The Mecum Kissimmee 2025 auction yielded some truly startling results for Chevy models that don’t normally come to mind as valuable, collectible cars. For example, someone paid $33,000 for a 1987 Chevy Chevette hatchback with 47 miles on it. However, that’s nothing compared to the startling $88,000 sale price of this 2006 Chevy SSR.
Granted, this is no ordinary Chevy SSR. It was a 2005 Brickyard 400 festival car, only has 116 miles on the clock, and has 7-time NASCAR Cup champion Jimmy Johnson’s autograph on the window sticker. Whether all of that adds up to an $88k collector’s item is still debatable, but it’s certainly valuable by SSR standards.
It’s also desirable because it’s an SSR with the good engine. 2006 was the final model year for the Chevy SSR; it was powered by a 6.0L V8 LS2 shared with the C5 Corvette, Pontiac GTO, and Chevy Trailblazer SS. The SSR switched from the smaller 5.3L V8 LM4 to the LS2 in 2005, and output was increased for the 2006 model to 395 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. A manual transmission was optional in the 2006 Chevy SSR, but this one has a 4-speed automatic.
This truck also comes in the desirable 3SS trim, which includes premium features like a 6-disc CD changer, a Bose audio system, heated seats, a universal garage door opener, and auxiliary gauges by the shifter.
This SSR has a black and silver two-tone paint job and door decals for the 2005 Brickyard 400, which was officially called the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. It also has a “CHEVROLET” banner on the windshield and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway logo on the tailgate and front fenders. There’s also a large red Chevy bowtie decal on the hard tonneau cover over the bed.
The window sticker, surprisingly not shown in the photo gallery of the Mecum listing, is signed by NASCAR legend Jimmy Johnson. We’re not sure how much that autograph added to the truck’s value, but it must have been important to the buyer.
$88,000 is the highest sale price we can find for the Chevy SSR by a significant margin. Manual, LS2-powered 2005 and 2006 models can fetch high prices of up to around $60k (see here and here). The SSR record on Bring a Trailer is $47k. However, most SSR pickups at Mecum and Barrett-Jackson auctions have sold around the $25k-$35k range. Is this a sign that SSR values are spiking or is it a fluke?
Comments
If the Buyer is happy, that’s all that matters.
Money doesn’t come with a set of instructions.
Fluke
I just wonder how much more valuable as a collectable if GM had designed it as a true performance vehicle with this motor right from the beginning? And advertised it as a SS instead of SSR. The mistake was bring it out with 5.3 motor. It had the look but not the performance that it deserved. Wrong sales strategy!
As with almost anything of value, the fewer there are available, the more they are worth to collectors. If this is true for the SSR then the price will continue go up. I have an 05 w/automatic that I bought in 2010 for 25k. I’ve had numerous cars since then but this has a keeper, fun to drive and relatively trouble free. Only 56k miles and runs great, will probably keep it whatever the value.
The SSR woujd be sweet revived as an EV.