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As the 1950's dawned after WW II automakers turned their attention to supplying consumers needs and wants. Exciting new designs emerged from Detroit. I can still remember my father's 1950 Chevrolet pickup. It may have been a work truck, but I loved the graceful lines of the big fenders, the bulbous hood, and the chrome grill. Time has nurtured my love of the automobile as an art form and I believe the 1947-1952 Chevrolet pickup is one of the best examples of American automotive art available. So imagine my excitement when I first saw the drawings of the concept Chevrolet SSR two years ago. The hood, grill and fenders were distinctively influenced by the 1947-1952 Chevrolet pickup. But the SSR was not just a traditional pickup with a factory equipped hard shell tonneau cover. It was a high performance rear wheel drive muscle car. No, it was a convertible with the coolest retractable hard top ever. Actually it was all of the above. This week I finally had the opportunity to drive the SSR. While the 2004 Chevrolet SSR certainly evokes memories of my father's 1950 Chevrolet pickup, the SSR almost defies description. In effect this is a factory built Hot Rod, a boulevard cruiser, and a show car for a true automotive enthusiast. As a rear wheel drive, V8 powered two seat convertible pickup with retractable hardtop there is no competition. While the SSR may look like a pickup, the 23.7 cubic inch cargo area of the hard covered carpeted bed has barely more room than the Malibu Maxx. However stacking the power retractable top does not further reduce bed space. At least it has more storage than a typical roadster. It is the ability to convert the hard roof of the pickup cab into a convertible roadster that makes this vehicle so unique. A single button vertically stacks the roof panels behind the front seats in about 25 seconds. Retractable hard tops are found on the Cadillac XLR, Mercedes SL500 and Lexus SC430, all luxury roadsters priced above $65,000. The SSR is not just a looker either. Packed with GM's 5.3 Liter V8 this muscle car class pickup will jump from 0-60 in 7.6 seconds. The 300 horsepower and 331 ft lbs of torque could propel the SSR through the quarter mile faster than the advertised 15.9 seconds if it weighed less than the hefty 4,760 lbs. As I fired up the big V8, I loved the big deep rumble sound of the pipes. The only transmission is a 4 speed automatic but the driving experience is pure hot rod. Daimler Chrysler tried to tap into this retro image market with the PT Cruiser, but it has taken years to produce a convertible and the new turbo still does not have the rear wheel drive V8 power to appeal to the true Hot Rod enthusiast. Currently the 2004 SSR is in limited production with dealers asking premium pricing. Eventually Chevrolet hopes to produce between 10-15 thousand units each year making sales prices more competitive. The 2004 SSR is unlike anything on the road today. It makes me look both forward and backwards into time, all with the excitement that truly celebrates the American Hot Rod.
2004 Chevrolet SSR
5.3 Liter V8
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©2003 - Stan Risener