The Transition From Jeep to HUMVEE
The Army’s history using the famous Willys Jeep for conflicts including WWII and the Korean War revealed shortfalls which needed replacement. In the 1970’s and 80’s, GM manufactured the CUCV light utility vehicle based on civilian truck chassis.
Ultimately, what the U.S. Military needed wasn’t a commercial off-the-shelf truck. They needed a purpose-built, military-grade versatile platform. AM General, having become a wholly owned subsidiary to the American Motors Corporation, was awarded a prototype contract in 1981 to start building their replacement vehicle, the M998 Series High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle, or HMMWV.
By 1983, the Army awarded AMG with their first of many production contracts for 55,000 HMMWVs. In early 1985, the first vehicles were delivered to the U.S. Army. To this day, AM General is known for having built 3 generations of light tactical trucks for the U.S. Military.
Media Contact: Deborah Reyes, Executive Director, Global Marketing and Strategic Communications
E-mail: deborah.reyes@amgeneral.com