The auto industry has a history of producing trucks and other truly bizarre vehicles. And in terms of rarity, no one did it better than General Motors in the mid-2000s. If you look back at GM’s catalog from this era, you might be wondering what the brand was thinking, and you’re not alone. One model that stands out in particular is the Chevy SSR pickup truck. A vehicle that could be the worst truck of all time.
Why did the Chevy SSR fail?
The SSR was a Chevy truck that was a complete flop, only selling about 24,000 units. It was probably a flop due to its odd style and lack of utility. As a truck, the SSR is based on the Chevy trucks of the 1940s and 1950s. And while it sounds like a good idea, it ended up being a less than attractive vehicle.
The Chevy SSR was built from 2003-2006 and had a starting price of over $40,000. That’s a pretty big order for a truck that only has two doors and isn’t built for job sites. In the video above, you can get a detailed review of SSR from Doug DeMuro.
The SSR is a truck that is not designed for trucks.
At a glance, you can tell that the Chevy SSR is not your typical truck. It has curvy lines, can only tow about 2,500 pounds, and is a convertible. That’s right, back in the early 2000s, GM was crazy enough to approve a truck that could have the top stowed.
According to cutting gear, the SSR initially had a 5.3-liter V8. So if you want a V8 truck, check that box. But apparently 300 horsepower wasn’t enough for Chevy, and the brand went one step further.
In 2005, the SSR pickup got the LS2 engine found in the Chevy Corvette. That motor makes 390 hp and reportedly had a 0-60 time of less than 5.5 seconds. That makes this oddball truck a true performance truck.
Does the Chevy SSR have a manual transmission?
Even with the massive LS2 V8 engine, you could get the SSR pickup with a six-speed manual transmission. So I’d say this quirky GM product has some enthusiast cred. Although it could row its own gears, most SSR models came equipped with either the 4L60-E automatic transmission or the 4L65-E automatic transmission.
In terms of options, Chevy didn’t offer much. The SSRs came pretty well equipped as standard, so that makes sense. Another interesting fact about this Chevy truck is the fact that it operated as a pace car for the 2003 Indianapolis 500. So this truck has some track experience.
But, at the end of the day, the Chevy SSR was anything but successful. For 2006, GM announced that it would close the Craft Center where this vehicle was built. And that’s a sad end to what could be the worst truck, even if it was interesting.