Arnold Schwarzenegger loves cars and, over the decades, has owned many rare ones. However, in 1990 the seven-time Mr. Olympia fell in love with the famous U.S. military SUV, the Humvee. The bodybuilding legend loved the car so much that he contacted AM General and convinced them to make a civilian version. In 1992, the military Humvee graced the market with its civilian garb as the Hummer. The car became an instant hit with celebrities and SUV lovers, including many bodybuilders.
Australian bodybuilding icon Lee Priest got his hands on the diesel version of the car. However, when the bodybuilding pros once met, Schwarzenegger offered Priest to take his turbo diesel version for a drive. While the Australian was initially reluctant, he reconsidered the offer but ultimately got upset.
Arnold Schwarzenegger had something special in his car
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While appearing on Dave Palumbo’s YouTube channel, the 50-year-old revealed meeting with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 90s, shortly after the Hummer launched. “I had Hammer just like his,” said the bodybuilder. However, while they had the same car, Schwarzenegger turned up in his more powerful turbo-diesel Hummer. “Lee you want to take it for a drive?” asked Arnie.
Priest said he didn’t want to drive Arnie’s car because they had the same one. However, after the former Mr. Olympia insisted, Priest agreed. “So I did,” Priest told the host that he took the offer but regretted it immediately. Arnie’s Hummer was also a diesel but had a turbo fitted to it. So when Preist took it for a drive, it performed much better than his base diesel version.
“I come back and say f**ing a**ole, now it’s much better, the performance,” he told the seven-time Mr. Olympia. In fact, he loved the turbo-diesel version of the Hummer so much, Priest bought one. “I said to him did you get commission on my f***ing sale,” he told the bodybuilding legend who helped make the Hummer a reality. However, despite being unique, the Hummer was a gas-guzzling giant, and when Schwarzenegger became environmentally conscious, he bought the car for the modern era.
Transporting a forgotten relic to the modern day
While the Hummer became popular with a section of car buyers, it didn’t sell in massive numbers. After gas prices skyrocketed, the massive SUV became even more impractical to own. So the manufacturers killed it. However, with the advent of electric cars, Hummer got a new lease on life. Now it’s back as an electric car.
However, just like in 1992, Arnold Schwarzenegger led the way when it came to the Hummer EV. The new Hummer EV looks different than the classic one, but Arnie was the first person to own an electric Hummer. The bodybuilding icon converted his red Hummer into an electric one, showing that it was possible to make the gas-guzzling behemoth environment-friendly.
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Watch this story | From Tesla Roadster to Hummer – Here Are Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Most Prized Possessions
What did you feel about Lee Priest’s Hummer story? Did you like the original SUV? Let us know in the comments.
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