Since my last commentary got 60 some replies...i thought i would post a new one here

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So it seems my last commentary got things stirred up just a little Well since I don’t want the Ford guys thinking I am biased I will attack what I think is one of the biggest mistakes in the auto industry today, the Chevrolet SSR. This is a car that I think is GM’s attempt a niche vehicle…or something along that line/nature. In reality it is little more than a smoldering pile of retro crap thrown together to make a car that “kinda looks like something from Chevy’s past…but no one knows exactly what”.

First off this product much like the Pontiac Aztek is the spawn of ex-GM North America head Ron Zarella, which is no surprise to those in the know. Since I hate spelling Ron Z’s last name (we all know how me and grammar don’t like each other), I will simply refer to him with the nickname other GM exec’s christened him with…“Fat Boy”. Fat Boy was from a pharmaceutical company and what would be termed a “product guy”, meaning he viewed selling cars much like appliances are sold...through branding and marketing groups. Under his strategy the #1 priority was making as much money as possible with the least investment. This sadly meant taking the brand marketing that had run rampant at GM and turning it up 15 fold. Now brands were intentionally marketed to certain people ie...Pontiac’s were cladded to attract younger “less sophisticated buyers”, Buicks were designed to appeal to people between age 75 and dead. [side note]The old joke at GM used to be that a Chevy would be the first car you bought and a Buick the last.[/side note] Well anyways, back to Fat Boy, he was definatly not a car guy. Fat Boy saw that cars didn’t make nearly the profit of large SUV’s and decided they should get proportionately less of the development money.

At the time shifting GM’s development resources to trucks was the right thing to do with the SUV boom getting in full swing and GM it’s usual late self to the party, however it doesn’t mean it was handled right. While the trucks got all the funds, the F-body was killed as early as the mid-nineties, Chevy’s car line rotted, and 100 year old Oldsmobile which had the only car line that really turned out decent designs went outta business. Cadillac remained the “Standard of the World”…just not the standard of our Earth..actually we still aren’t sure which planet. Art and Science styling sucks ***…and I am hear to say it (another bright idea approved by Fat Boy). Thank god Bob Lutz is doing his best to smooth out the issue with that design theme. But anyway I could go on and on over Fat Boy’s failures and bore you but I will get down to his second biggest mistake (nothing tops the Aztek) the Chevrolet SSR.

The SSR is an odd idea, its like an El Camino, but not…like a Roadster, but not….was fast as a concept but now is not. I personally have hated this thing since I first saw it because it try’s to be many things so unsuccessfully. It’s has a pickup bed, but no ability to really haul anything. It supposedly is a roadster but that is a loosly used term only because the top folds down. To assume a 4500lb truck built on the Trailblazer platform has any sporting intentions would be farce. The concept at least had power, which is sadly lacking in the production version. GM claims quarter mile times in the low 16’s, meaning my V6 Camaro could lay the smackdown on one. The styling is well...a grab bag of things from Chevy’s past. I am guessing (being the ripe old 22 I am) that SSR gets it’s styling cues from 40’s and 50’s Chevy trucks. When I see it I know it has old Chevrolet styling cues..yet my brain doesn’t associate it with a model easy like you do with say.. a retro T-bird. For me this is the main reason this vehicle will fail. People buy retro designs because the bring back great memories of the past, such as a son buying an 02 T-bird because his dad had one in the 60’s. I don’t see it possible to make this connection with the SSR because it isn’t really based on anything identifiable from the past. I mean hell the only thing it remotely conjures in my head is an El Camino…but then my mind starts wandering on about how nice if GM imported the Holden UTE here and soon the SSR looks even worse. This car has no magic or personality to it….Chevy might as will of slapped a set of fenders from an old truck on a Sunbeam blender for all I care...that would have been just as interesting to me. That also brings me to another point, seeing as niche cars are so rare at GM, I really don’t think they should be using the ones they make to attract older buyers who would buy a Chevy anyway. They desperately need to appeal to a younger audience or else in the future Honda and Toyota will be the big II and GM and Ford will be fighting for their collective lives. You already know the who the average buyer for the SSR will be, a 47 year old, slightly over weight, balding white guy, who’s dad and grandpa all drove Chevys. Now my question to GM is this…if you are going to make such a low profit niche vehicle for image…why aim it square at people who will buy your car anyway? If I was Chevy I would have worked with Subaru (who they own some of) on bringing in a version of the WRX and get some people under 30 in your showrooms. With all the press the EVO and WRX have gotten the last 3 years you would think they would have picked up on this trend..but of course this is fashionably late GM we are talking about again.

I am sure by now you are wondering just why GM is making the SSR, well there are a few reasons. First off it was too far along for Bob Lutz to kill when he came on board, and #2 at the time it fit in with Fat Boy’s plan for a GM truck empire and provided a Halo/Image vehicle for that line. In hindsight it was a huge mistake which GM’s upcoming product will rectify. I am of the opinion that we will see the SSR for 2-3 years to recoup development costs, and by then a UTE version of the upcoming US RWD platform will be ready to replace it with a new El Camino. Until then we are stuck with the crown jewel of Fat Boy’s legacy.

 

Just scanned it... since Cadillac CTS is a big success so far, I'd have to say you are pretty wrong on the Arts & Sciences 'sucking a$$".

IMO, Arts & Science is one of the best design themes for any brand in a long time... that's about the only good thing to come from the Zarella age...

I guess that was off topic a bit, sorry.

 

If it was priced a little lower I'd actually consider the SSR. Sure they're overweight and underpowered, but I love the styling.

Actually I'm about 10 years younger than that and I have HAIR!

It reminds me of the '51 Chevy Pickup I once had and never had the funds or time to fix up.

BTW, my dad now drives a Ford... but his dad did have a '48 Chevy truck followed by a '67 El Camino.

 

you may be right on everything but Cadillac. The Art and Science styling is one of the only things right at GM. The New Caddy cars and SUVs are selling great look great and will have some bas *** performance soon with the V-series

CTSv - 400HP LS6
Escalade - 500HP+ V12
XLRv - turbo northstar 450HP+
STSv - V12

 

I think the SSR would have been just about right if it had the following:
-$5-7K cheaper
-LS1 or 345HP 6.0L V8
-6 speed manual

 

No no...the CTS was the only car to get out without Bob Lutz's influence all teh otehrs he has had a hand in...and I like. IMO however if they toned down the styling I seriously think they would see even more..especially the CTS. The competition (BMW, Mercedes) gets by with out looking all outlandish...why can;t Cadillac?

 

The SSR's design isn't that bad. Though I wish it looked more like the concept, it harkens back to the day of cool styled pickup trucks. I'm sure they will sell everyone they build besides. A dealer in CA offered $5000 over sticker for ours, and we won't get one at this dealership for another year and a half! Can you imagine what the customer in CA will pay!

 

I don't think Lutz did much (if anything) to SRX, or XLR either... They had to be pretty far along by the time he took over.

Or Cien for that matter...

 

Im gung-ho on Arts and Science too. The CTS is the second best car in the GM lineup now behind only the C5.

 

CTS-2002 Model

SRX and XLR= 2004 Models...alot of his influence was in the proportions...

 

I agree. Cadillac is really looking strong right now. I think that they may actually be able to turn into a major automotive player again. There's an excitement around Cadillac that hasn't been seen in a long time...

-Mike

 

Darth Xed good point about the Cien

That is the best example of Art and Science yet

formula79 you must agree that car is HOT

 

I love the overall shape...but the more you look at it the wierder some proportions looks. The CTS has grown on me...but when I first saw it i wanted to

I think more toned down styling would draw more customers in.

 

No...

CTS is a 2003 model.

I can't image that SRX, which is Sigma based, and heavily CTS based, changed much from it's original plan.

And XLR didn't stray much from the Evoq concept which is what the XLR is based on.

 

Gotta disagree on a couple of points Branden (I know... what else is new ? ).

First, Cadillac "Arts & Science" look is a definate success. Even Bob Lutz had to come around & admit he was wrong on it's styling's acceptance.

Second, this is the 1st time I've heard of Pontiac being marketed to "less sophisicated buyers". For as long as I can remember, Pontiac was a sophisticated Chevrolet. It was Chevy that was marketed to the so-called 'less sophisticated'.

Third, though I don't like the way Ron Zarella ran GM, and I think GM's board were a bunch of idiots for turning outside the car industry for management talent, I don't think it warrants getting personal. You are an editor of a serious website. That type of personal slang in describing him lowers the whole editorial to I point I don't think you want it to be considered. I think he was way way out of his league, but I wouldn't resort to whatever weight problem he had. There's too many other things to say about him.

Fourth, The same guy who OK'ed the SSR for production is the same guy who is leading GM's charge back to RWD (and the same guy who hired Lutz, and top car guys from all over the industry, from designers to money men, to manufacturers: G. Richard (Rick) Wagoneer. It was started in Zarella's time, but it was Mr. Wagoneer who took a look at the reception it was getting in the auto circuit, and said 'BUILD IT before anyone know how they were going to do it.

Fifth, everytime I see someone drive by in a Retro Beetle, or PT Criuiser, or Mini, I fail to see a person buying great memories of the past, but a stylish car that's out of the norm of everything else out there. Also, if the Thunderbird had the performance of say, a Supercharged Cobra, the Thunderbird would have a whole group of enthusiasts as seemed to be displayed by the (admittedly unscientific) poll I posted where the number 1 cure for the 'Bird was not a restyle or a change of venue, but a lower price and more power. The lack of both is why T-Birds currently appeal to the more older sedate set.

I'll agree 150% with you Chevy should have used GM's connection with Subaru to come up with some type of WRX-type car by now, and erred greatly in not seeing this trend. I also agree even more than that in that Zarella attempted to turn GM into a company that sold Luxury Cars, Trucks, and FWD fleet cars with 80s era chassis.

I also agree that SSR was at best a confused decision in that I am still wondering why it's even being made. GM wanted to gain experience in developing niche vehicles, but with the SSR ending up way over budget, and because of that not likely to ever make up it's investment, doesn't seem to have served it's initial purpose.

No one on this site is "stuck" with the SSR, it isn't even marketed towards our group. To be honest, I don't even know why it's an issue here. It's not a insanely powered truck like the Lightning or SRT-10 Ram, it's not a sports car, it's basically a Trailblazer with a different body. It shouldn't even register a blip here.

Without more power, I think the SSR will end up as Thunderbird is ending up: great initial sales till the collectors are through, then sales will drop like bricks.

Just for the record, the day GM actually announces the RWD V8 El Camino, is the day my other car purchase plans will stop in it's tracks.