![]() ![]() Production begin again from 1964-1977 and this time the El Camino was based of the Chevelle platform. Considered a failure they halted production, but only for a few years. For the first two years 1959-1960 it was built in response to Ford's success with the Ford Ranchero Pickup. However it was classified and titled in North America as a truck. When the El Camino debuted in 1959 is was called a coupe utility/pickup vehicle. You may know of GM's Holden brand which sell a El Camino style car based off the same platform as the Chevy SS Sedan Called SV6 UTE. Chevrolet has finally decided to bank in on the popularity of recent truck models and make another gamble with it's new 2016 Chevy El Camino. The visual changes starting from the car’s body extending under the hood. This famous pickup truck/car or perhaps the first crossover, will feature a range of new improvements that will make it competitive to go in right line with other modern GM cars. GM ceased it's production in the late 80’s with ever declining sales. So what do you think, would you take this project on? This is a mostly original and seemingly complete example of a collectible and seldom seen special vehicle.General Motors Brings back the El Camino along with over 50 years of history!Ĭlick to EnlargeThe 2016 Chevrolet El Camino is ready to make a grand re-entry into the car market. And that is a strong suit for this example, it looks like most of that unique trim is present. While there were 22,000+ Caminos built in ’59, the number is minuscule compared to the Impala/Belair/Biscayne trio so they are rare by comparison and special trim pieces can be expensive and hard to find. The issue is, as mentioned earlier, the floor – this Camino will need metalwork.Ĭars of this vintage had a lot of external trim in the case of the El Camino, much of it unique. The original steering wheel is gone but the dash ornamentation seems to all be there. While it’s obviously wrong for the El Camino, it appears to be in reasonable shape. There appears to be a strato-bench seat from a later model Impala. Hopefully, the panel can be straightened, a ’59 El Camino roof panel is not an every day, off the shelf part.Īs for the interior, well it’s inside. Of larger concern is the dent in the cab roof, apparently, a shed fell on it some number of years ago. While the bed is rusty looking, it is apparently surface rust and the integrity has not been compromised. Cause for concern is that it is outside and the tin worm has worked its way through the floor pan though the frame is supposedly solid – there are no pictures to confirm or deny. The owner also claims that this vehicle has been parked in its current location for the last 37 years. The owner says that the engine in this Camino runs but it is tired and will need some work. Today’s find has the base six-cylinder engine driving through a three-speed manual floor shifted transmission. Power in 1959 extended from a 135 HP 235 CI six-cylinder engine all the way to a 335 horsepower 348 CI “Turbo-Thrust” engine. Incorporating the ‘59’s design into a half pick-up truck layout makes for a strong visual statement, I know I like it. Time changes all and the 1959 Chevrolet has become more acceptable and desirable as of late – certain models, depending upon their equipment, are very collectible. The 1960 model softened some of the ‘59’s more extreme styling tendencies but there is no mistaking the lineage. The first generation, 19, seem to be either loved or hated primarily because the 1959 full-size Chevrolet was a polarizing design and those elements flow through to the El Camino. After a four year absence, the El Camino returned to the “A” platform (mid-size Chevelle) in 1964 and was a sales success through 1987. It was a half car/half pick-up truck built on the “B” (full-size) platform for two years and then discontinued. A brief history, the El Camino was Chevrolet’s 1959 response to Ford’s Ranchero, introduced two years earlier. Here is a first-year example that is neither a hot rod nor a pro-tourer but is pretty complete and mostly original, located in Coram, Montana and listed here on eBay for an opening bid of $7,999. They are a favorite of hot-rodders and pro-tourers. El Camino’s are pretty common, especially nicely restored examples.
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