.... An HHR with the rear trim above the tag/plate was painted body color on my way to work today. All the others I've seen have been chrome or silver, was it an option package to get them painted body color or did they start that on the later models?

 

SS's have color matched beauty bars (look at my avatar ).

 

Not just SS's. The one on my 1LT is body color. I think LS's were silver, and 1/2LT's without the chrome package where body color.

 

Thanks, I was aware the SS models were painted to match, but had never noticed any other models with them painted.

 

I did a search here. Glanced thru several threads about it. Seemed to be something around 2008 where the color matched bars came out.
Not really sure which trim/option got these. I didn't read that far.

 

Great, I'll do a search and read up on, I enjoy knowing things like this about the different models and options offered.

 

Both my 2008 & 2011 LTs are body color as well as the mirrors.

Both were rentals in a previous life.

 

Think I heard that for sure the last model year for HHR was body color, and LS was silver, 1LT could have been silver, or chrome, depending on the package selected, and 2LT was Chrome.

 

My 1lt Panel has body colered trim. I like it that way. Not a big chrome guy myself.

 

Should be the same as the door handles
06-07 base models had silver, chrome was optional
starting in 08 base model ls like mine had body color, chrome optional, ss is body color
there were some special edition that had black chrome