Civilians Can Own Hummers Thanks To Arnold Schwarzenegger

Simon StarkSun, October 18, 2026 at 9:25 AM UTC

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Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons (Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons)The Hummer began its life as a war vehicle, but it made its way onto civilian streets thanks to Arnold Schwarzenegger. Here's the story behind the first Hummer.

Some things were just made to go together: hats and scarves, tomato and mozzarella, black holes and ... well, just about anything that wanders too close. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Hummer are another, and for car enthusiasts, it's perhaps the most important pairing of the lot.

You see, back in the late 1970s, the U.S. Military wanted to replace its aging fleet of Jeeps with an all-new vehicle — something brawnier and more capable. That vehicle would come to be known as the High-Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle (abbreviated as HMMWV, and eventually stylized as Humvee), built and supplied by defense contractor AM General. Its career since has probably made it the most American vehicle there is.

The Humvee began its duties in 1984, and at some point in 1990, while filming the hit movie "Kindergarten Cop," Schwarzenegger saw a swarm of them roll past. He was hooked immediately. Shock horror: bodybuilder likes vehicle that looks as if it's been ... bodybuilding. Anyway, he leveraged his fame and status to convince AM General to sell him one, and that's what eventually led to mass production.

Read more: What Are The Rarest Cars Featured On Jay Leno's Garage?

So, Arnold Schwarzenegger is responsible for Hummers?

Brian Snelson/Wikimedia Commons

Yes, he is. When a man who is both a futuristic robot and an alien slayer says he wants to own one, would you be the one to say no to him? Dubbed the Hummer H1, Arnie, who once even had a movie advertised in space, took delivery of the very first example.

The H1 shared the same mechanical makeup and architecture as its more adventurous sibling. The key differences were inside, where the H1 has a fully functional dashboard, air conditioning, and upholstered seats (as opposed to a thin canvas stretched over the metal frame).

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The H1 was offered with a variety of V8 engines throughout its 14-year production span, with displacements ranging from 5.7 to 6.6 liters, and power topping out at around 300 horsepower. There was no manual transmission option, mercifully, because imagine trying to wrestle the clutch in this three-plus-ton war machine as it's rolling backward? Unless you're Schwarzenegger, that may prove ... challenging.

What cars does Arnold Schwarzenegger drive?

Danny Galvez/Wikimedia Commons

It's not known exactly which cars Arnie has right now, but he has previously been spotted driving around LA in a doorless Hummer H1 –- with a cigar in hand, of course. We think it's pretty heartwarming that he still has such affection for the big ol' beast.

Reports also suggest he has a Porsche 911 997 Turbo Cabriolet in his garage, which means he really does know his stuff. We say that because the 997 is the model we placed on top of our list when we ranked every generation of Porsche 911. This generation was also the last to feature an engine built by the legendary Hans Mezger, only strengthening its case as the greatest-ever Volkswagen Beetle. Oops, we meant Porsche 911!

Apparently, you'll also find a couple of Bentley Continentals, an Audi R8, and a Mercedes-Benz SLS Roadster in his flock, as well as military-spec vehicles like an M47 Patton tank. If there's anything to deduce from this, it's probably that Arnie may be the coolest, most badass human on Earth. Even now.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”