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1907 Car dealer John Willys took over the financially troubled Overland car company and established Willys-Overland in Toledo, Ohio.
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.
1945 Shortly after peace returned, Willys began selling CJ (Civilian Jeep) models.
1953 Following Henry Kaiser’s purchase of Willys-Overland, the company’s name was changed to Kaiser-Jeep.
1970 American Motors purchased Kaiser-Jeep which by now was producing Jeeps, pickups, Wagoneers, and military trucks.
1971 A new subsidiary called AM General was formed to manufacture commercial vehicles for American Motors.
1981 Development commenced on a High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) to replace the Jeep and three other military vehicles.
1983 AM General was purchased from AMC by LTV Aerospace and Defense.
1990 The Persian Gulf War, also known as Desert Storm, began. The M998 HMMWV – nicknamed Humvee and later Hummer by GIs – produced under contract by AM General in Mishawaka, Indiana, played a crucial role in the ground campaign.
While filming the movie Kindergarten Cop in Oregon, actor Arnold Schwarzenegger spotted a convoy of 50 Humvees; he later acknowledged that this event moved him to buy a civilian version if one ever became available.
1992 AM General began selling the first civilianized M998s under the brand name Hummer.
1998 AM General continued production in Mishawaka after responsibility for the Hummer band was taken over by General Motors. The first model – renamed H1 and later H1 Alpha by GM – remained on sale through the 2006 model year. Total worldwide volume was 9350 units.
2003 Collaboration between GM and AM General yielded the more roadworthy HUMMER H2. A modified Chevy Tahoe chassis and a GM 6.0-liter V-8 were the key components; final assembly was still handled by AM General.
DaimlerChrysler challenged GM’s use of a 7-slot grille on Hummer vehicles, claiming this was an infringement of patented Jeep designs. A federal district court judge ruled in GM’s favor.
2004 Avtotor began assembling Hummer H2s in Kaliningrad, Russia, for sale through a handful of local dealers.
