The Chevy El Camino was a car that could haul. It was pitched in the 1960s as a truck but was actually built on the chassis of a sedan. The driving dynamics were also that of a nimble sedan but with the added utility of a sizable bed. This identity crisis is what helped it turn into an icon and in fact, even motivate automakers in the future to follow the odd-ball Bodystyle.
Chevy had gotten inspired from the Utes of the early 1900s that were basically makeshift sedans with a bed. Utes are and still is very much common in Australia as it was flexible with the utility of a truck and the comfort of a sedan. But as years passed along, Chevrolet wanted to churn out more than just a 'utilitarian' angle from the El Camino. And that's how we were treated to the more powerful and muscular Chevrolet El Camino SS starting from 1968.
Initially, there weren't any distinguishing factors in terms of aesthetics between the sober El Camino and its brawny V8 brother. But over the years, Chevrolet started giving the SS distinctive cues to make its vigor known to the world, and it was specifically for the 1970 MY that the El Camino SS rose in all its glory to be a performance machine. It was also because of the 'SS' badging that the El Camino cut various movies, thus becoming a short-lived yet glorious star.
The behemoth V8 engine options were crucial in what made the Chevy El Camino SS a force to reckon with.
'SS' Added Chevy El Camino To The American Muscle Club
Slowly when America got used to the weird Bodystyle, it was now time for the El Camino to make a mark. And what better way than to enter the performance muscle club of the 1960s. Back in the days, higher cubic capacities and V8s were the criteria to enter into the torquey American muscle club. 1968 was the first year for the El Camino SS and it made quite a buzz when launched. Till then including the 1968 MY, the standard El Camino came with a plethora of engine options even in standard form. It ranged from a 3.8L Inline-6 all the way to a chunky 5.7L V8. The standard engines churned out power in the range of 195 hp to 300 hp.
But those engines were nothing when compared to the brawny 6.5L and 7.4L V8 options that came with the El Camino SS. These engines churned out over 350 horses in the most powerful form and came couple with either a 3-Speed manual or 4-Speed automatic. There were SS badged El Caminos before 1968, but it was from here on that it was given a fresh identity and was a new model. This shift also added to its performance appeal and helped it make a name for itself among the American muscle lot.
1968 - 1970: The Golden Period For The Chevy El Camino SS That Heightened Its Performance Appeal
From 1968, El Camino SS with its newfound identity went on for a glorious run. It was in the 1970MY that Chevrolet packed the El Camino SS with its most powerful engine during its lifetime. It was a new A-body 7.4L V8 that could pump out anywhere between 360 - 450 hp. These were insane figures for the time, and which is why the 1970 El Camino SS is the most sought-after MY today. There weren't many aesthetic updates along with this monstrous engine, which also made it kind of a sleeper among El Caminos! But the dominance was short-lived as in 1971, federal and insurance regulations began restricting the performance of muscle cars.
Dual Body Stripes, SS Badging, And Distinctive Wheel Caps - The El Camino SS Sure Looked Sporty
Chevrolet El Camino was already an outlaw with its odd-ball design with the chassis and front half of a sedan and the rear half of a truck. But Chevrolet still made efforts for the SS to stand out with its iconic dual-strip body decal, chunky 'SS' logo on the front grille, and distinctive wheel hubs. The El Camino was closely related to the Chevy Chevelle sedan of the time. In fact, the front fascia was exactly the same and El Camino even shared the same wheelbase. Despite not changing much in terms of aesthetics as compared to the standard El Camino, the SS still packed a sporty appeal with these subtle cues.
Shared With The Chevy Chevelle; Differentiating Features Were Confined to 'SS' Badging In The Interior As Well
Not many efforts were made in the interior of the El Camino SS as well, to make it look different. Apart from the tiny 'SS' badging on the 2-spoke steering wheel, there weren't any other sport cues to tell of it as an El Camino's interior. The interior was for that matter shared with the Chevelle Malibu that gave it heightened levels of comfort and loads of optional feature options. Notable features included power steering and power windows as well.
The Chevrolet El Camino SS Has Ammased A Hardcore Cult Following In Its Short Lifespan
As the 454 El Camino SS was short-lived, 1970 MY has turned out to be an icon And it is solely because of the elusive combination of a big burly V8 with a nimble and lightweight body that the El Camino SS has risen to such glory. This ute-inspired marvel from the late 1960s has a hardcore fan-following and is pretty hard to get hold of a good-conditioned specimen, even in auction houses. Well, it's obvious! No one would want to part with such a stupendous piece of history.
Sources: Wikipedia.org, Motortrend.com, Topspeed.com, Hemmings.com,