Today’s car is a 1987 AM General HMMWV (High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle) HVBEAST owned by comedian and ventriloquist Jeff Dunham, which I photographed at the 22nd annual Motor 4 Toys Charity Car Show and Toy Drive put on by Dustin Troyan and Porsche Woodland Hills held at Pierce College, Woodland Hills, CA.
This rat-rod-inspired HMMWV is finished in a Patriot Liner Blue bedliner exterior with a distressed brown bomber leather interior and features a chopped top that amplifies its already aggressive stance. Power comes from a massive exposed 6.5-liter LBZ Duramax 90-degree V8 turbo-diesel producing an estimated 750 horsepower, equipped with a modified Bosch high-pressure common-rail injection system. The engine is mated to a Stage 3 BD Diesel–built Allison six-speed automatic transmission and a 2.73:1 rear axle ratio. Braking is handled by four-wheel disc brakes mounted inboard, adjacent to the front and rear differentials, staying true to the HMMWV’s original portal-hub architecture. The independent front and rear suspension has been extensively reworked with custom fully adjustable air suspension system, allowing ride height to vary from approximately 10 inches to a slammed street stance. It rides on 20-inch powder-coated Fuel Off-Road wheels wrapped in massive 40-inch Mickey Thompson Baja Legend MTZ tires.
The Humvee, a machine that became one of the most recognizable military vehicles of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Developed in response to the U.S. Army’s need to replace a wide range of aging light tactical vehicles, the Humvee was designed to be versatile, durable, and capable of operating across virtually any terrain or mission profile.
Development began in the late 1970s, with the U.S. military seeking a single platform that could serve as a troop carrier, cargo hauler, weapons platform, ambulance, and command vehicle. After extensive testing, AM General’s design was selected, and production vehicles began entering service in 1985. From the outset, the Humvee was engineered with mobility in mind, featuring a wide track, long suspension travel, four-wheel drive, and exceptional ground clearance, allowing it to traverse terrain that would stop most conventional vehicles.
The Humvee’s construction reflects its mission-first philosophy. A robust steel frame supports lightweight aluminum body panels, chosen for corrosion resistance rather than armor. Power came from a V8 diesel engine, initially a 6.2-liter and later a 6.5-liter unit, paired with an automatic transmission. While outright speed was never the priority, the Humvee was capable of highway cruising when required, and its off-road performance set a new benchmark for military wheeled vehicles. With proper preparation, it could ford deep water, be sling-loaded under helicopters, or transported by military aircraft, making it truly global in its deployment capability.
What truly defined the Humvee was its adaptability. Over time, it appeared in dozens of configurations, from unarmored utility vehicles to heavily up-armored patrol trucks fitted with weapon mounts and increasingly sophisticated communications and situational awareness equipment. That evolution included programs such as FBCB2 and Blue Force Tracking, which I worked on while at Northrop Grumman, installing and integrating these systems on HMMWVs and other platforms for both the U.S. Army and the U.S. Marine Corps. The Humvee saw combat service beginning in Panama in 1989 and became an enduring symbol of modern warfare during the Gulf War, Iraq, and Afghanistan. As battlefield threats evolved, so did the Humvee, though its original light-duty design eventually led to the development of more heavily protected successors such as the JLTV.
Total production ultimately surpassed 300,000 units across U.S. and international customers, with an estimated 230,000 HMMWVs still in active service worldwide today. Its influence extended beyond the battlefield as well, inspiring the civilian Hummer brand and cementing its place in popular culture.
The Humvee may not possess the elegance of a prewar classic or the polish of a modern exotic, but its presence is undeniable. Purpose-built, uncompromising, and instantly recognizable, it stands as a reminder that good design is not always about luxury or speed, but about solving a problem effectively and enduring long after the original mission has changed.
This is not a restored military vehicle, nor a subtle reinterpretation. It is a full-throttle reimagining of the HMMWV platform, built to shock, overwhelm, and command attention. Every exposed mechanical element is intentional, every proportion exaggerated, resulting in a machine that feels as much performance art as it does high-horsepower weaponry. And yet, parked among vintage classics, muscle cars, modern exotics, and thoughtfully built hot rods at a local Cars & Coffee, it fit right in, drawing equal parts curiosity, disbelief, and admiration from those who understand that automotive passion isn’t defined by era or category, but by the stories machines like this continue to create.
Thanks for coming along for the ride.
Frank
