Auto Shop - Car/Truck Hybrids
On this day in 1958, Chevy releases their El Camino.
I personally think the name is used more widely than the Ranchero, which Ford released two years before.
Ford was the first car/truck to be sold in the United States, but this wasn't a new concept for them - "Utes" had been used in Australia since the 1930's.
The story goes that a farmers wife wrote to Ford Australia and asked for a car that could take her to church on Sunday and take her husband's pigs to market on Monday. Lewis Brandt is the engineer who first created the "utility coupe" but soon every company in Australia had a version.
The Ranchero was mostly a hit, but the El Camino was not. Chevy actually discontinued manufacturing after two years - until 1968 when it was redone with the SS engine and became a huge success.
Production officially ended in 1987, and now all you can get are the classics. I can't say I've seen many of the 50's versions even at Hot August Nights though....
Photos from Pinterest
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