By combining truck with car, Chevrolet made it possible for utility vehicles to exhibit style and flair like nothing seen before in the workaday world. Its cargo box plainly made the El Camino thoroughly practical. Throw in all the comfort, convenience and class available optionally to Chevy car buyers and you had the your cake both in hand and mouth. It was all those multi-purpose features that made the El Camino so much of an attraction during its long-running career, and showing off all those attractions in close-up color detail is the goal on these pages. The whole story is concisely told in short order, then it’s up to readers to let more than 125 pictures do all the talking. Look under the hood—at everything from mundane sixes to brutal 454 cubic-inch big-blocks. Get a feel from behind the wheel—surrounded by both Spartan accoutrements and lavishly optioned cockpits. See how everything worked—from stowing the spare to dropping the tailgate. Turn the last page and you will know the El Camino inside and out.

This book tells the El Camino story through contemporary road and comparison tests plus model introductions and includes full technical and specification data. The El Camino made its debut in 1959 but was dropped between 1961 and 1963. The 1968 range was the first to carry a Super Sport option and the seventies also saw an estate derivative. Both disappeared after 1977 with the arrival of emissions regulations. Later models did not disappoint however, and the variants of the early eighties were to the forefront of the latest developments. Models covered: the 283, 327, 348, 305, 350, 396, SS 396, Trimatic, 454, 4100 auto, Turbo diesel and Super Sport.

This all-inclusive history of the Chevrolet El Camino from its introduction in 1959 to the end of production in 1987 explores the impact the car-pickup hybrid had on the small-truck market while explaining year-by-year model changes. Archival factory photographs combine with modern images to illustrate various body styles, engines, and interiors, as well as customs and special editions like the GMC Sprint and Caballero.

Haynes disassembles every subject vehicle and documents every step with thorough instructions and clear photos. Haynes repair manuals are used by the pros, but written for the do-it-yourselfer.

The Care and Feeding of the El Camino Vehicle through the Years. If You are Looking for a Thrill Ride, Look no further than the Classic El Camino.