Take a moment of silence, prayer, or simply pour one out for the Chevrolet SS, as the final model has rolled off the assembly line in Australia. The same goes for the Caprice PPV, essentially a long-wheelbase police-spec version of the SS. The performance sedan, nearly universally loved by enthusiasts, was never long for this world. As Motoring reports, orders for the SS ceased in February, and the facility that builds the factory will be completely shut down come this October.
Chevy knew from the start that this was going to be a low-volume, slow-selling car. The only marketing it received was through Nascar, with most it's popularity coming from either word of mouth or from the pages of enthusiasts websites and magazines. Since their introduction, only 12,953 SS units and 7,305 Caprice PPVs have made their way across the Pacific. The car succeeded the Pontiac G8 and earlier Pontiac GTO as Americanized versions of Australian-market cars. None of the cars had the sales impact GM may have hoped.
The final car, a black on black model with a manual transmission, was signed by all of the line workers at the customer's request. Motoring speculates that the American buyer may be someone from within GM. There has been no word of a replacement for the SS and any chance of one looks unlikely. A rear-drive performance sedan with unassuming styling is one of the last things Chevrolet and GM need right now. It's not a car that can sell on looks alone like other sport sedans. Sales are slowing industry wide, and, sad as it may be, Chevrolet doesn't need to waste time or resources on a low-volume model like the SS.
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Chevy knew from the start that this was going to be a low-volume, slow-selling car. The only marketing it received was through Nascar, with most it's popularity coming from either word of mouth or from the pages of enthusiasts websites and magazines. Since their introduction, only 12,953 SS units and 7,305 Caprice PPVs have made their way across the Pacific. The car succeeded the Pontiac G8 and earlier Pontiac GTO as Americanized versions of Australian-market cars. None of the cars had the sales impact GM may have hoped.
The final car, a black on black model with a manual transmission, was signed by all of the line workers at the customer's request. Motoring speculates that the American buyer may be someone from within GM. There has been no word of a replacement for the SS and any chance of one looks unlikely. A rear-drive performance sedan with unassuming styling is one of the last things Chevrolet and GM need right now. It's not a car that can sell on looks alone like other sport sedans. Sales are slowing industry wide, and, sad as it may be, Chevrolet doesn't need to waste time or resources on a low-volume model like the SS.
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