NEW PRICE! 6936 original miles. One of
only 1500 produced in the first year of SSR production. All options
including chrome wheels. Beautifully maintained, ready to
enjoy.
This Torch Red SSR is one of the first off the line, an early
production model in the very first year of production, which was
limited to just 1500 units—after all, they didn’t know whether it
was going to sell or not. Today this truck shows just 6936 original
miles and remains in virtually new condition and completely
original, right down to the original Goodyear tires. The SSR was an
experiment for GM to develop the tooling to do deep-draw composite
panels like the front and rear fenders, and their smooth,
ripple-free flanks show off the results of that effort. The paint
is 100% original and in excellent condition, the doors open and
close with a precision that they couldn’t have imagined in 1948,
and the grille definitely has an old-school look. If you want
attention, there still aren’t many better ways to get it than with
an SSR.
The black leather interior is more Camaro than pickup truck, and
they skipped the retro stuff here and went right for
state-of-the-art. Supportive bucket seats grab you and hold you in
place, because this is a pickup that loves to hustle around
corners. SSRs came only one way: loaded, so this one has all the
goodies, ranging from ice cold A/C to power windows, locks,
mirrors, and seats, to a killer AM/FM/CD stereo system that fills
the 2-seat cabin with sound, top up or top down. And speaking of
the top, it’s a rather remarkable piece of engineering. Simply
press the button and it unlatches itself from the header and slides
back into a slot between the cab and the bed, disappearing under a
flush-fitting tonneau. It takes about 20 seconds, and suddenly
you’re in the coolest tanning booth ever made. The bed is still a
pickup bed, big enough to handle big stuff, but with a
hinge-mounted weatherproof hard shell on top and full carpets and
teak rub rails, it’s really too beautiful to haul drywall. Instead,
think of it as the world’s biggest trunk.
All early SSRs are equipped with the same 5.3 liter V8, which is
plenty adequate for the 2-seat pickup. With 300 horsepower on tap,
it feels punchy around town but with a deep overdrive gear, it just
loafs along at highway speeds. As a member of the LS family, there
are surely plenty of performance modifications available, but this
one remains 100% stock, right down to the factory tags, markings,
and fasteners. Reliable GM engineering means that it should run
virtually forever, and while this truck has very low miles, it
doesn’t have 0, so it has been properly exercised to keep
everything in top condition and all the fluids have been changed
according to time, not mileage. Turn the key and it fires instantly
and idles smoothly without fussing, and you can drop it into gear
and go without a moment’s hesitation. It’s a show vehicle that
actually works like a real car!
Handling is still crisp and you’ll be surprised by how eager this
truck is to change direction, even with a rigid truck axle out
back. The transmission is a quick-thinking 4-speed automatic
overdrive unit and there are 3.73 gears out back that really give
it quick reflexes on the street. The exhaust system has a great
rumble that’s definitely muscle car aggressive and as you can see
in the photos, the underside is pretty much as new. Not only has
this SSR never seen rain or snow, it’s never even been wet! You’ll
also find a giant disc brake at each corner, which give this pickup
incredible stopping power, especially when paired with the giant
255/45/19 front and 295/40/20 rear Goodyear RS-A run-flat radials.
Chrome wheels were the only option on the 2003 SSR, and this truck
has them—it’s the right choice.
We’ll probably never see any domestic automaker build anything like
this SSR ever again. It’s also the ideal hobby vehicle, especially
if you simply want something you and the wife can get in, go, and
have fun. A/C, good fuel economy, safety equipment, and modern road
manners all mean it’s as easy to use as your daily driver, but the
outrageous look and retractable top mean that it will be welcome at
shows for decades to come. Frankly, owning a cool car (or truck)
doesn’t get much easier than this. Call today!
For more details and photos, please visit www.HarwoodMotors.com
