2010 HHR SS Panel

[K.C.]

Saw on the ordering guide that the HHR Panel SS is discontinued.

[Daryl Z71]

Hmmm wonder why they did that?

[hyperv6]

Hmmm wonder why they did that?

This is just one of many step GM is doing to cut slow selling and very low volume options. They are cutting the combination of options to save cost just as Honda and Toyota have done for years.

The Panel sold in hundreds and not much more so the point of making them becomes a little impractical.

On the SS they have cut the two tone interiors and even the roof rack options.

If you look at the GM order guide most all models are getting option cuts somewhere.

The HHR SS sold under 5K units and even less in 09 with the slow market.

I see in the future we will have to buy are GM cars much like the import as they are built with set option packages.

[Daryl Z71]

This is just one of many step GM is doing to cut slow selling and very low volume options. They are cutting the combination of options to save cost just as Honda and Toyota have done for years.

The Panel sold in hundreds and not much more so the point of making them becomes a little impractical.

On the SS they have cut the two tone interiors and even the roof rack options.

If you look at the GM order guide most all models are getting option cuts somewhere.

The HHR SS sold under 5K units and even less in 09 with the slow market.

I see in the future we will have to buy are GM cars much like the import as they are built with set option packages.

Yea if you think about it it does make sense.

[A Horse With No Name]

Still sad to see it go, along with the 'balt SS.

Chris

[hyperv6]

Still sad to see it go, along with the 'balt SS.

Chris

I hate to see them go too but also GM needs to do better as these are to the point I don't want to see either become another Impala W body. Around too long way over due for replacment.

I am sure we will get better faster fun cars soon enough from Chevy in the future.

Edited May 13, 2009 by hyperv6

[Daryl Z71]

Still sad to see it go, along with the 'balt SS.

Chris

Is the Cobalt SS being killed off too? Not to bad though at least the Camaro is around to pick up the performance category.

[FAPTurbo]

I have a weird feeling that the Kia Amanti sold in higher numbers than the HHR SS Panel.

But I do see a lot of non-SS panel HHR's with business graphics, and they look really cool.

[Camino LS6]

Anyone ever see an ad for an HHR - SS, Panel, or otherwise?

I never have.

[Satty]

They did a lot of print and TV ads for the HHR when it first came out. I saw a few ads in magazines when the SS came out, but nothing recently. The nearest deler to me usually had a few HHR SS Panels out front, but when I drove by the other day they had none.

[Casket Demon]

I've seen a Red HHRSS Panel down here in South Jersey.

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

Anyone ever see an ad for an HHR - SS, Panel, or otherwise?

I never have.

Ding, ding... We have a winner!!!

[hyperv6]

The lack of marketing for the HHR SS is amazing.

I drive mine around and have many people tell me they like what I did to mine. Then I tell them it is a stock SS they are like they Chevy makes a SS? I then say yes and it has a Turbo on it. Then I get the dumb founded look. Then when I tell them the HP and top speed they are like you are kidding me. and I then say no!

The plain fact is GM sold less than 5,000 SS in 08 and less in 09. the number of panels may be less than 500 built and under 750 if you inclue the half panels. I may even be over estimating this.

The regular panels are selling up a storm and I see them everywhere. Many in my are use them for delivery and even a plumbing contrator has a fleet of them.

Either way the SS is a rare sight for many as on the HHR site few with a SS have ever seen another in many parts of the country. They are very popular in So Cal and FL. I just ran tandam with a black one identical to mine on the interstate the other day. It was odd to see another one like mine. Most time I see others they are red or the silver one of the guy I work with.

Chevys marketing has all gone to the Malibu and this year to the Camaro. Soon it will pass to the Cruze and Volt. Chevy seems to only have enough money top support marketing on one vehicle at a time.

Even the Cobalt SS marketing is rare. This is also a unknow to many out side a few road test readers in a couple magazines.

It is a shame GM has built two of the best perfromance bargins and most well tuned FWD perfromance cars they have made and fail to tell anyone.

Edited May 14, 2009 by hyperv6

[Camino LS6]

The lack of marketing for the HHR SS is amazing.

I drive mine around and have many people tell me they like what I did to mine. Then I tell them it is a stock SS they are like they Chevy makes a SS? I then say yes and it has a Turbo on it. Then I get the dumb founded look. Then when I tell them the HP and top speed they are like you are kidding me. and I then say no!

The plain fact is GM sold less than 5,000 SS in 08 and less in 09. the number of panels may be less than 500 built and under 750 if you inclue the half panels. I may even be over estimating this.

The regular panels are selling up a storm and I see them everywhere. Many in my are use them for delivery and even a plumbing contrator has a fleet of them.

Either way the SS is a rare sight for many as on the HHR site few with a SS have ever seen another in many parts of the country. They are very popular in So Cal and FL. I just ran tandam with a black one identical to mine on the interstate the other day. It was odd to see another one like mine. Most time I see others they are red or the silver one of the guy I work with.

Chevys marketing has all gone to the Malibu and this year to the Camaro. Soon it will pass to the Cruze and Volt. Chevy seems to only have enough money top support marketing on one vehicle at a time.

Even the Cobalt SS marketing is rare. This is also a unknow to many out side a few road test readers in a couple magazines.

It is a shame GM has built two of the best perfromance bargins and most well tuned FWD perfromance cars they have made and fail to tell anyone.

And that's what they should be forced to fix, not just the things they have been concentrating on.

Were I on the Autos Task Force, that is the sort of thing I'd be demanding.

GM's PR, marketing, web presence, and general promotion just flat stinks!

Edited May 14, 2009 by Camino LS6

[A Horse With No Name]

The lack of marketing for the HHR SS is amazing.

Chevy seems to only have enough money top support marketing on one vehicle at a time.

Even the Cobalt SS marketing is rare. This is also a unknow to many out side a few road test readers in a couple magazines.

It is a shame GM has built two of the best perfromance bargins and most well tuned FWD perfromance cars they have made and fail to tell anyone.

They are following what they did for the 4th gen Camaro and Firebird, since it worked so damn well before.

Will GM ever learn from its mistakes?

Chris

[hyperv6]

Guys the problem is the fact Chevy did not have enough money to market all the cars right and only enough to do one at a time right.

The reason the 4th gen F body has no marketing and a cheap interior is Chevy spent all the money on the suspension and engne. Scott has stated that in the past.

The budget did not let them so all they wanted to do. GM has been short money since the 70's and it has shown if you just look at how they have done things so long only as good as they had to in some areas.

The fast they had so many divisions, so many cars and a falling market share left little money to do it all right.

I know some will cry we need all the brands and models but the fact GM can't support them properly is a sign something had to go. You can sell 6 divisions and 80 plus models half ass or you can cust it down and design, build, market and sell the best cars you can properly.

GM is no different than myself. I can afford to own and restore a classic GTO and make it a show winner. Or I could own a bunch of unrestored GTO's that are nice but not the class of the field. I can not afford to restore them all nor care or store them properly they would suffer for it.

GM is just now getting down to where they may be a manageable company and really make better cars and afford to tell people about them.

Just look at how Chevy promoted things back in the 60's When they came out with a new model year they promoted all the cars not just a chosen few. I still love to look at some of the old marketing where they would promote all models form Corvair to Corvette in a magazine layout.

I hope in the future cars like the HHR and Cobalt SS will not be forgotten and untold to the American public. It is a crime that I get gear heads that look at my HHR SS in disbelief that it is a factory Chevy.

[Camino LS6]

It's not just an issue of quantity with the marketing, the quality is terrible as well.

Also, the time to dump the junk was back in the 70s as well. They didn't need a Vega and an Astre...

Bad management - even back then.

Edited May 15, 2009 by Camino LS6

[A Horse With No Name]

Bad management - even back then.

+1

Chris

[Robert Hall]

Also, the time to dump the junk was back in the 70s as well. They didn't need a Vega and an Astre...

Bad management - even back then.

Probably the same reason they had a Cavalier and a Sunbird/Sunfire, a Cobalt and a G5...the Pontiac dealers demanded it..

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

The lack of marketing for the HHR SS is amazing.

I drive mine around and have many people tell me they like what I did to mine. Then I tell them it is a stock SS they are like they Chevy makes a SS? I then say yes and it has a Turbo on it. Then I get the dumb founded look. Then when I tell them the HP and top speed they are like you are kidding me. and I then say no!

The plain fact is GM sold less than 5,000 SS in 08 and less in 09. the number of panels may be less than 500 built and under 750 if you inclue the half panels. I may even be over estimating this.

The regular panels are selling up a storm and I see them everywhere. Many in my are use them for delivery and even a plumbing contrator has a fleet of them.

Either way the SS is a rare sight for many as on the HHR site few with a SS have ever seen another in many parts of the country. They are very popular in So Cal and FL. I just ran tandam with a black one identical to mine on the interstate the other day. It was odd to see another one like mine. Most time I see others they are red or the silver one of the guy I work with.

Chevys marketing has all gone to the Malibu and this year to the Camaro. Soon it will pass to the Cruze and Volt. Chevy seems to only have enough money top support marketing on one vehicle at a time.

Even the Cobalt SS marketing is rare. This is also a unknow to many out side a few road test readers in a couple magazines.

It is a shame GM has built two of the best perfromance bargins and most well tuned FWD perfromance cars they have made and fail to tell anyone.

Ya know... It'd be nice if GM had some sort of DIVISION for products like this that cater to specific niches like the one you describe. Oh, wait, nevermind

As far as the Panel SS, I have yet to even see one on a dealer lot. GM needs to realize that it must promote it's products if it intends to sell them. And unless it realizes that, we'll be waiving bye-bye to more and more of the corporation/empire as time goes on.

[Robert Hall]

Ya know... It'd be nice if GM had some sort of DIVISION for products like this that cater to specific niches like the one you describe. Oh, wait, nevermind

As far as the Panel SS, I have yet to even see one on a dealer lot. GM needs to realize that it must promote it's products if it intends to sell them. And unless it realizes that, we'll be waiving bye-bye to more and more of the corporation/empire as time goes on.

I've seen a couple on the road, a black one and an orange one..they are actually rather cool looking, IMHO.

[A Horse With No Name]

Very cool, actually.

If work was more steady I would own one, but the economy has me down at the moment.

Chris

[hyperv6]

Ya know... It'd be nice if GM had some sort of DIVISION for products like this that cater to specific niches like the one you describe. Oh, wait, nevermind

As far as the Panel SS, I have yet to even see one on a dealer lot. GM needs to realize that it must promote it's products if it intends to sell them. And unless it realizes that, we'll be waiving bye-bye to more and more of the corporation/empire as time goes on.

GM needs to worry more about building and marketing high volume profitable cars and not dwell on low volume low profit deals.

The HHR SS panel is nice but it has a very small audience. You can not tow with it. It is a little expensive for a 2 seater that is not a sports car.

The panel dose well with small fleets and businesses and small companies. They are efficent and very affordable in the non SS form.

The bottom line is 98% sold are window versions and the time and effort to build the SS panel is just not worth the extra cost time and effort for as few as are sold. It is nice if they would offer it but at this time GM has more important things to worry about like getting the Cruze right for the American market. Form what I read it could use the 2.0 Turbo to make it right.