Humvee to Return; Some Assembly Required

AM General Corp. is preparing to sell its Humvee C-Series SUV in kit form to the public, according to HummerGuy.net, which cites multiple sources at the company.

The big SUV went off the market in 2006 when general Motors Co. stopped selling an iteration called the Hummer H1. GM killed the Hummer brand in 2010.

AM General has be testing public interest in a bare-bones civilian version of the four-passenger Humvee at a tentative price of $59,000 with a canvas roof and doors but minus engine, transmission and wheels, according to HummerGuy.net. It says the kits will include the riveted body, twin fuel tanks, suspension components, half shafts and differentials. Options are likely to include driveline shielding, wheels, color choices, a heated windshield, central tire inflation system and 12,000-lb capacity winch.

The Web site says AM General's legal agreement with GM requires the kits to be presented as Humvees, not Hummers, and not contain any technology particular to the now-ended GM version, which was priced as high as $151,000.

AM General is likely to complete a prototype of the kit vehicle in September and launch a Web site to promote it not long after, according to HummerGuy.net. The Web site says AM General won't launch the program unless it can collect at least 50 orders and deposits.