Chevy HHR Wikipedia page:
The vehicle's design was inspired by the mid-1940s Chevrolet cars and trucks, specifically the 1947 Chevrolet Suburban and Advance Design pickups, with large, square fender flares and a hemispherical grille. The design of the HHR has been credited to Bryan Nesbitt who was a former designer at Chrysler where he was the lead designer of the Chrysler PT Cruiser. Nesbitt was recruited by GM to join its design staff and served for a time as the chief designer of the Chevrolet brand.
PT Cruiser Wikiepedia page:The vehicle's design was inspired by the mid-1940s Chevrolet cars and trucks, specifically the 1947 Chevrolet Suburban and Advance Design pickups, with large, square fender flares and a hemispherical grille. The design of the HHR has been credited to Bryan Nesbitt who was a former designer at Chrysler where he was the lead designer of the Chrysler PT Cruiser. Nesbitt was recruited by GM to join its design staff and served for a time as the chief designer of the Chevrolet brand.
The Chrysler PT Cruiser is a retro styled compact automobile launched by Chrysler as a 5-door hatchback in early 2000 (for the 2001 model year)
Originally conceived as a Plymouth model, the PT Cruiser received the Chrysler nameplate on introduction in anticipation of the 2001 discontinuation of the Plymouth brand. The PT Cruiser was designed by Bryan Nesbitt, who later also styled the Chevrolet HHR.
The name "PT Cruiser" includes the initialism PT, standing for "Personal Transport" and designating the car's platform as well as production code. Intended to evoke an old gangster getaway car or a street rod based on a 1930s car, the 2000 PT Cruiser grew out of a collaboration among Robert A. Lutz, who was an executive at Chrysler at the time, Bryan Nesbitt, a designer, as well as Dr. Clotaire Rapaille
In 2001 Car and Driver acknowledged the PT Cruiser on its Ten Best list and the PT Cruiser also won the North American Car of the Year.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_PT_Cruiser
This Nesbitt guy is, obviously, a one trick pony.
ReplyDelete(We still own a 2001 PT Cruiser with only 80,000 miles. It has a VERY impressive layout...just well thought out.)
I remember seeing the HHR for the first time. It was on display at a NASCAR race in Richmond, Virginia. I honestly thought it was a NEW PT Cruiser.