Overclocker

LANSING, Michigan — Chevrolet's gorgeous but ill-starred SSR pickup/roadster has reached the end of the line.

The last 2006 SSR rolled out of the General Motors Craft Centre here on Friday, March 17. During its brief three-year production run, GM built fewer than 25,000 SSRs, including just 789 units this year.

The SSR was plagued by issues throughout its short lifespan, including quality problems, too much weight, not enough power and a breathtaking sticker price. The bottom line was dismal sales, resulting in mountains of unsold vehicles that stacked up on dealer lots.

Despite numerous tweaks in performance and price, Chevrolet never did quite get the formula right. It replaced the anemic 5.3-liter V8 with a 395-horsepower 6.0-liter unit from the Corvette, added a six-speed manual transmission and, finally, dropped the MSRP from $43,180 to $39,890. Those changes barely moved the needle.

As demand remained flat, production plunged from 16,000 units in 2004 to 3,250 in 2005. Chevy sold 8,000 SSRs last year, but many of those were leftovers from the previous year.

Automotive News, the trade journal, reported that as of March 1, there were still an estimated 2,500 SSRs left in Chevy showrooms. GM is offering $1,000 rebates on the truck, and anxious dealers are shaving even more off the stickers, hoping to move their remaining units.

What this means to you: Another collectible. But this one came at a bad, bad time for GM.

Source: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...cleId=109703#2

BTW, the GM plant that made these, the Lansing Craft Center, is in my home town. Oh GM, what are we going to do with you...

Lil4X

SSR, we hardly knew ye. A styling coup that presaged the retro '40's panel truck looks that now appear in everything from the Suburban to the Malibu, this lovely litle roadster had greatness slathered all over it. Sadly, it died of neglect.

Chevy was too quick to bring this attractive little package to market, and too slow to develop it. They finally got an engine and transmission package that could deliver on the promise of the little street rod, but, alas, the MSRP was still way out of line with the segment. Chrysler proved the factory hot-rod price point was well under $40K with the similarly ill-fated Prowler several years ago. The retractable roof was cool, but it required a lot of reinforcement - and a lot of wallet. A simpler coupe or roadster would have done much better - by lightening and simplifying the package dramatically and knocking thousands off the price tag.

If someone could build a factory street rod with a respectable quarter-mile capability starting somewhere just north of $32K, with options and plenty of aftermarket infrastructure already in place (cough)smallblockchevy(cough), they'd sell every one they could paint.

LexFather

SSR was just another dumb move. I mean who wants a damn useless convertible truck with a Chevy badge for 44k?!?!?

THey invested in this but not in a new Camaro? or a new firebird?

papachino

I agree, it shouldn't of replaced the camaro, the camaro was around for too long and had a lot of folowers of its kind. And they replaced it with a truck that was slower and impractical. They should've atleast kept the camaro and sold the SSR with further developing thought along with it. Now what is there to replace this to save GM? Atleast the HHR's look pretty cool, but they don't perform as well as the Cruisers.

adidosc

i don't mind seeing it go, i didn't like the thing from day one.

GFerg

LOL...Peace out!!

The only cool thing about it was the commercials with the kid cursing and their parents putting a bar of soap in their mouths.

mmarshall

Although I'm not one of those who believes it was underpowered with the 5.3 V8 ( that engine has plenty of power even for a vehicle this size, and IMO the 6.0 was unnecessary ) , I'm pretty much with 1SICK here on the other issues. Like he says, was useless in several ways. First, it was built on a converted truck-based Chevy Trailblazer body-on-frame platform which severly compromised its ride, handling, and steering and raised its center of gravity. Second, it was essentially a two-seater truck that had almost no carrying ability at all....the convertible top, while fun on a nice day, took up most of what room was available behind the seats. Third, it used a lot of gas ( partly due to its truck design and V8 engine ) in a time of high gas prices. Fourth, the interior quality, like many GM products, was distressingly stark and cheap and made out of poor materials. Fifth ( and perhaps most important ) it was clearly overpriced. GM overhyped this vehicle when it was first introduced and got people in Hollywood to buy up the first couple of dozen or so.....but the public as a whole was simply not very interested in it. GM tried to present it as a glamour vehicle.......but the public saw through it and recognized it for what it really was.

rai

It tells me these type of cars are sold more for uniquness than for how they compare to a real world car/truck.

What I mean is they probably sold OK at first when some people wanted to be the first. But after those few who ever wanted them got theirs, there was not much demand. In other words there was not a huge group of people waiting for the 6.0L and 6-speed.

And to be honest it's sitting next to a C6 vette for near the same price. That's not a hard decision. Which would 99% of people rather have?

All in all it was not a car that many people were going to buy. Like the Prowler or the Blackwood.

I think Chrysler is learning the same thing with the Crossfire. It probably sold OK at first, but there are better cars (350Z or Corvette) out there in this price range.

Trexus

Sad to see it go but we must move on. May the SSR Rest In Peace. Toyota Tacoma anyone?

On a serious note I think we will see a lot of GM cars come and go. GM doesn't have the same style as Toyota where Toyota will improve on existing vehicles to make them appeal and be better for the public. Toyota on the other hand doesn't build low volume unique cars or trucks either. Anyway I would never purchase a Chevrolet SSR.

mmarshall

MR2?
IS300 SportCross?
Land Cruiser / LX470?

Trexus

I agree...
FJ Cruiser
GT 450/500 (Lexus LF-A)
Supra
Century

Lexmex

I remember when it first came out, the first thing I looked at to see is they Chevy did not pull a first edition PT Cruiser and offer an underpowered vehicle. Granted, the vehicle is for the price underpowered.

What GM needs to do when they come out with these models (Solstice is another underpowed wonder) is check it against the competition. I get the sense the market research on this was not directed the beyond-the-impulse-purchase buying group. Did they even consider forced induction?

That HHR also needs beefing up. Kids at my track who sometimes beat and sometimes lose against my RX, commented to me that they beat an HHR and I asked them to look under the hood.

mmarshall

Why do you say the original SSR was underpowered? Granted, the 5.3 packs less of a punch than the 6.0, but it clearly is no slouch, even in a truck like the SSR.
Same with the Solstice. 177 HP doesn't sound like much, but it is a small, light car without much performance-robbing weight.

rai

The 5.3L SSR weighs 4700 lbs and did 0-60 in about 7.0s and 1/4 mile 15.4s@89mph. That's kind of slow for $45K.

For example a Corvette costs about the same and is ~3 sec and 23 mph quicker in the 1/4 mile.

I know the SSR is a truck, but it can't tow and seats just 2 so it's not especially more useful than a corvette.

Lexmex

You hit it on the head...that weight. My RX300 weighs 800 pounds less stock. At my track in Mexico at that altitude, it would do no better than about 17.0 and I have done a personal best of 17.9 and I don't have that SSR displacement nor that hp.

Solstice is a great looking vehicle, but they need to bump it up and they could wind up with niche car to rival the SRT-4 and get even better looks. There are non turbocharged Neons at my track that beat these things.