Minneapolis Street Sighting: Chevrolet El Camino

Continuing my Chevrolet theme, I bring readers this El Camino. If that front end looks familiar, there's a reason for it. Like the popular Australian term ute, the same term applies to the El Camino and Ford Ranchero sold in the 'states. Take a midsize passenger car, and build a cargo hold in place of the rear seats, and market it as a car/truck hybrid. There technically were trucks by the EPA, but since they were built on car frames, they are designed to meet crash standards for passenger cars--which in the 1970s and 1980s were fairly low, but still.

The El Camino was in production from 1959 to 1960, then reappeared in 1964 to finish its production run; in 1959-1960, it was based on the same platform as the Chevrolet fullsizers (Brookwood, Impala, Del Ray etc), but then in 1964, it switched to being based on the midsize offerings, where it stood until its 1987 demise; howeve, unlike the Monte Carlo I brought readers yesterday, the El Camino was not revived at a later date--unless said reader lives in Australia, where it is sold as the Holden Ute. I have seen custom jobs based on the W-body Lumina, and its successor the Impala--and even the front-wheel-drive Monte Carlo, but those are one-offs and were not licensed by Chevrolet.

 I like these--and I am not afraid to admit it; I often see these midly riced out, or donked out, so its refreshing to see a stock one--although I have blogged quite a number of them already, they never get old.  I like the stock wheels on this one, and I like the pain silver color; I don't really like two-tone on these, so I'm glad this one isn't two-toned like most of them here.

I dig the stock wheels on these, and I think stock is best here. Sure, people slap horrendous 24s on them, but that looks stupid; leave these alone, thank you.  I can't really say for sure, but I think this might be the one that is now neon yellow that lives on this block. I desperate hope it isn't.

I had fun shooting this truck, and I am glad  shoot it the first time I saw it. Unlike California, and Idaho, these trucklets are fast disappearing here, and I want to document them as best I can.