For many readers of Military Vehicle Magazine, owning an historic military vehicle (HMV) is a hobby. While a hobby doesn’t have to have a practical purpose, when it comes to vehicular hobbies you should probably consider some practicalities in regard choosing a vehicle… most importantly how much the vehicle is going to cost in time and money versus how much enjoyment it brings. There is zero practicality in buying a vehicle that’s too large, too small, or otherwise unsuited to whatever you plan to do with it, or a vehicle that requires more maintenance and operating expenses than you’re willing or able to give it.
With large numbers of HMMWVs being released from U.S. military service, you may be considering the purchase of one, so the purpose of this three-part article is to drop a little knowledge that might help you decide if you really want a HMMWV and are willing and able to give it the time and attention and money it requires. We’ll start with some HMMWV history; and it may be worth noting that while HMMWVs were sometimes called “Hummers” by GIs early in their service years, today that term is generally used for the civilian H1, H2, and H3 versions, while the common military nickname is “Humvee.”
Backtracking, World War II could be described as vehicular war, a war in which ground mobility—transporting troops and supplies quickly and efficiently
