India’s Only Hummer H1 Is Currently Being Upgraded In The U.S.
The Hummer H1, also fondly called the “Humvee”, is an SUV of monumental proportions. Originally designed only for military use, market demand led General Motors to sell some in the civilian space. Although no longer in production for commoners (wasn’t bought by commoners either), the ones which were lapped up, still leave dropped jaws in their wake around the world. In India, there are plenty of H2s and H3s, but unless there’s one hiding in secret somewhere, there’s only one H1. And it’s a proper, right-hand-drive example with a licence plate to match the identity.
The Mumbai-based black H1 was also a part of one of the editions of the Parx Rally and is now with Predator Inc., a company which was founded in the mid-1990s as an exclusive Hummer accessory manufacturer. Predator is now the go-to place for Hummers from all over the world which wish to be upgraded. The owner of the Indian Hummer H1 is a proper enthusiast and none of his rare and fancy machines is a garage Queen. The word around is that this black H1 undergoes a proper workout off the road from time to time and it has been upgraded with equipment which makes it a better machine than it was out of the box.
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The owner’s enthusiasm is evident in the fact that he took the pains to switch the steering to the right side. This Hummer H1 also runs a 6.6-litre Duramax V8 turbo diesel engine which has been paired with an upgraded cooling system, a custom exhaust system which is better at heat dissipation, and a Predator-built Allison 6-speed transmission which can direct power to either all four wheels or just the rear axle. What this H1 also runs is a custom braking system, which makes use of a massive rotor, bitten into by a 6-piston caliper. It was designed by Predator for heavily armoured Hummers at the request of the Navy Seals forces. The standard braking system worked alright when the forces used the machines in Iraq but the same system wasn’t enough for the Humvees when they rolled down the treacherous terrain in Afghanistan. This H1 also runs air suspension which allows the ride height to be manipulated and inside, besides bringing the steering to the other side, the control had to be customised too for the differently-abled owner to pilot the vehicle comfortably.