2003 Chevrolet SSR for sale $29,900

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 unitsandmdash;after all, they didnandrsquo;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 couldnandrsquo;t have imagined in 1948, and the grille definitely has an old-school look. If you want attention, there still arenandrsquo;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, itandrsquo;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 youandrsquo;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, itandrsquo;s really too beautiful to haul drywall. Instead, think of it as the worldandrsquo;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 doesnandrsquo;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 momentandrsquo;s hesitation. Itandrsquo;s a show vehicle that actually works like a real car!

Handling is still crisp and youandrsquo;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 thatandrsquo;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, itandrsquo;s never even been wet! Youandrsquo;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 themandmdash;itandrsquo;s the right choice.

Weandrsquo;ll probably never see any domestic