Originally, AM General was a heavily industries section of American Motors. It became an independent company within 1982 whilst AMC wanted to sell controlling interest of itself to Renault. Government regulations forbade ownership of defense contractors by foreign governments, & Renault was partly owned per French government.

AM General produced buses, big trucks, & landrover for industrial, military machine, & government apply. In a late 1970s, it developed the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (Humm-Vee) for military use as a strong-duty replacement for the landrover. a vehicle late became available inside a civilian version sold under the Hummer brand name. A second familiar product from either a AM General line was a DJ-5 series—a government version of the Jeep CJ-5—used in vast figures as a best-hand cause vehicle per United States Postal Service.

AM General, world health organization remains an independent company & government & military contractor, sold a rights to the Hummer title to General Motors in 1999 but continues to build a vehicles for Gramme. Gramme was sued early around 2003 by DaimlerChrysler, then owners of the Jeep brand, for the Hummer's resemblance to the Jeep.

In August 20, 2004, it was announced that Ronald Perelman's MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings company would form a joint venture with AM General's current owner, Renco Group, to give Perelman 70% ownership of AM General. A treat reportedly dollars and cents or so Me$1,000,000,000.