In the United States, pickups are among the most popular vehicles on the market. But before manufacturers figured out what consumers really wanted, some weird stuff was put into production. From Subaru to Chevy, these exotic pickups aren’t necessarily bad, but they certainly weren’t built today.
What is the strangest truck?
In terms of which truck is the most exotic, it may vary by criteria. Pickup trucks are built to haul and tow, so anything that can’t do that can be considered exotic. Then, there is also a design to consider.
Kind of like a town car sedan. It only comes with rear-wheel drive, but its 5.4-liter V8 engine makes 300 horsepower. At the end of the day this truck looks like a truck but don’t expect it to do truck stuff. This was before manufacturers realized consumers wanted premium feel and capability.
2. Subaru Baja
While not built today, Subaru built a pickup truck from 2002 through 2006, precursor to the 2003 model year. And while I’ll admit that models like the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz make this pickup look a little less exotic, it was probably ahead of its time.
Like most Subaru models, the Baja features AWD as standard. But it’s also still a unibody truck. The turbo variant introduced in 2003 may be one of the strangest kinds. With 210 HP, you also get a manual transmission. And I would argue that makes the Baja a likely candidate for an enthusiast car.
One great feature comes with the rear license plate. If you are hauling a long item and the tailgate is down, the license plate can be flipped perpendicular to the tailgate. Allow it to remain visible.
1. Chevy SSR
According to , the Chevy SSR convertible truck was a flop. It came from a time when General Motors was exploring vehicles that used an outdated design. Now, on paper, this pickup looks pretty cool. During production, Chevy added a 6.0-liter V8 that produced 390 horsepower.
Although a fast, uniquely styled truck looked like it could be a hit, the SSR was anything but. In total, Chevy only managed to move about 24,000 units from 2003 to 2006. The price, odd design, and lack of practicality might make it one of the strangest trucks ever produced.
