In its 108 year history, Chevrolet has made plenty of beautiful cars that made heads-turn, cars like the Camaro, the Corvette or the Bel-Air, and then there are cars that are so unique, so out-of-the-box that you wonder how they came up with them. The best example of this of course is the El Camino.
Inspired by Ford’s Ranchero, the 1959 El Camino was originally built on the platform of a station wagon with a coupe-like front end and a truck bed that was integrated into the body. In 1960, the El Camino was discontinued due to slumping sales, but it came back in 1964 on the Chevelle platform and stayed on the market until 1987.
Because of the car’s unique look, it was very divisive, some people thought it was weird and ugly, while others loved it. Today, the car is a cult-classic, with some going for as much as $126,000 at auction. Sadly for El Camino fans, Chevrolet has no plans to remake the El Camino in the near future, but what would it look like if they did? By looking at current car trends and some concept drawings, we can get a sense of what a futuristic El Camino might look like.
Attempts To Bring The El Camino Back
Although no new El Caminos have been built since 1987, General Motors has spent a lot of time thinking about it. In 1992, they unveiled an El Camino concept car based on the body of the Lumina Z34, but it never went into production. In 1995, the idea came up again only this time it would be built on the Chevy’s Caprice station wagon body, but when B-platform cars were discontinued in 1996, the idea was once again shelved. In 2008, Pontiac, another GM subsidiary, unveiled a utility coupe at the New York International Auto Show, but as a result of budget cuts, the idea was abandoned.
What a New El Camino Would Look Like
By looking at other classic cars that have been re-released in recent years, we can get a better idea of what the El Camino would look like. For example, the modern Camaro still resembles it’s 1960’s and 70s predecessors. It’s still a two-door muscle car with a long front end and a short deck, and it still goes really fast. However, the modern Chevy Camaro isn’t a carbon copy of the old ones, GM phased out the traditional square blocky front end for a rounder look and softer lines. But what car would they use to build it on?
It’s likely that a new El Camino would be built on the platform of the Chevy Malibu. After the Chevelle was discontinued in 1977, the Malibu was Chevrolet’s main contender in the mid-size market. Being as the El Camino was built on the Chevelle, it would make sense to continue using a mid-size car like the Malibu. However, in a digital mock-up that was part of a 2020 El Camino hoax, an artist designed one that used the front half of a modern Camaro. If Chevrolet ended up going the Camaro route, the El Camino would undoubtedly be one of the fastest pickup trucks on the market.
Why It's Not Coming Back Anytime Soon
As much as General Motors might dream about bringing back the El Camino, we shouldn’t hold our breath. Modern crossover SUVs offer a lot of storage and towing capacity in a compact, easy to maneuver package. Which means there is no longer a niche for a utility coupe like the El Camino to fill. Furthermore, as full-size trucks become more and more fuel-efficient, there is no reason to get a compact utility vehicle that can't handle big loads as well.
Although there might be a small group that would be very excited about an El Camino rerelease, there just aren’t enough people to make it worth GM’s time and money.