As a few of our recent posts have mentioned, many GM cars of the 1980s and ‘90s were subpar, but Chevy’s slogan at the time absolutely slapped. In that time period, Chevrolet was “The Heartbeat of America,” complete with retro scripts and designs that only could have come from the glorious ‘80s. My love for the slogan and design began after my dear friend gave me a vintage white corduroy Heartbeat of America rope hat complete with teal and red embroidery. More recently, I learned Chevy still sells new merch with this iconic slogan, and it’s awesome.
Chevrolet’s merch site is still full of cringey clothes for the stereotypical Corvette owners who wear New Balance shoes with hiked-up white tube socks and a Corvette tee tucked into their khaki cargo shorts, but the discerning eye can pick out the cringe from the cool. If you want a laugh, scroll through the other merch categories, especially the Let’s Go Racing collection, to find the best cringey Corvette owner merch. But if you want some actually cool, retro car merch, head to the Heartbeat of America collection.
If you want to go full boomer spec, may I recommend the satin jacket which could either belong on a hype beast or on a grumpy grandpa at a car meet – yes I ordered one for my father, and yes he can sometimes be the latter. Aside from the satin jacket, the hats are all pretty sweet, but I especially like the white and navy blue baseball hat that has debossed stars on the brim, another item that could sway from swagged-out Gen-Z kid to a boomer’s convincing combover coverup.
More carmakers would benefit from embracing their retro history in the form of throwback merch collections, and despite being pricier than a Target hoodie or AmazonBasics hat, these reproductions are significantly more accessible than sourcing quality original pieces from eBay or Depop. If the thrill of the chase is more your vibe then go for those vintage items, but if you’re looking for some cool new automotive merch that give a tasteful nod to the past, Chevy’s currently got you covered.
