If you were young, had cash to burn and wanted to believe you were tougher than you actually were, you drove a Hummer.
Styled after a military vehicle, the first Hummer rolled off the assembly line in 1992. Fittingly, Arnold Schwarznegger bought it: He was the one who lobbied American Motors Corporation, who'd been making Hummers (then known as Humvees) for the US Armed Forces, to offer them to civilians.
The pseudo-tank was a cash cow for AMC and, later, for General Motors, who bought the brand in 1998. It also helped to enrich the coffers of petroleum companies (and a few despots) because one gallon of gasoline would propel it for only ten miles.
Of course, those are the reasons why the brand tanked (pardon the pun) when the world's economy crashed and oil prices spiked. A couple of years ago, while on a ride, I saw the first Hummer I'd seen in years. Even in its bright yellow finish, it looked like a dinosaur to me.
Where are the Hummers now? Are they in junkyards and other landfills with other motor vehicles?
Wherever they are, bicycles from that same period are still rolling along.
This rider is even stronger than I ever was. I mean, I've carried all sorts of things on my bike, but not a car(cass).
Styled after a military vehicle, the first Hummer rolled off the assembly line in 1992. Fittingly, Arnold Schwarznegger bought it: He was the one who lobbied American Motors Corporation, who'd been making Hummers (then known as Humvees) for the US Armed Forces, to offer them to civilians.
The pseudo-tank was a cash cow for AMC and, later, for General Motors, who bought the brand in 1998. It also helped to enrich the coffers of petroleum companies (and a few despots) because one gallon of gasoline would propel it for only ten miles.
Of course, those are the reasons why the brand tanked (pardon the pun) when the world's economy crashed and oil prices spiked. A couple of years ago, while on a ride, I saw the first Hummer I'd seen in years. Even in its bright yellow finish, it looked like a dinosaur to me.
Where are the Hummers now? Are they in junkyards and other landfills with other motor vehicles?
Wherever they are, bicycles from that same period are still rolling along.
This rider is even stronger than I ever was. I mean, I've carried all sorts of things on my bike, but not a car(cass).
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