I've wondered the same. I've seen several pics of '82 and older, and '84 and up. And as pointed out earlier, Voyageurs seem abundant. This was the year that the SS moved away from touring and towards competition. Perhaps buyers were wary of the newly styled SS.

I'm hoping to score a couple touch up pens at the auto parts store that will be close enough to the OEM colors. There's a few scratches but they are minimal in size.

I ordered Dia Compe replacement gum brake hoods from Velo Orange yesterday. I hope they fit these Gran Compes.