Overview:
This week I tested the 2005 Chevrolet SSR Super Sport Roadster. Now this is Retro! As I mentioned this is a series on pickup trucks and technically this is a pickup.
If you are into hauling fur coats or other soft things it won’t scratch the beautiful fine polished wood runners in a bed of plush carpet. Ok, so it’s a hot rod, retro back to the mid 1940s through early 1950s and reminds me of my 1946 Chevy half-ton pickup.
It is therefore near and dear to my heart because it made delivering the Los Angeles Times to 420 homes in the Monterey Hills above South Pasadena, CA every morning in my teen years a joy. Old timers would tell me the torque of that 6-cylinder would pull a house. I never tried it, but it had no trouble in the hills. Anyway, this SSR brought back fond memories of rising early, tying papers and tossing them to a thankful bunch of folks. They must have been thankful, because I never had a complain, even when the paper I launched from my little red truck became a missile that found its way through a window or milk bottle on the porch. Wow, that dates me, eh? Ok, so that was a long time ago when Ador Farms still delivered bottled milk in the late 1950s.
I can’t remember now what the mileage was on that straight 6 engine, but I’m sure someone out there will tell me. My guess is that it was about 15 mpg. After I rebuilt it, it probably did worse. Remember those older cars. That was when you could actually turn a screw to change the idle or fuel mixture on the carburetor. Today gas is metered out to the cylinders with fuel injectors and carburetors are archaic. But for all its simplicity the old technology worked nearly as well as today’s modern electronic ignition and fuel injection. Perhaps we shouldn’t expect gigantic leaps in mileage numbers in only 60 years. Or should we? Shouldn’t consumers demand more from a society who put a man on the moon in 8 years. Thanks JFK.
General Info:
Parts – USA
Assembly – United States
Class: – Pickup
Cars: – Astro, Avalanche, Aveo, Blazer, Cavalier, Cobalt, Colorado, Corvette, Equinox, Express, Impala, Malibu, Monte Carlo, Silverado, SSR, Suburban, Tahoe, Trail Blazer, Uplander and Venture.
Handling & Performance:
A dream to drive. Comfy and cozy and faaaast as 390 horses push this pickup down the highway.
Styling:
Retro says a lot and of course a picture is worth a 1,000 words. And one would never guess you’d buy a pickup truck that magically becomes a convertible at the touch of one button. And the designers have done a marvelous job is moving from the old look to a modern, sleek rendition of the past. They have struck a chord or two with lots of people as I learned from those who stopped me to talk about the truck that transforms the past to the future. At Home Depot in Palmdale, a retro couple visited and reminisced and I felt good about this one of a kind bold statement from Chevrolet. Thanks GM.
Fit and Finish:
Excellent.
Cost:
Big price tag. But then, if you rebuilt a ’46 to ’53 Chevy pickup, it would cost more. And even if you could design in a convertible hard top the cost would be outrageous. Chevy has done it all for you and far cheaper than you could ever do it. So if that is true, $50,000 would be a bargain. I’ll take two.
Conveniences:
Very nice. And the convertible top is a touch of genius.
Consumer Recommendation:
If you want “Different” and can afford fifty grand for a Sunday driver I recommend this radical retro truck. It takes you back in time and then launches you into the future as you watch the hard top magically disappear.
The Competition:
There are no competitors in my opinion. This is a unique remake of the 1940s and 1950s Chevrolet pick up trucks. You’d have to go to a Custom Rod show to see the likes of this truck. It is alone in the production market. I suspect when I saw it as a concept vehicle in 2000 I didn’t expect it would ever become a production vehicle. Thanks to Chevy huevos it has. Bravvvv-O!
Good News:
It’s a magical trip down memory lane for the older, and simply a lovely work of art to all who love an adventure in driving something different. It is fast and very fun to drive. The plush bed is elegantly covered in a hard tonneau cover that is flawless. This is one of the special vehicles that inspire an automotive love affair.
Bad News:
A little pricey and hard to justify if it is a truck you need, low fuel economy.
Standard Equipment:
6.0 liter 390 hp V8 engine, 4-speed auto trans, limited slip differential, independent front suspension, 16:1 power steering, stabilizer bars, tuned shocks, trailer provisions, 19” front and 20” rear aluminum wheels, dual air bags with off switch for passenger, side air bags, 4-wheel ABS disc brakes, remote keyless entry with theft deterrent system, retractable hardtop, power heated mirrors, removable hard cargo cover, stereo with CD/MP3 player, air conditioning, power locks for doors and cargo cover, power windows, cruise control, tilt steering wheel, leather seating and 6 way driver and 2 way passenger power seats. Options: the version I drove upgraded the MSRP by $4,460 for memory seats, homelink, heated seats, in-dash 6 CD Bose sound system, cargo area trim with wood, 6-speed manual transmission (I recommend this), auxiliary gauge package, special paint (beautiful aqua blur metallic) and GVW rating at 6,050 lbs.
Gas Stats:
13 City and 20 Highway MPG.
Pricing:
MSRP $42,430.
