Hummer H1 Alpha Wagon
The Hummer H1 is the civilian version of the M998 HMMWV (Humvee) that famously served in Operation Desert Storm. Arnold Schwarzenegger, so impressed by the military vehicle, lobbied AM General to create a street-legal version. The result was the most extreme production SUV ever built. At 86.5 inches wide, the H1 could barely fit in a standard garage. Its central tire inflation system, portal axles providing 16 inches of ground clearance, and fully independent suspension made it virtually unstoppable off-road. The Alpha version (2006) with the Duramax diesel was the most refined. Only about 12,000 civilian H1s were ever built, making them increasingly collectible as monuments to pre-environmental-consciousness excess.
Alpha models (2006) are the most desirable with the Duramax diesel. Earlier 6.5L diesel models are slow and unreliable. Check for rust in the aluminum body (galvanic corrosion where aluminum meets steel). The CTIS (central tire inflation system) is expensive to repair. These drink fuel at 8-10 mpg. Low-mile examples command huge premiums.
AM General built the civilian H1 from 1992-2006. About 12,000 were produced total. The Alpha model (2006) featured the Duramax 6.6L diesel — the best powertrain. Earlier models used less powerful GM diesel engines. Production ended as fuel prices soared.