Military vehicles

Hummer H1 in civilian

Posted 16/01/2025 by Terje Bjørnstad

It's not designed to please anyone, and it's far from politically correct. But once you've seen this vehicle in action, you'll understand its capabilities.

The Hummer H1 is based on the military Humvee – a light vehicle for transporting personnel and equipment in places without roads. My first encounter with a Humvee was at a NATO exercise in Ofoten in the late 1980s. I was the first vehicle in a column of M6s loaded with ammunition dummies on their way to the front when we were stormed by a Canadian troop. Via a road pocket we managed to turn all the vehicles around at record speed before they reached us, thus saving personnel and equipment from ending up in enemy hands. While I was standing and directing the vehicles behind my own lines, I noticed a foreign vehicle approaching quickly and almost silently through the forest. This was my first encounter with a Humvee. I will never forget how gracefully it moved at high speed over the forest heather. The chassis danced over heather and moss, while everything above it remained stable. I have driven most of the wheeled vehicles in the Armed Forces, but I have never experienced anything like this.

Was it another attack? No, just American observers who wanted to follow us from a distance after the skirmish on the road. I thought, "We would all have been dead," but a judge later told me that everyone survived. In war, it is vital to keep the wheels turning. A stranded vehicle can have fatal consequences.

2006 Hummer H1 Alpha Convertible (Source: FavCars.com)

2006 Hummer H1 Alpha cockpit (Source: FavCars.com)

Hummer H1 central tire pressure regulation

The Humvee military vehicle

A Humvee has a ground clearance of 40 cm and can wade through 81 cm of water, slush and mud. The drivetrain and vital components are housed in a huge propeller tunnel, protected from the terrain below. The radiator is high and slanted backwards over the engine. There are only 4 seats, with the option of transporting a wounded person between the seats. The four-wheel drive is fantastic. It pulls up with only one wheel towards the ground. The tire pressure can be easily adjusted from the dashboard – like in a James Bond movie. If you get stuck in loose desert sand, you can get traction by draining the air and refilling it after moving on.

Humvee is a nickname. The military designation is HMMWV – High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle. It is especially “high mobility” that fascinates me. The civilian version of the Humvee, the Hummer H1, is designed to offer the same versatility without the disadvantages of the military vehicle. Things like NATO instrumentation, combat lights, lack of interior padding and soundproofing are not very attractive in a civilian car. Besides, you are unlikely to bring your better half in the car, either. The first civilian Hummer H1 was supposedly delivered to Arnold Schwarzenegger. And perhaps it is thanks to him that AM General started producing civilian versions? From 1992 onwards Hummer H1 on sale.

Hummer H1

The civilian Hummer cars were built along the same production line as the military cars, but received a different finish. The engines were GM's 6.2 V8 diesel, which from 1994 was upgraded to 6.5 V8 with or without turbo. 4-speed automatic with overdrive. From the fall of 2004, a series of upgraded Hummer H1 with 6.6 Duramax V8 Turbo Diesel was produced. The last year of production for the civilian cars was 2006, but production of the military cars continued.

I don't know if AM General were free to choose engines when they received orders for vehicles for the US military in the early 1980s. But imagine if they had been able to choose engines from Cummins (Ford) instead of GM's unattractive, rattling engines? Diesel has never been very popular with private, American truck buyers. It is reserved for pure commercial vehicles - which the Humvee was in its day. Moreover, diesel is the universal fuel for operational military vehicles.

You could say that GM's diesel engines put a damper on the driving pleasure in the Hummer H1 – at least by today's standards. But in the civilian model, the engines are quite well-silenced and with a 4-speed automatic they keep up with highway traffic. Military vehicles without overdrive and silencing are not as well suited.

A new life for scrapped military vehicles?

As the Humvee is phased out of the military, many vehicles will likely appear for sale to private individuals. A large number of vehicles have already been sold to buyers and can be expected to be resold as originals or converted for civilian use. Vehicles with a military past often have canvas roofs and doors. In total, there are far more military Humvees than civilian Hummer H1s.

Hummer H2

From the 2003 model year, the Hummer H2 was introduced as the successor to the H1. GM had secured the rights to the "Hummer" trademark. AM General had been commissioned to build Hummer H2 for GM on GM's truck platform shared with the Silverado and Suburban. The new model was designed to look out like a Hummer, but without the functional features that made the Hummer special. The Hummer H2 was a Chevrolet Tahoe in Hummer disguise.

Hummer H3

The next successor, the Hummer H3, was developed on a smaller platform than the H2, and produced at GM. The Hummer H2 and H3 could be said to be better suited as family cars and probably pleased more buyers – but did not carry forward anything of what the Humvee was originally designed for.

Lobster EV

2022 Hummer H1-EV (Photo: Mike Mareen/Shutterstock.com)

The GMC Hummer EV SUV has a very appealing interior.

The new electric Hummer EV has 1000 hp and is available with two different battery packs. The largest battery pack is 256.8 kWh and can provide a maximum range of 610 km. The car will probably be too big for Norway. First, it weighs over 4300 kg with the large battery pack, and the length of 5,5 meters can cause problems in Norwegian parking garages. Prices start at $96.550 for cars with 2WD.

Cyber Lobster?

More interesting is Cyber LobsterIt sells for the same price as GM's "official" Hummer EV, but has nothing in common with GM. NAEV – North American EV is a Canadian company that builds electric cars based on recycled Tesla 3 batteries and decommissioned military Humvees. They use a completely new frame with space for batteries, with an "old school" Humvee body on top. The interior is without the huge cardan tunnel - and also not the same accessibility as the Humvee and Hummer H1, although the ground clearance is 38 cm. Without the cardan tunnel, there is room for 6 people and a dashboard that consists of a centrally positioned Tesla 3-like screen. The batteries, charging system and drivetrain are otherwise compatible with the Tesla Model 3 with dual motor AWD. The external dimensions are the same as the original Humvee. Extensive use of aluminum means that the weight is relatively low, "only" 2041 kg. The stated range is 480 km and can accelerate from 0-100 in 3,5 seconds. Prices start at $98.900.

NorthamericanEV.com – Cyber Lobster

Joltvee takes over after Humvee

So-called successors to the Hummer H1 are all "look-alikes" – not real successors to the original concept. On the other hand, the military Humvee models have received a worthy successor. It is the Oshkosh JLTV – Joint Light Tactical Vehicle – also called Joltvee . The cars are equipped with modified diesel engines based on GM's 6.6 V8 Duramax. The Joltvee provides armor protection of the cabin and a higher payload than the Humvee. The total weight in standard version is 10 tons.

Oshkosh Defense – JLTV

Military vintage cars

Posted 15/10/2024 by Terje Bjørnstad

Military vehicles are for special interest. As a former wagon driver in the military, it brings back good memories when I come across a Gems, Kvarting or Valp. I myself started with a GMC 6×6 and ended up as a truck driver on a Scania hook truck. Here is a photo series of vintage French military vehicles.

Peugeot P4 "Geländewagen"

From 1981 to 2019, the "Geländewagen" was in active service in the French military. The French variant was built in France to the same specifications as the Austrian cars Steyr-Daimler-Puch, but equipped with engines and gearboxes from Peugeot. The first ones got engines from the Peugeot 504 and gearboxes from the Peugeot 604.

Citroën Traction Avant

This Citroen Traction Avant was part of the liberation celebrations.

Pre-war model that was useful during the war.

Before the war, Citroen Traction Avant were used as police cars in several countries. For example, the Oslo police department is said to have been delivered several Citroen 11 Sports in 1937. These cars were probably also in service during the war – and not least during the liberation. In France, commemorations are held for D-Day and the liberation. The Citroen in the pictures above has been used in several local celebrations, including the liberation of Perpignan, – but I do not know if it was actually in use as a service car at the historical times. In any case, it is an authentic 1930s car with battle lights from the days of the war.

Renault R2087 Gôelette

After the war, it was decided that the French military should be equipped with vehicles manufactured in France. Heavy trucks were built by Citroen, while Renault was commissioned to build light trucks. From the 1950s, the Renault R2087 was delivered, based on the Gôelette with 4×4 and approximately 1000 kg payload, 2.2 liter side-ventilated gasoline engines taken from the civilian Gôelette series. These vehicles were well suited to transporting crews and equipment into the field.

ACMAT VT4

From 2019, this vehicle was deployed as a successor to the G-Wagen-based Peugeot P4. The VT4 – Véhicule tactique 4X4 – is a modified variant of the American Ford Everest II produced at the ACMAT factory in Saint-Nazaire, France – a factory that previously produced trucks for Renault. The engines in the VT4 produce 220 hp and can run on degraded fuel grades. The cars can withstand airdrops and accommodate 5 people – 4 in combat gear.

See

bv202 — Tracked vehicles on the Ford D series

The French G-Class that existed until recently
Tactic Vehicle 4×4

Tracked vehicles on the Ford D series

Posted 13/03/2021 by Terje Bjørnstad

In the 70s, the BV202 tracked vehicles formed an important part of the Armed Forces' preparedness. They had unsurpassed characteristics in the terrain, but not particularly suitable for road driving. The solution was to transport them on trucks.

Tracked vehicles on the M6

The Norwegian Armed Forces created a temporary solution for their M6s (military trucks). It consisted of a platform or ramp that allowed space for a tracked vehicle. Well, space and space. There was actually no room for more than half a tracked vehicle on the M6 plane. The rest – 3 meters – hung out at the back. Only cars with a front-mounted winch were allowed to transport tracked vehicles – because they had a few extra kilos on the front axle. But it didn't help much. Behind the wheel of the M6, you could feel the front vehicle occasionally lifting off the ground. You had to be extra careful over the snowdrifts. Transporting tracked vehicles in this way was, of course, pure madness. 11 tons at times without steering could go very wrong. Moreover, it required a lot of work and a long time to prepare the M6 for BV transport.

New attempt

A new solution was developed by the Army's indentature at Løren. At New Year's in 1979, the Transportkompaniet at Bardufoss had 8 civilian trucks - Ford and Mercedes-Benz fitted with a body from Centrum bodywork with aluminum ramps that were easy to rig up. Then the tracked vehicle could be fully secured on the plane within a few minutes. The biggest advantage was, without a doubt, safety. Eventually, it was prohibited to transport tracked vehicles on the M6.

Ford D series

Over the years, the army has bought many Ford D series and Cargo. They were used for everything, except warfare. In the "war" it was instead about donations such as GMC ("gems") and M6 - and later Scania - also with a high nostalgia factor for many of us. But now the Ford D-series was also allowed to take part in military exercises, even though they did not have combat lights, barriers or gun mounts.

Ford's D series had model designations based on total weight and number of horsepower. It was D0911 and D1618 that were to be tested for tracked vehicle transport.

Ford D0911

An empty BV202 is 6,15 meters long and weighs 3,2 tonnes. The smallest Ford, which could carry 4 tonnes of payload, was well suited to special transports such as this. The engine was an inline six that Ford used in several of its D models as well as in tractors, combines and boats. It was 5,95 litres, with a number of horsepower between 110-120.

Ford D1618

The larger Ford had the same special solution for transporting tracked vehicles. It looked comical with the same small cab as the other cars in the D series. The interior as in a Ford Transit - and was not at all in line with what you would expect in a heavy truck. The disappointment of the cheap driving environment was thoroughly offset by the engine. Under the driver's cabin you could hear the song of a beautiful 8,3 liter Cummins Diesel V8 which produced 170-180 horses. With a 4-speed gearbox high and low, you could keep up the speed well on the slopes even with a tracked vehicle on the plane.

Ford D history

The D-series was produced between 1969 and 1981. They came in numerous sizes – from 5 to 28 tons of gross weight. The recipe seemed simple. You take a frame, put on wheels and an engine that fits the weight class. Then you use the same cab regardless of the model. In Norway, Ford distribution trucks with flatbed, box or tank were popular. In Germany, the D-series was sold as the N-series. Both model series were produced in England. The N-series had a different front than the D-series. Some models of the D-series were also produced at Ford's Turkish factory in Otosan, which produced the Turkish fiberglass truck Anadol . The Ford trucks from there had their cabs made of fiberglass.

Custom Cab was the term for an upgraded cab like this. Originally, the decor was far more spartan.

hobby vehicle day — Ford D-700 1967 model with petrol engine, formerly owned by Myrens Verksted - now privately owned.

English quality

English Ford? How was the quality? I actually can't find anything to put my finger on! Granted, these were new cars. I logged between 10-40 miles every working day over 6 months. The only negative moment was when I picked up the car – a D1618 – at the quay south of Bjerkvik on a pitch-black evening. Then I only got the high gear series. And up from the quay there was a rocky and steep hill. The next day I tilted up the cab and saw a wire that was not attached - and voilà - the problem was solved.

Ford D nostalgia

There are not very many Ford D series with plates. There should be 5 pieces of D0911 left that are separated but not wrecked. Of D1618, there are 13 cars left, of which only one still appears to have plates. It doesn't help that Ford were simple and cheap trucks for their time. It costs a lot of money to restore a vintage truck. When choosing restoration objects, it will then be easier to choose more high-quality cars such as Volvo and Scania. There was quite a bit of Ford, actually. The D series is unlikely to gain much popularity as a vintage car here at home. In England, they are generally better at looking after heavy vehicles - including the Fords that were produced there.

ford d1210 otosan — Ford D1210 "Otosan" with fiberglass cab. This has been one of the main pillars of the Turkish transport industry. Source: www.fordotosan.com.tr

Ford Otosan

But in one country, the D series looks set to live on - probably for many more years. In Turkey, the Ford "Otosan" D1210 has achieved a kind of cult status. They were produced right up until 1983 and a surprising number are still on the road - in apparently good condition - often decorated. In particular, the decor in the cabins has been updated. If you are looking for parts, you can find everything there. The engines, which are Ford's 6-cylinder engine of the same type that ran here at home - for example in D0911. On Youtube there are several clips of well-grown truck owners who still drive their paid-off Ford trucks with style and dignity, and who wouldn't drive anything else.