6. Chevrolet SSR
In the early 2000’s, the retro design was the king. Introducing new cars with classic shapes was the ticket to success. For this reason, Chevrolet thought it would be a great idea to present a retro-styled truck with a sporty feel and retractable hard top. Chevy thought it could work as a lifestyle vehicle for people who wanted a sports car, but with a retro vibe and space for all their needs.
The person in charge of the Chevrolet product development department at the time must have had a wild imagination. However, Chevrolet did introduce such a vehicle in 2003 and called it the Super Sports Roadster or SSR. They built it on an SUV platform with a Corvette V8 engine. It had a fold-down hard top and a tight cabin for only two passengers, making the SSR something like a modern hot rod. It not only looked cool, it had a glorious soundtrack from the small block V8 with around 400 HP and dual exhaust pipes.
The performance wasn’t impressive because the sprint to 60 mph took around six seconds, but it wasn’t slow, either. With a retro design, big wheels and a strange silhouette, it was something different on the street. However, the market`s response was mild. The price was north of $45,000, which meant it wasn`t affordable. Soon, older people started buying SSRs as midlife crisis cars.
That killed the model because it wasn’t cool anymore in the eyes of the younger crowd. The end came in 2006 after Chevy built approximately 24,000. Today, you can pick one up for an affordable price and have an interesting-looking truck in your driveway.
Bear in mind, this is not a real truck despite the looks, a somewhat-usable truck bed, and a powerful engine. It can’t haul big items or carry a lot of weight. The cabin is small and cramped. This is not a truck, but just a lifestyle retro vehicle that looks like one. That is why it is not a relevant model in the truck market, so you should avoid it.