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.
Mike Mueller is the author of many books, including The Complete Book of Classic GM Muscle, The Complete Book of Mustang: Every Model Since 1964, and The Complete Book of Corvette: Every Model Since 1953, all published by Motorbooks.
