GM Builds Last Chevrolet SSR

[Variance]

End of the Line: GM Builds Last Chevrolet SSR

Date posted: 03-21-2006

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.

Link: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=109703

[!!!TED!!!]

Big time collectible!

Goodbye SSR.

[scharmer05]

[caddycruiser]

Ahh...no one will miss it, and the ones that are around will at least be more collectible now.

I saw a yellow one the other day at a stop sign, and it really was stunning, but "they never did really get the formula right" is dead on.

Too heavy, too expensive, too slow (at first), etc., etc. Good riddens, and RIP

[Imaj]

Hopefully the next time we'll get an ElCamino or a Cyclone!

[cavalier36]

I knew from the start no one would pay $43,000 for a S10 with a V8, that weighed 3 tons. when they announced the sticker i was like thats about 10K too much..

then when it first came out you had greedy dealers adding thier "market adjustment" to make it even worse.. you could get a corvette for the same price.. and for the same development cost we could probably had a new Camaro..

Edited March 21, 2006 by cavalier36

[Camino LS6]

I knew from the start no one would pay $43,000 for a S10 with a V8, that weighed 3 tons.  when they announced the sticker i was like thats about 10K too much..

then when it first came out you had greedy dealers adding thier "market adjustment"  to make it even worse.. you could get a corvette for the same price.. and for the same development cost we could probably had a new Camaro..

Your Camaro comment is very wrong - not even close. Even if it were, there were other reasons why a Camaro could not have happened at the time the SSR was done. The two have nothing to do with each other.

[Sixty8panther]

I'll always resent the SSR. It was the solution to the hole left in Chevys lineup from the Camaro.... yet was even MORE expensive than the "slow selling" Camaro/Firebird. WTF?

After hearing an executive say that the SSR would fill the performance car void the F-body would leave I have always thought of this truck as kind of a joke. It's not a bad product but Chevy needed it like a hole in their head.

[Camino LS6]

I'll always resent the SSR. It was the solution to the hole left in Chevys lineup from the Camaro.... yet was even MORE expensive than the "slow selling" Camaro/Firebird. WTF?

After hearing an executive say that the SSR would fill the performance car void the F-body would leave I have always thought of this truck as kind of a joke. It's not a bad product but Chevy needed it like a hole in their head.

You're way off my friend, SSR was never intended to be an F-car replacement. No need to hate one of the most unique vehicles GM has ever done on that account. I bought my F-body instead of the SSR I was considering for a few reasons.

Price, auto only at intro., not enough power at intro., and some other things. I know I made the right decision, but would have ended up with a collectible either way. The SSR was planned from the start for a 3year run as a niche product - it did its job.

[caddycruiser]

You're way off my friend, SSR was never intended to be an F-car replacement. No need to hate one of the most unique vehicles GM has ever done on that account. I bought my F-body instead of the SSR I was considering for a few reasons.

Price, auto only at intro., not enough power at intro., and some other things. I know I made the right decision, but would have ended up with a collectible either way. The SSR was planned from the start for a 3year run as a niche product - it did its job.

How come that was actually said so much back when it was intro'd back then? Pull out any article, and you'll see that it was said how there would never be another Camaro or Firebird, and one of the SSR's missions was to help fill that gap. Always thouhgt it was odd, but it WAS said several times.

Either way, it doesn't matter, and there's still so many leftover new examples sitting on lots (even '03s, despite some dealers cutting the price almost in half). and that's never a good thing for a company with so many problems. Cool truck, but money needs to be spent in much better places from now on.

Edited March 21, 2006 by caddycruiser

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

Good grief...

I wish I could get one SOOO bad!!!

(Nudges Camino) "Can I borrow $30K?"

[vetteb_96]

Somewhere somebody should have an SSR and a Lincoln Blackwood in a museum - automotive disasters!

[Camino LS6]

You can nudge all you want,FOG - that well is dry.

The press latched onto an exec's careless comment about the SSR "helping to fill the gap left by Camaro" or some such foolishness and ran with it. Unfortunately, this hit the internet and became the perceived truth - falsely. Too bad, as SSR didn't need that negativity in addition to its other handicaps. The SSR was planned as a 3 year only niche product (we actually got a bonus with the '06 or the '03 depending on how you look at it). It was built on the strength of huge positive reaction to the original showcar and would have happened even if Camaro had gone on past 2002. Additionally, SSR was not a high cost project for GM no huge facilities investment, small workforce, existing platform and much of the work outsourced to ASC. I have heard that it was actually profitable for GM to build - even with the sales numbers. It could not have been mass-produced even if the demand was there, it wasn't set up for that.

The SSR, unlike the Blackwood, was hardly a disaster and they will be very collectible down the road. I'll probably own one at some point.

I wish they had skipped the retractible hardtop and done it in a (much cheaper) fixed-roof version with the more potent powertrain from the get-go.

[samy1691]

Your Camaro comment is very wrong - not even close. Even if it were, there were other reasons why a Camro could not have happened at the time the SSR was done. The two have nothing to do with each other.

That's bull$h!!!!! SSR was bad product. No question about it!!!!! GM could have put a Camaro up instead,but did not. Now they are paying the price... DEARLY!!!! PRODUCT SELLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[z28luvr01]

If anything, the SSR is evidence that perhaps GM shouldn't listen to what consumers want, and instead just build whatever their scores of market researchers and bean counters tell them to. GM did what it thought people wanted, and got burned for it. EDIT: the preceeding paragraph was mildly facetious

SSRs are fine vehicles. Spend some seat time in one, and you might come to appreciate it. The interior is the best available from GM at the time. The bodywork on it is amazing from close up. And of course, they turn heads. I'm glad they kept the folding roof, but I think they could have brought the price down by eliminating some of the creature comforts that it came with. Also, the concept was shown with the 300hp 6.0L from the trucks...I wonder why it never got that engine.

My father and I are both on the lookout for one at the right price.

Edited March 21, 2006 by z28luvr01

[Camino LS6]

That's bull$h!!!!!  SSR was bad product. No question about it!!!!! GM could have put  a Camaro up instead,but did not. Now they are paying the price... DEARLY!!!! PRODUCT SELLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No, it's not. Calm yourself. Then go do some research and you'll see that what I'm telling you is the simple truth. GM, in fact, could not build a Camaro for any of the model years that the SSR existed - period. The two vehicles have no relation whatsoever to each other. The fate of the F-body Camaro was sealed long before the first sketch of the SSR was even drawn.

As for the SSR being a bad product, you obviously have no basis for such a claim.

[sciguy_0504]

I loved you.

[toesuf94]

my uncle has a 6.0 with the six-speed in the rare aqua-blur color - it runs hard and is quite a blast to drive. I love the truck.

Reasons it failed: too heavy - performance lacked. Lack of options for the price range and an unclear purpose in the market place. If it was to be a weekend cruiser for older folks wanting a hot rod with air and a warranty, where was the NAV system to help the happy couple find the antique shops or other interests? What is it for beyond cruising to the burger joint? For the money I could have a Tahoe or a great used Vette.

With all of that said - I would still love to have one...and probably will someday.

[carstar]

high priced two-seaters dosen't usually sell a lot.

on the other note the whole cost of creating the ssr should've been used on chevy's mainstream cars instead.

[MyerShift]

Good riddance to ridiculous "rubbish".

[Croc]

I'm gonna miss it...always wanted a yellow one

[Newbiewar]

yea... i'm still thinking about picking up an 05 if i can... they have some killer rebates and if i can pick one up for GMS... haha it would be probably high 20's

[ShadowDog]

SSR? What's that? I've practically never given it a second look. The first time I saw one I didn't have any reaction what-so-ever. I'm not quite sure what market segment GM had in mind but the utilitarian retiree? Aren't they buying million-dollar motor-coaches? WHOA! You didn't read that! Next thing you know GM will come out with one...ugh!

[Newbiewar]

SSR?  What's that?  I've practically never given it a second look.  The first time I saw one I didn't have any reaction what-so-ever.  I'm not quite sure what market segment GM had in mind but the utilitarian retiree?  Aren't they buying million-dollar motor-coaches?  WHOA!  You didn't read that!  Next thing you know GM will come out with one...ugh!

didnt you see the GMC concept at the auto show... lol if i was going to purchase a million dollar motor home... it would have been that...

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

my uncle has a 6.0 with the six-speed in the rare aqua-blur color - it runs hard and is quite a blast to drive.  I love the truck.

Reasons it failed:  too heavy - performance lacked.  Lack of options for the price range and an unclear purpose in the market place.  If it was to be a weekend cruiser for older folks wanting a hot rod with air and a warranty, where was the NAV system to help the happy couple find the antique shops or other interests?  What is it for beyond cruising to the burger joint?  For the money I could have a Tahoe or a great used Vette.

With all of that said - I would still love to have one...and probably will someday.

WOW!

I found an aqua blur one (with the chrome wheels) last year... BEAUTIFUL vehicle! I'm still in love with it!

[Camino LS6]

I saw an Aqua blur SSR at the Philly show in 05, it was the best color to vehicle match I've seen in a long time. That would be the one I'd want.

[corvettekidc6]

Even though it didn't sell very good, it will be remembered as one of America's greatest. I'm sure that people will be talking about it for a while.

[RBB]

WOW!

I found an aqua blur one (with the chrome wheels) last year... BEAUTIFUL vehicle! I'm still in love with it!

Like this one?

-RBB

Edited March 23, 2006 by RBB