GM has enough pickups to last 300 days, exceeding the industry's ideal of 65.

By Ed Garsten / The Detroit News

A growing stockpile of Chevrolet SSR models is forcing General Motors Corp. to cut production and idle its Lansing Craft Centre -- where the sporty convertible pickup truck is built -- for five weeks early next year.

At current sales rates, GM has enough SSR models to last nearly 300 days -- far more than the industry's ideal 65-day supply target.

"It's a market-driven decision to align product volume with market demand," GM spokesman Stefan Weinmann said.

The plant, which employs 500 workers, will be shut down the weeks of Jan. 3, Jan. 10, Jan. 31, Feb.7 and Feb. 28.

The SSR went on sale in 2003 as a low-volume vehicle with expected annual sales of about 13,000 units. But the $42,000 roadster pickup has fallen short of GM's sales targets.

Only 8,538 have been sold this year through November, according to Autodata Corp.

After wowing auto show crowds when it was first introduced in 2000 as a concept vehicle, GM decided to sell it to create buzz for the Chevrolet brand and build showroom traffic.

But some dealers complain the trucks are taking up valuable space that could be otherwise used to display more popular and modestly priced models.

Brent Dewar, Chevrolet general manager, says there are no immediate plans to discontinue the SSR.

"The SSR has a very important place as a halo vehicle for us," he said in a recent interview. "I'm very positive about the SSR."

Dewar said the vehicle is bringing new and existing customers into Chevrolet showrooms in most markets. They may not be buying SSRs, he said, but in many cases the customers are purchasing a Chevrolet product.

Chevrolet sales are up 4 percent this year.

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GM halting production of the SSR / GM has enough pickups to last 300 days, exceeding the industry's ideal of 65

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......mhhhhhhh.......wonder why ??

Associated Press

A backlog of unsold Chevrolet SSR roadsters has led General Motors Corp. to halt production for five weeks at its Lansing Craft Centre, the automaker says.

Through the end of November, the plant's 500 employees had made 15,055 SSRs this year, but GM had sold only 8,538 of the $42,555 retro-style roadsters, according to Automotive News.

GM had a 301-day supply of the vehicles on hand at the end of November.

posted 01-06-2005 06:19 PM         

I went in to look at one and the stupid dealer was trying to get $5,000 over the window sticker! He had three of them and I think that 6 months later he still has them.

People set a realistic value to a car and if a dealer tries to get more than that value they sometimes kill the deal. It seems like every car where the dealers try to make a killing the ruin the market.

A good example of this situation is the Ford Thunderbird. The stupid dealers wanted at least $5K over sticker and now they are looking to sell them for $10K under and they can't move them. Interesting.....

In both cases, I gave the dealer a copy of my famous hit CD entitled "got a long without you before I met you and I'm gonna get a long without you now."

Greed kills

The Old Man

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Originally posted by TBarrow:
Since when is 15,000 a limited production run?

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LOL! What's the cutoff? 11,500?????

I always liked Seinfelds definition of this. A limited version means they are only limited buy how many they can sell.....

posted 01-06-2005 09:46 PM         

Kevin

posted 01-06-2005 10:00 PM         

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Originally posted by ed monahan:
Just think, a few years ago, Prowler sales were lagging? Go figure.
I just told Sandy about the 99 Red for sale in Lakeland and she told me "We don't need any more Red Prowlers"!
I am bummed.

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