MOST PEOPLE THINK of the Hummer as a relatively new vehicle concept dating back to the mid-1980s. But the military Humvee H1 and the new Optimizer 6500 diesel engine are all manufactured by a century-old company that today goes by the name of AM General. The milder civilian Hummer H2 and H3 are built by General Motors.
That name may not ring a bell unless you’re an avid enthusiast of bicycle or military vehicle history. AM General traces back to 1903 when it built bicycles under the name Standard Wheel Company.
Read Also
VIDEO: Green Lightning and Nytro Ag win sustainability innovation award
Nytro Ag Corp and Green Lightning recieved an innovation award at Ag in Motion 2025 for the Green Lightning Nitrogen Machine, which converts atmospheric nitrogen into a plant-usable form.
In the 1930s it became more of a household name as Willys-Overland, building 350,000 military Jeeps before the end of the Second World War. In the 1950s it was taken over by Henry J. Kaiser, probably best known for his famous all-aluminum car called the Henry J.
From there it became Kaiser Jeep in the ’60s, bought out the Studebaker corporation and eventually formed a special division for military vehicles such as a military version of the Jeep. In 1970, American Motors Corporation bought Jeep and incorporated the military division under the current name, AM General. The civilian Jeep eventually became part of Daimler Chrysler.
AM General concentrated on military applications. It developed the Central Tire Inflation system used on military vehicles and now in wide civilian use on over-the-road semi trucks. It also took a page from agricultural implements when it introduced the gear-driven step-down leg used at all four corners of the Humvee and Hummer to raise the height of the chassis and drive train. These legs are similar in concept to those on mechanical-drive high-clearance sprayers and some early combines.
The company has changed ownership a number of times since its first production contract of 70,000 Humvees in 1985. The first civilian Hummers rolled off the line in 1992.
By 1999, once it was clear the 6.6-litre Duramax would go into GM vehicles, there was an obvious need to sustain the availability of replacement 6.5-litre engines and to meet the U.S. military demand for a more reliable 6.5-litre power plant that would bolt into existing Humvees.
Under a 1999 agreement, General Engine Products was formed as a subsidiary of AM General. GEP became the sole manufacturer and supplier of the upgraded Optimizer 6500 diesel engine. This agreement stated that GEP would also become the sole supplier of Optimizer 6500 engines to the GM parts network.
