Big Target

Kind of like beating a dead horse, except that dead horses can be composted and a Hummer has to be crushed and cubed. This from Salon…

Since its debut in the early ’90s as the manly man’s answer to what to drive when a Dodge Ram pickup is just too damn small, the mighty Hummer has been celebrated and reviled as a metaphor for American bravado — and wretched American excess. But this hip-hop icon, this military-porn embodiment of America’s post-911 belligerence, may now be a victim of the market. Thanks to recent high gas prices, and the stunning collapse of domestic auto sales, Detroit can’t give Hummers away. The beast, at least in its North American incarnation, may die not long after the Bush administration, whose shortsighted environmental policies and twisted tax codes helped give it commercial life.

What a shame! Now what are tree huggers going to use as a symbol of Detroit’s excess? What are poor Richie Sambora and 50 Cent going to drive? In an affectionate eulogy, Salon presents proud moments in Hummer history.

Follow this link to ‘The Short Disgusting Life of the Hummer’.

I had a bad dream that Roman Polanski came back to the US. He bought a Hummer and drove it to the mall, and parked it in 2 handicapped spaces. Then he sideswiped a Prius and ran over an Iraq war veteran.

I wonder what that meant.

8 thoughts on “Big Target”

  1. The Hummer has gotten a bad rap as have most American made “trucks.” Conceived as a military utility vehicle, tens of thousands of these remain in service throughout the world in the military of many countries. No other vehicle of its genre can climb walls, inflate or deflate tires from inside, stand as much heat or cold, or abuse short of total destruction by rockets, cannon or landmines. There will be a need for replacement parts, and new Hummers for a long time, and some manufacturer will step forward and do the job. The civilian version (and “green” Arnold Schwartneger purchased 6 and fitted them with Corvette engines I am told) has been the poster for American neglect of rationality. In actuality, the H-1 was modestly powered (195 horsepower)by an efficient diesel engine, not gas, and was/is very spartan as compared to the later versions that are more toys of the spoiled.

    Oddly, if one looks at all SUV types, and pickups of all manufacture, foreign and domestic, and organizes them by size, weight, engine displacement, etc., a remakable fact emerges. All V-8 powered half-ton or 3/4 ton trucks get just about the same gas mileage if gas powered or diesel, are just about as “green” and are as safe as any other. In fact, American made (and this likely now means 50% made here and the rest in Mexico or China in terms of components), fare a bit better than their Japanese or European counterparts. The same is true for V-6 powered vehicles.

    In terms of the Hummer, there is no real comparison to the H-1 giant and the H2 or H3 should be compared to similar engined and weight vehicles of the luxury minded. Our here in the open parts of America, Ford and Chevy and Dodge pickups reign supreme and will continue to do so. Our station wagons are Suburbans and Explorers, and this is a fact of life. We haul things (hay, wood, wire) or tow real trailers with horses, gattle to market, that one is not likely to see in Brooklyn or D.C. But then, that’s us.

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  2. My sister bought a Toyota pickup truck in the 80’s. I keep trying to persuade her to buy a new car but that truck just runs so good. It looked big when she bought it, but compared to what people drive now it looks tiny. She does actually need to carry large paintings and plywood–she can’t find a van that would fit them.
    I have friends who live in the country, and I have no argument with people who buy a vehicle with features they need and use. But here in Providence, people drive huge trucks hauling loads of nothing, and Hummers with business logos–enjoying a tax exemption that I never got despite the fact that I use my car for work.
    I never saw a Humvee or a Hummer on my streets until the first Persian Gulf war. It seems like the motor version of the camoflage fashion worn by people who never wore a military uniform.

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  3. I agree that the Hummer “craze” if craze it was, since it never really sold well in military form, was largely to a very few. New, the H-1 was very expensive. It was also too complex, even in civilian form and repairs very expensive. It was also very underpowered and too wide to be practical. The diesel engine produuces about 195 horsepower but lots of low end torque, needed for climbing walls or crossing dunes, but miserable on the highway.

    As for SUV’s, remember that all manufacturers, from GM, Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, Mercedes, BMW, Porsche, etc., make them and sell them. In urban environments, they haul kids, clothes and soccer teams. In my “real” world–just kidding–we haul trailers with horses or hay, or more truck parts and lumber. But the important thing, I think, is that all the vehicles are comparable in weight, power and mileage. The V-8 big versions do about the sam, within 10%. The smaller V-6 versions, do about the same. It is also a matter of physics that bigger is safer, by the way.

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  5. Loved the article and comments. I laughed and laughed. I agree that many who drive large SUVs and trucks are mostly hauling their big egos, however, charging these folks more for their road taxes would be fair I think.

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  6. Must disagree: bigger is NOT always safer.

    In fact, based on miles driven, you are just as likely to die driving an SUV or a Dodge Ram as you are a Jetta.

    The problem with SUVs isn’t going; it’s stopping. More weight means more inertia, which means that it takes twice as long to stop the SUV as it takes the car in front of you. You can’t swerve to avoid obstacles. And once your momentum changes direction, you end up going off the road.

    Physics says bigger isn’t necessarily safer.

    Because there’s the rollover issue. All the weight that “makes you safe” suddenly crushes you. And the likelihood of rollover is increased by one of the main attractions: that it sits up so high. So, all those “safety” features don’t really work. Never mind the fact that you’re more likely to kill whomever you hit. I think vehicular homicide should be charged in such cases: you bought the thing realizing the danger it poses to other motorists.

    In fairness, I realize that people do need big trucks. Some people. Some small fraction of the people who buy them. Mr Wolberg may not be familiar with a comome sight on the urbanized East Coast: a whole lot of these ridiculous behemoths sitting in traffic, idling away thousands of gallons of gas during a halfway decent traffic jam.

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  7. I’m lucky that at least a few of the errands I need to do I can walk to. I’m too lazy to ride my bike much, but once in a while. I’m on a bus line, but every time there’s a cut it becomes less practical to take it. but i’ve taken the bus downtown whenever i can, it beats circling around for a parking place. we are able to get by as a one car family–saves money and aggravation.
    if you need a really big truck for hauling stuff, you almost need to get a small car for when you just need to pickup a quart of milk.

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  8. I generally like efficient cars,but I have a small Subaru SUV which isn’t any bigger than a car.It handles better on snowy or wet roads because of the all wheel drive.It’s not that economical in city driving,but it’s okay on the highway.For long trips I use my Camry 6 cylinder that gets better mileage than a lot of 4 cylinder cars,but has the acceleration when it’s needed.

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