A Bulletproof ‘Holy Grail’ Hummer H1 Alpha Sold For $200,000
The Hummer H1 gets apocalypse-ready with an armored engine compartment, “shock” door handles and deadbolted doors.
RM Sotheby’s specializes in selling world’s most collectable and lucrative automobiles, from a record-setting, $51 million Ferrari 250 GTO to the modern Valkyrie AMR Pro. Retro rides, classic exotics and modern hypercars—generally of European origin—are the auction house’s bread and butter, so it’s somewhat surprising to to see a 2006 Hummer H1, an American brute, listed among the lots featured in RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2024 sale.
However, a little digging reveals that the Hummer H1’s stock is rising. The model has been highlighted by Hagerty, a provider of specialty insurance for classic vehicles, as one of this year’s 11 “Bull Market” vehicles, i.e. models that are climbing the value ranks.
“With the new EV Hummer selling for mega bucks, enthusiasts are seeking out excellent examples of the original mega truck,” Hagerty writes, noting that the H1 is the only 2023 Bull Market vehicle with “big steel loops coming out of the hood, left over from where the military attached a parachute so they could launch Humvees out of the back of C-130s.”
“Gen Xers (the biggest fans of collectible SUVs) own over half of all H1s protected by Hagerty, but millennial ownership is up since 2020, to almost a third. Meanwhile, appreciation since 2019 has lagged, with an increase of only 9.9 percent. All of which points to faster appreciation for the H1,” Hagerty concludes.
The Hummer on-offer at RM Sotheby’s also happens to be a 2006 Hummer H1 Alpha. This “holy grail” H1 got the best powertrain in the H1’s 14-year production history, a 6.6-liter Duramax diesel that sent 300 horsepower and 520 pound-feet of torque to a five-speed Allison transmission.
Not to mention, this particular Hummer H1 Alpha has been bolstered with lightweight armor in the engine and bodywork, two-inch thick bulletproof windows, “horn” and “siren” settings on the console, lockable deadbolts in the doors, and handles with a “shock” setting.
Aside from the armoring, this kingly SUV is also equipped with a Delphi XM satellite radio, Federal CB radio, DVD/CD player with dashboard Kenwood display screen, overhead continuous interior recording, and roof rack with TracVision satellite receiver, LED light bars, a full brush guard, an XRC winch, Predator Inc. rock rails, and massive, military-style, run-flat, 40-inch tires wrapped around Predator wheels.
Actual mileage is unknown, but it’s at least 9,088 miles based on a 2011 odometer change. This bulletproof 2006 Hummer H1 Alpha sold for $196,000 in January 2024.