Rising labor costs and competition from the automobile made the ship's post World War II future uncertain.
In an effort to make the ship more economical to operate and reduce pollution, the ship's coal boilers were replaced with six oil burning marine engines in 1949.
In 1950 the ship was also repainted white to underscore the cleanliness of the refitted vessel.
These changes were ultimately in vain, as the ship was removed from service in the fall of 1950.
In 1951 Greater Detroit was finally retired.
The ship sat unused until 1956 when it was sold for scrap.
The interior fittings were sold as souvenirs to area residents, and on December 12, 1956 the ship was towed out onto Lake St. Claire and lit on fire to remove all wooden elements of the superstructure and make scrapping easier.
Without steam power the 6,000 lb (2,700 kg) anchor was unable to be raised and was instead cut, resting on the bottom of the Detroit River for almost 60 years.
The hull was then towed to Hamilton, Ontario and was scrapped by the Steel Company of Canada.

On November 15, 2016, the anchor was recovered by a team of divers from the Great Lakes Maritime Institute.
It is currently on display outside the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority Office in downtown Detroit.
Rising labor costs and competition from the automobile made the ship's post World War II future uncertain. In an effort to make the ship more economical to operate and reduce pollution, the ship's coal boilers were replaced with six oil burning marine engines in 1949. In 1950 the ship was also repainted white to underscore the cleanliness of the refitted vessel. These changes were ultimately in vain, as the ship was removed from service in the fall of 1950. In 1951 Greater Detroit was finally retired. The ship sat unused until 1956 when it was sold for scrap. The interior fittings were sold as souvenirs to area residents, and on December 12, 1956 the ship was towed out onto Lake St. Claire and lit on fire to remove all wooden elements of the superstructure and make scrapping easier. Without steam power the 6,000 lb (2,700 kg) anchor was unable to be raised and was instead cut, resting on the bottom of the Detroit River for almost 60 years. The hull was then towed to Hamilton, Ontario and was scrapped by the Steel Company of Canada.
On November 15, 2016, the anchor was recovered by a team of divers from the Great Lakes Maritime Institute. It is currently on display outside the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority Office in downtown Detroit.
SS Greater Detroit