Hummers (the vehicle)...

pscatespscates
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
When did it go from being a HumVee (is that the correct spelling?) to being called Hummer?



And how - in this day and age - did the company let that happen? We all know how corporations are SO careful about image, appeal, not rocking any boats, etc.



I just find this amazing!



No, I'm not offended at all...nothing like that. Just driving around today and yesterday and saw a couple of them on the road, saw a billboard for them, drove past the local dealership and have seen that TV commercial for them quite a bit lately.



Hummer.



Just seems like one of those silly things like Oscar Meyer unveiling a new slogan that went "our meat can't be beat" and not batting an eye or doing it without a trace of irony or a knowing smirk.







If I had a company called, say, "Fisticuff" or something, I WOULD NOT shorten it to the snazzier-sounding "Fister", just because...







But the Hummer people obviously didn't take that route.



Anyone know about this? Is the culture, so to speak, inside that particular corporation one that acknowledges and winks at this name? Or did some old coot on the board deem this a good name and made it so, completely oblivious to its modern-day, crass connotations?



Just curious...

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 8
    lucaluca Posts: 3,833member
    I never remember it being distinctly one or the other until recently. When I was growing up in the late 80's and early 90's, it was always either Hummer or Humvee, but everyone said it differently. Kinda like those nice Teva sandals - some call 'em TEE-vuhs, some call them TAY-vuhs, and some say TEH-vuhs.



    Anyway, I don't know much about Hummers/Humvees anyway because I didn't even know you could just buy one for yourself until a couple years ago... I thought they were military only. Maybe Humvee means the military version or something?
  • Reply 2 of 8
    thuh freakthuh freak Posts: 2,664member
    i've mostly heard people call them hummers over the years. its more rare for me to hear humv. kind of funny actually, i always think of the car when i think of a 'hummer', cuz i didn't hear the sex-version until years after i learned about the car.
  • Reply 3 of 8
    xionjaxionja Posts: 504member
    Humvee is the military version, and Hummer is the consumer version. This is what I've been told at least. It seams logical.
  • Reply 4 of 8
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
    I think that's true. After they became popular in Desert Storm, I remember reading about several Hollywood big-wigs buying one (I believe Schwarzenegger was one of them) and they were called Humvees and, at the time, were getting loads of press and attention.



    Now they're readily available to anyone and they're called Hummer.



    I still think it's funny.



    Of all words.



  • Reply 5 of 8
    splinemodelsplinemodel Posts: 7,311member
    The military designation of the Hummer is HMMWV (High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle), which the brass called HummVee's. I think troopso called them Hummers for short and it stuck. in the 90's when they went for sale, the company called itself Hummer.



    and a message from your local militia:

    http://www.scottsdalegunclub.com/Other/HMMWV.html
  • Reply 6 of 8
    existenceexistence Posts: 991member
    Why would anyone want a car with 8-9mpg?
  • Reply 7 of 8
    rampancyrampancy Posts: 363member
    On the topic of the Hummer/HumVee, has anyone seen the ads for the new H2? What do you make of it?



    I don't know much about it, except that from what I've seen it looks like it's a "Luxury" version of the Hummer (?).
  • Reply 8 of 8
    mggmgg Posts: 124member
    My Unkle owns a GM dealership and last year they began selling the Hummers. Maybe it was when the company sitched over to selling with GM that the name got switched. As far as the H2 my unkle says that they are pretty cool except for their standard V8 Taho engine.
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