Rather than a trip to the scrap heap, the HMMWVs will see their first public auction for the iconic military vehicle.
25 HMMWVS that went into service in the 1980s and 1990s will find their way to auction courtesy of IronPlanet and its GovPlanet.com online marketplace. There exists the potential for an additional 4,000 more of the vehicles to be auctioned off in the coming months though they are presently under review and government agencies have first right of refusal before the find their way to the auction block.
The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) has until now was simply disposing of the vehicles rather than putting them up for sale. For their part the agency will receive 75.29% of the sale price at auction.
Military humvees not meant for the street…yet.
While the vehicles aren’t street legal, successful buyers could undertake modifications to make them so in a number of states.
It’s believed that the primary interest in the vehicles will be for off-road enthusiasts and collectors of trucks or military vehicles.
“The Hummer and the HMMWV are iconic, and highly coveted by off-road enthusiasts. Like many military vehicles, they are very capable and designed for specific purposes,” says Dave Breggin, president of The Hummer Club. “The release of working HMMWVs is likely to stimulate interest in Hummers, and also increase third-party interest in offering parts and accessories for both vehicle types.”
Military humvees: Old and demilitarized
The military humvees or HMMWVS have had a number of had dozens of models over the years. The first batch to arrive at auction will the either M998, M998A1, M1038 or M1038A1 models. The vehicles have been completely stripped of their armor as well as gun mounts essentially leaving them wholly demilitarized.
Nearly all the vehicles to be auctioned are housed at Hill Air Force Base in Utah and successful bidders are expected to pick them up there and pay the full cost of transferring them elsewhere.
The auction went live Wednesday morning but bids continue to be accepted on the website.
