You didn’t see that picture wrong, that El Camino certainly does have a GMC badge in the grille, and yes that is factory.

Is it a car, is it a truck, do we call it an SUV? Whatever the proper designation, the car-based pickup was a unique trend back in the day and there were a few more variants than one may remember. Ford’s raging success of the Ranchero brought on the iconic El Camino - but General Motors didn’t stop there.

The company decided to double down on their success and release a GMC variant, known at first as the GMC Sprint.

To complement the El Camino SS, they provided us with the GMC Sprint SP.

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El Camino’s Cousin

Via Mecum.com

By 1971, Chevy had been making the El Camino for twelve years. It had originally sat on top of a modified Brookwood station wagon platform, with flamboyant fender flares that heavily signal the era. The first generation of the El Camino had an awkward phase, as we all do, and only lasted two years before it took a brief hiatus while finding a true identity within the Chevelle platform.

The El Camino was seeing popular success, selling nearly 20,000 pickups every year. But that wasn’t enough, GMC also needed a sports truck line, and what better way to sell more cars in the 1970s? Swap out a few badges and sell them under a different name.

GMC Sprint (First Generation)

Via bringatrailer.com

The first years of the GMC Sprint were made on the same production line as the El Camino. They used GM’s A platform shared with the Chevrolet Chevelle station wagon/4-door sedan wheelbase. The workers on the line were ordered to simply trade them with the alternative grill, fender and tailgate emblems, and wheel trimmings. The rest of the vehicle was to remain identical to the proven to be popular El Camino and Chevelle.

The GMC variant was also offered with the same range of engines as it’s related El Camino. The base “Standard” came with their 250 cubic inch inline 6 that made a net 145 horsepower. The Sprint’s second trim, the “Custom” could be fitted with the array of GM’s V8s, including the small block 307 and 350, or the big block V8s 402 and 454. Also like it’s Chevrolet equivalents, the Sprint was available in three different transmissions, the 3-speed automatic, 3-speed manual, or 4-speed Synchro-Mesh manual transmission.

The first year of the Sprint’s release was also the first year for the government-mandated lower-octane fuel. This led to a reduction in engine compression and the addition of GM’s smog pump.

Via bringatrailer.com

Being a rather luxurious brand, GMC offered a variety of conveniences at a cost. A buyer could equip their pickup with power windows, power locks, cruise control, air conditioning, and even swivel seats.

The GMC Sprint SP, which was equivalent to the El Camino SS, was an optional trim package only available under the “Custom” and was labeled RPO YE7. Engine options were either the L48 350, the LS3 400 (402), or the big LS5 454 that made 365 hp. The highest horsepower rating of any light-duty GMC ever produced.

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The Sprint SP came with the same 15” 5-spoke wheels used on the Chevelle SS, but with "GMC" on the center caps in place of the Chevy bowtie. It also had a round speedometer, unlike the rectangular one found in most of the non-SP models.

1972 was the final year of the third generation El Camino, this resulted in a brief lifespan of the first generation Sprint. For the 1972 year, the Sprint added the updated Chevelle front end styling while keeping the optional GMC and engine badges in the same location.

GMC Sprint (Second Generation)

Via BarnFinds.com

The year 1973 brought a redesign for all the vehicles that were using the A platform.

Although larger, it weighed less than the previous generation. Much of the former Sprint had carried over, including the choice in either a “Standard” inline-6 with a 250 cubic engine or the “Custom” with optional V8s. The V8s now offered were Chevy’s small-block 305, 350, and 400 cubic-inch, or the big block 454 Turbo-Jet.

The second generation of the GMC Sprint still offered the SP package option in their lineup. The SS badge had been dropped by the Camaro, Impala, and Monte Carlo by that time and 1973 saw the end of the Chevelle SS. Fortunately, the El Camino SS held on and so did the GMC Sprint SP.

The Sprint SP package no longer had the two far stripes or cowl induction hood, most likely because so few were ordered with the option the year prior. The package now included special suspension, rally wheels, and two stripes that ran along the body sides that had “SP” on the fender. It was essentially only a wheel stripe, and suspension option at this point. The SP wheels switched over to Corvette style rally wheels in 1975. Quad-stacked rectangular headlights were added the following year.

Via bringatrailer.com

The year 1975 was the last time we saw the 245 hp Turbo Jet 454 and all GM motors had added catalytic converters. The top engine available in 1976 was the small-block 4-bbl 400, and it was dropped the next year, making the 4-bbl 350 the largest option for its last year in 1977.

The GMC Sprint was renamed and drastically remodeled at the GMC Caballero in 1978. The pickup car lasted until 1987 until it was discontinued. The name roughly translates to “gentleman” or “horseman.” One of the most notable models was the GMC “Diablo” Caballero.

Buying A Sprint SP Today

The GMC Sprint SP was a part of a class that will forever be a staple and icon of the 1970s era. It was stylish, handy, and fairly sporty. GM did in fact call the GMC Sprint a “Sports Utility Vehicle” in their brochure of 1972.

Via Pinterest

Although being a fairly rare car, the dominance and popularity are likely to blame for the low resale value that the GMC Sprint is going for today. BringATrailer had a GMC Sprint SP sell off their website in 2018 for $15,000. At the moment, there are fourteen for sale on AutoTrader, ranging from $6,000 to nearly $40,000. While any SP-454 is rare, the ‘71, ‘72. And ‘75 are likely the most difficult to find.

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