ZINVO's Favorite Cars: Hummer H1

For this week's edition of ZINVO's favorite cars series, we go on an adventure with a beast of a vehicle, the Hummer H1. And while our Blade Rose Gold is our most luxurious watch to date, it kept up perfectly with the excitement. 

 

If the apocalypse ever happens, then there is only one vehicle that will help you survive the chaos: The 2006 Hummer H1 Alpha. The H1 has a great history. The car draws its design cues and technical abilities from the Military M998 Humvee, which was manufactured by military contractor AM General.

 

The M998 was first seen by the public during the media coverage of the first Gulf War. The public immediately fell in love with it, including action star of the day, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Naturally, Schwarzenegger pursued AM General to develop a civilian version. The ensuring pressure and high demand worked and AM General released the H1 to the public in 1992.

 

 

The H1 was produced from 1992 – 2006 and It became very popular during the political campaign of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Unfortunately, 2006 was the vehicle's last production year due to new regulations for diesel engines that went into effect in 2007. That said, because the 2006 H1 Alpha is the fastest and strongest H1 model it is still highly sought after by collectors.

 

Exterior

Because of its military origins, the exterior has an aggressive off-road look that is intimidating, yet still pleasing to the eye. The wheels look oddly far apart because they were designed to go behind the tracks of military tanks.

 

On the hood are two steel handles that will come in handy if the vehicle needs a lift by helicopter. There is also a full steel brush guard with a tow-wench to also help get out of those terrible circumstances.

 

 

The tires are 17” aluminum alloy wheels and feature the Central Tire Inflation System (CTIS) that drivers control from the inside of the vehicle. For example, if driving on soft sand in the desert, having deflated tires is best so as not to sink and get stuck. Once the desert adventures are over, the tires can be inflated again for road use. 

 

In the back of the Hummer H1 are barn-door-design doors, making it easy to get in and out of the vehicle. Most importantly, the H1 has 16 inches of ground clearance, and it can push through 30 inches of water—this vehicle was clearly designed to reach places that were only once reachable by helicopter.

 

Engine

 

The 2006 H1 Alpha comes with a 6.6L Duramax Turbo Diesel V8 that produces 300 horsepower, an incredible 520 lb-ft torque, and a shocking nine tons of towing capacity

 

The H1 was not meant for speed, but being able to move 8,114 lbs. to 0-60 in 13.5 seconds is an impressive feat. The suspension was completely redesigned for all-purpose capabilities, such as handling extreme off-road circumstances, while also handling typical road driving with comfort.

 

 

The H1 Wagon seen in the pictures goes for around $140,000. Despite the model's age, it has retained its value since AM General produced so few. Its rarity, coupled with its popular demand makes this an expensive car to own, even in the secondary market. 

 

The Hummer H1 is a legendary off-road/on-road vehicle and it is unfortunate that is no longer in production. However, AM General is still going strong manufacturing gear for the US and its allies across the globe. Perhaps there's still hope that the Hummer H1 will be resurrected one day.