The
Chevrolet El Camino was a car-truck hybrid produced from 1959 to 1987. Originally based on the full-size
Impala (and incorporating the awesome
bat-wing tail fins!), it was moved to the mid-size
Chevelle platform in 1964, where it stayed for the remainder of its life. Production figures were high, ranging from around 30,000 during the first decade to 40-60,000 per year as
the 70's passed by.
The El Camino's unique look mimics a car from the doors forward, with a smoothly merged pickup bed attached. Ford's similar Ranchero, first produced in the 1960's, and the later VW Rabbit pickup and Subaru's Brat are among the few other vehicles with this configuration (and they all predate the new "hybrid" sport-utility vehicles, just as the VW Microbus was 25 years ahead of its time).
Since El Caminos are so mechanically similar to Chevelles/Malibus, they can generally use the same hot-rod speed parts and are popular targets for customization, especially the Super Sport models released after 1968, with their hot 396ci V-8s.
In the 1970s there was a GMC version, first badged Sprint, and later, in the '80s, Caballero, until both models were eventually discontinued.