The Chevrolet SSR was a retro-styled, two-seat pickup truck with a retractable steel hardtop, built from 2003 to 2006. Its name stood for Super Sport Roadster, and its shape was a modern reading of Chevrolet’s Advance Design trucks.
Chevrolet SSR at a glance
| Production | 2003–2006 |
|---|---|
| Name means | Super Sport Roadster |
| Class | Two-seat retro pickup |
| Roof | Steel retractable hardtop |
| Chassis | GMT368, a version of the GMT360 platform |
| Styling inspiration | 1947–1955 Advance Design trucks |
| Concept car | SuperSport Roadster concept, 2000 Detroit show |
| Roof engineering | developed with Karmann, built by ASC |
| Body | Steel panels with deep-drawn fenders |
History of the Chevrolet SSR
The SSR began as the SuperSport Roadster concept shown at the 2000 Detroit auto show. The concept used a Chevrolet S-10 chassis, but the production truck received its own frame: the GMT368, a version of the GMT360 platform that General Motors built exclusively for it.
The most distinctive feature was the steel retractable hardtop, a bespoke unit developed with input from Karmann and engineered and supplied by ASC. Most of the body panels were steel rather than composite, which created a manufacturing challenge: the fenders needed a specially developed deep-draw stamping process, with a draw of 18 inches for the front wings and 10 inches for the rear.
The design deliberately echoed the 1947–1955 Advance Design trucks, with a rounded cab, a wide grille and prominent wings. The SSR was part of the same retro wave at Chevrolet that produced the HHR, and like the HHR it was a niche model: a low-volume, high-style truck rather than a working vehicle. Production ended after the 2006 model year.
Design and features
- Folding steel roof: a two-piece retractable hardtop made of steel, engineered by ASC with Karmann input.
- Advance Design looks: the 1947–1955 trucks reinterpreted in a modern package.
- Steel body: deep-drawn fenders that required new stamping techniques.
- Dedicated chassis: the GMT368, used only by the SSR.
Chevrolet SSR versions
- SuperSport Roadster concept (2000): the show car on an S-10 chassis.
- Production SSR (2003–2006): the steel-bodied truck with the folding roof.
The SSR took its styling from the Advance Design trucks and shared the retro approach of the Chevrolet HHR. More cars are in the Chevrolet collection.
Video: 2003 Chevrolet SSR LS
Video by Whalen Chevrolet Inc. on YouTube.
Sources
- Chevrolet SSR, English Wikipedia: design, roof, chassis, concept car
