BRAND TIMELINE

1907

Car dealer John Willys took over the financially troubled Overland car company and established Willys-Overland in Toledo, Ohio.

1953

Following Henry Kaiser’s purchase of Willys-Overland, the company’s name was changed to Kaiser-Jeep.

1941

Willys began manufacturing MA and MB 1/4-ton trucks for the US Army. An estimated 363,000 Jeeps were produced by Willys during World War II.

1971

A new subsidiary called AM General was formed to manufacture commercial vehicles for American Motors.

1970

American Motors purchased Kaiser-Jeep which by now was producing Jeeps, pickups, Wagoneers, and military trucks.

1981

Development commenced on a High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) to replace the Jeep and three other military vehicles.

1990

The Persian Gulf War, also known as Desert Storm, began. Hummer played a crucial role in the ground campaign.

2005

After Iraqi ground troops were routed, it became clear that HWWMVs were ill-suited for guerilla warfare. Research and development also began on a new Jeep that will eventually replace the long-serving HWWMV.

1998

AM General continued production in Mishawaka after responsibility for the Hummer brand was taken over by General Motors. The total worldwide volume was 9350 units.

2008

Following a sharp spike in US gasoline prices, GM CEO Rick Wagoner announced that the Hummer brand was under review and that its products might be redesigned or the entire franchise could be terminated or sold.

2006

A new smaller and cheaper HUMMER H3 came out, it was built on the Chevy Colorado’s chassis. The export of Hummers to 33 foreign countries commenced.

2010

The sale agreement between GM and Tengzhong was subject to the approval of the Chinese government. Two awkward issues cropped up.