s right, it was that massive army-style truck that was the car to have in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Initially adopted by hip-hop star Tupac Shakur, hotel heiress Paris Hilton and basketball legend Dennis Rodman, it soon became the must-have SUV for the Premier League’s finest.
Kieron Dyer, David Beckham and Harry Kewell were just a few top-flight footballers who pumped their hard-earned wages into the American brand.
However, despite significant investment from the world’s best players and celebrities, Hummer went bust in 2010 as part of the General Motors bankruptcy.
So where did it all go wrong and what was so glamorous about Hummers in the first place?
The Hummer was first marketed in 1992 when AM General began selling a roadworthy version of the M998 Humvee known as the H1.
Primarily used by the US military in the Gulf War in 1991, it was designed to power through treacherous dessert terrain.
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The adapted vehicle was produced from 1992-2006 and was available
in three different formats.
A convertible-like soft top, a four-door hard top Sport Utility Truck and an “Alpha Wagon” body version.
It had a starting price of around £115,000, which made it the ultimate status-symbol to be seen driving around in for any self-respecting footballer.
Because of its size (it weighed a mega three tonnes) Americans who owned it were entitled to claim a farm equipment tax credit with the IRS too.
In 2002, General Motors released the H2 to much fanfare, and it was nominated for North American Truck of the Year at the annual Detroit motor show.
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Aimed at the female market, the hope was that the smaller H2 would propel the brand into the mainstream.
And it caught on with footballers like Djibril Cisse, who drove his gargantuan machine around the streets of Liverpool during his time at the Reds.
The price tag was also much more appealing.
Available for around £45k for the basic model, the H2 was kitted out with a host of futuristic features that made it seem pioneering.
It had air conditioning with tri-zone climate controls, tilt leather-wrapped steering wheel with radio controls, cruise control, leather upholstery, heated front and rear seats.
The sound system was provided by BOSE 6-disc CD changer, there was an outside-temperature indicator and even a compass.
While that all might seem quite gimmicky now, at the time someone like Real Madrid’s Spanish international Guti thought it was epitome of cool.
Buoyed by the success of the H2, Hummer released an even smaller H3, which was based off a highly-modified GMT 355 pickup truck.
But poor reviews from motor aficionados didn’t help its cause.
US magazine Motor Trend said it “crawled up rock steps, ran through sand washes, and navigated steep ledges with confidence and capability to spare.”
But they bashed its turning radius for being “uncomfortably wide” and said, “at highway cruising it would’ve been nice to have a faster, firmer feel.”
Despite Hummer’s best efforts in making an SUV that was primarily an army vehicle more suitable for city roads, they were getting further from the mark.
Plus, the fact all their models were petrol guzzlers, that didn’t help matters at all.
A litre of gas could only get you as far as ten miles in early Hummers. The H3 stretched to 20 miles, but had a smaller tank so that didn’t help cut costs either.
The Great Recession in the late 2000s saw GM management questioning the Hummer’s viability in a crowded SUV market with sales dwindling.
But rather than transfer it to the Motor Liquidation company when the GM went bankrupt, they chanced their arm and retained the brand to try and sell it.
In 2009, Chinese manufacturer Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Company said they would acquire Hummer, pending government approval.
But the Chinese ministry of commerce was believed to have rejected the application in 2010 after the deal stalled for eight months.
Unable to find a suitable buyer, General Motors announced it was dismantling the Hummer brand.
And it was a sad day for Arnold Schwarzenegger…
The action hero must’ve shed a tear on hearing the news. After all, he was part-responsible for Hummer becoming street-legal AND a footballers’ favourite.
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It was reported that Arnie was driving to the set of his film Kindergarten Cop in Oregon in 1989 when he saw a convoy of Humvees heading to a military base.
Instantly smitten, he followed the trucks until they came to a rest stop.
He jumped out of his car for a closer inspection and spoke with the military people driving them.
“It has b****” Arnie was believed to have said to the army personnel at the time, according to the Huffington Post.
The A-list movie star wanted one of his own and he was so fascinated he visited AM General’s plant in Indiana to see how they were made.
His love for the Humvee led to the company building a roadworthy version.
Alas, it wasn’t enough to stop them from being terminated.
Can you still buy a Hummer today?
The answer is quite simply, yes. A quick scan on AutoTrader and we found 13 Hummers listed between £13,000 to £28,000.
However, the fact that General Motors closed all their garages makes it incredibly difficult to source parts, should your Hummer break down.
But there are some Hummer garages dotted around the UK that do specialise in repairs.
All you need is wads of cash for petrol and big driveway to park it in and you’re sorted.
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