posted 10-14-2003 09:46 PM         

The SSR - a halo vehicle with a $41,995 base price, including destination - had been scheduled for mid-summer sales, according to statements from GM executives this year.

An industry source says GM has struggled with two novel aspects of the SSR: the retractable hardtop and flared fenders.

"There's been a six- to eight-week delay," the source says.

GM spokesman Dan Flores says 344 preproduction models have been built for internal testing. He says the automaker expects to give approval for dealer shipments soon.

Sources say GM senior executives have been extremely careful to avoid shipping vehicles with defects.

'Normal progression'

Flores would not confirm production problems. "It has gone through our normal progression," he says. "The launch is in line with our commitment to build the highest quality possible."

The retractable top is supplied by a joint venture of ASC Inc. in Southgate, Mich., and Wilhelm Karmann GmbH in Osnabruck, Germany.

ASC spokesman Tim Yost says the supplier would defer comment to GM.

Both the retractable hardtop and flared fenders are key selling points. The SSR represents the first use of a retractable hardtop on a pickup, and the flared fenders give the SSR a look reminiscent of Chevrolet trucks of the early 1950s.

Challenges for Chevrolet

But both represent challenges for Chevrolet. The hardtop uses an unusual top stack system in which panels move independently and stack vertically behind the passengers.

That avoids having the top intrude on pickup bed space in the way that a retractable top takes up trunk space in cars, GM has said.

The flared fenders required a special stamping process and higher-quality steel to stand up to the extra hits required to form them. Initial attempts did not result in adequate fit and finish, the industry source says.

The SSR is being built in GM's Lansing Craft Centre plant in Lansing, Mich. Brian Fredline, president of UAW Local 1618, says the plant is building vehicles for retail sale. He says the delays were an attempt to ensure that consumers get top-quality vehicles.

GM expects to sell about 13,000 SSRs annually. As of Sept. 30, GM had sold one. Chevrolet dealer Bob McDorman of Winchester Canal, Ohio, bought the first SSR offered to the public in a charity auction on eBay for $137,850.

McDorman, an avid car collector, says he's thrilled to have the SSR in his showroom. It came from an early 25-vehicle "premium edition" build for collectors.

But McDorman would like to get some normal SSRs in to sell: "We heard we'd get them in August, then we went to September and October. Now were going to November, and we still haven't gotten one yet."