You can’t relive the past, but you can buy pieces of it. If you were a kid who thought the Hummer H1 was the coolest vehicle on the planet in the mid-2000s or you had one and regret selling it, be sure to register to bid at the Barrett-Jackson 2025 Scottsdale Fall Auction. That’s where you can win one of the ultimate H1s: a one-year-only 2006 Hummer H1 Alpha Open-Top Custom.
Several years after purchasing the Hummer brand from AM General, General Motors announced that the 2006 H1 would receive its new Alpha treatment, a series of upgrades designed to maximize performance. One of the most significant modifications was swapping out the previous Optimizer engine for GM’s Duramax 6.6-liter turbo-diesel V8, which cranked out 300 horsepower at 3,000 rpm (a 46-percent increase) and 520 lb-ft of torque at 1,500 rpm (up 18 percent). GM channeled that grunt through an Allison M74 1000-series five-speed automatic transmission and full-time four-wheel drive.
Those major switches not only dropped the H1 Alpha’s 0-60 mph by three ticks to 13.5 seconds, but they also added to its towing capabilities: the Gross Combined Weight Rating went up an entire ton to 17,300 pounds. Hummer paired the Duramax’s higher fuel economy with an extra 9.5 gallons of fuel tank capacity (for a whopping 51.5 gallons), boosting the H1 Alpha’s potential driving range from 400 to an estimated 570 miles.
Installing the Duramax required Hummer to raise the H1 Alpha’s aluminum body by two inches, putting more space between it and the rugged terrain it was made to traverse. A larger set of 12-inch hydroboost power disc brakes brought the Alpha to a stop no matter where it went. The H1’s trick portal axles were equipped with beefed-up half-shafts; new helical-cut gears helped them engage more easily and quietly.
This particular Bright White H1 Alpha Open-Top Custom is even more capable thanks to the optional Adventure Package. This added a 12,000-pound front winch, front and rear Eaton electronic locking differentials, and 17-inch wheels with dual beadlocks to keep the 37-inch Goodyear Wrangler MT/Rs in place.
Aftermarket side steps assist entry into the cabin, which features black leather seating for four, heated front seats, power everything, cruise control, front and rear air conditioning, and switches for the Central Tire Inflation System. A Pioneer touchscreen infotainment system with aftermarket speakers and dual Alpine headrest screens also has been installed. Listening to the sounds of nature instead of the radio is as easy as removing the black soft top and stuffing it under the bed’s tonneau cover.
Sadly, the 2006 model year was the first and last for the Hummer H1 Alpha—and the end of the civilian version of the H1 as a whole. The good news is that you can get this 2006 Hummer H1 Alpha Open-Top Custom when it crosses the block at the Barrett-Jackson 2025 Scottsdale Fall Auction, running October 15-18.
Register to bid at the Barrett-Jackson 2025 Scottsdale Fall Auction—choose your various options here.
