American Cars of 1958

[Monksdream]

On October 16, 1958, Chevrolet begins to sell a car-truck hybrid that it calls the El Camino. Inspired by the Ford Ranchero, which had already been on the market for two years, the El Camino was a combination sedan-pickup truck built on the Impala body, with the same “cat's eye” taillights and dramatic rear fins.



The wheels aren't original, but they do justice to what Chevy's designers wanted to accomplish. The '59 model with the sharp fins almost at a horizontal was only good for a year. Later, in the 60s, Chevy included models with the big engines and four-barrel carbs. It was genuinely sporty and sleek, with a powerful look to it. I've often wondered why Chevy and Ford, much less the Japanese, Koreans, and European makers didn't reintroduce a car/truck hybrid.