This story doesn’t begin in Chevrolet’s design studio, but at the North American International Auto Show in January 1999. There, the Chrysler PT Cruiser was proudly displayed. Without that retro car, the Chevrolet HHR would never have existed.
The Chrysler PT Cruiser is a clever cross between a station wagon and an MPV, with a striking retro flair. Especially baby boomers, then around fifty, massively fell for the PT Cruiser’s appearance, inspired by the hot rods they knew from their youth in the 1950s. Designer Bryan Nesbitt instantly became the rising star of the automotive industry. While PT Cruisers were selling like hotcakes, the sound of grinding teeth could be heard in the glass towers of the General Motors Renaissance Center. General Motors had a similar car in its showrooms. However, the Pontiac Aztek was not a nostalgic retro model, but a futuristic recreational vehicle that most resembled an American Fiat Multipla. Most Americans found it hidden and avoided it.
Designer bought out from Chrysler
The General didn’t let it slide and decided to launch an attack with its own version of the PT Cruiser. The concern took no half measures: it not only copied the PT Cruiser’s concept but also immediately bought designer Bryan Nesbitt from Chrysler for good measure. He worked his magic, and in January 2005, GM presented the result: the Chevrolet HHR. The HHR precisely followed the PT Cruiser’s recipe: a practical, affordable station wagon, topped with a generous dose of retro flair. Of course, Chevrolet vehemently denied that the HHR was a direct consequence of the successful PT Cruiser. According to Chevrolet, the HHR, with its convenient flat load floor and practical storage options, was a ‘modern evolution of the 1947 Chevrolet Suburban’.
Five years later, but HHR performs quite well
Copy or not, the HHR proved to be a lucrative venture for Chevrolet. Despite the car only hitting the market five years after the PT Cruiser and the retro wave having somewhat subsidized, it performed well. General Motors sold over half a million units between 2006 and 2011. That’s half the number of PT Cruisers, but the Chrysler was on price lists for ten years, the HHR for only six. It didn’t win any beauty contests, but in the case of the Chevrolet HHR, one thing is clear: better well-stolen than poorly conceived!
Show Debut in 2005
The Chevrolet HHR made its debut at the LA Auto Show in January 2005. It was available with two engines and in four trim levels. In 2007, Chevrolet introduced a panel van variant with a closed rear, followed by a fast SS version with 260 hp in 2008. Production ceased in May 2011.
Taste is personal, but the Chevrolet HHR appears somewhat more balanced than the Chrysler PT Cruiser. The car was available in the Netherlands between 2008 and 2011, but it wasn’t a great success. The tally remained at 189 units. Interestingly, Chrysler sold only 145 PT Cruisers in the Netherlands during the same period.
Bryan Nesbitt did not regret his move to General Motors. He continued to work there for the rest of his career and was appointed global Head of Design for the entire General Motors corporation in August 2025.