Even if Chevrolet's El Camino is classified as a pickup truck, we all know better, right? As legendary as the El Camino is, it falls into the same sort of gag category as a Subaru Baja or Hyundai Santa Cruz for me. But that opinion likely exposes my age to you all, as many readers will remember just how useful the El Camino was supposed to be.
Manufactured as a response to Ford's Ranchero, both models have taken on cult status as a result of their now unique shape. At the time, however, both manufacturers saw a genuine need for something they called roadster utility or light delivery vehicles. And a sedan mouth with a low pickup bed fit the bill for many consumers, as over 500,000 El Camino units were sold throughout its 28-year production run.
This particular Brooklyn-residing El Camino is a third-generation model, built on GM's A-body platform. With that shiny SS badge gleaming on the side, it's packing a 7.4-liter LS6 V8 under the hood, which was good for 450 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque. And it shared its entire front end with the Chevrolet Chevelle, though the GMC-branded El Camino (known as the GMC Sprint) had a few stylistic differences.
Given the relative popularity of the El Camino, these third-generation models were assembled in four separate plants across the United States, from Baltimore, Maryland, and Kansas City, Missouri, to Van Nuys and Fremont, California. Production for the third generation ran from 1968 through 1972.
El Caminos received plenty of aftermarket attention when released and SS versions like the one pictured above were fast out of the box with a propensity to roast the rear tires. Even today, modified El Caminos are running quick quarter miles with regularity. Beyond good, old-fashioned American drag racing, there has been a recent surge in collectors' interest in El Caminos as well.
In fact, according to data from Bring A Trailer, a 41-Years-Owned 1968 Chevrolet El Camino SS 396 4-Speed sold for $75,000 just last week. That's certainly on the extreme end, but more average El Caminos typically sell for $25,000 on Bring A Trailer, with sales prices trending upward since 2019.
With an invalid license plate, two-year expired registration, and a bag of loose tools in the bed, this El Camino is likely to spend its final years in South Brooklyn. But that doesn't mean it hasn't been loved, as the sparkling paint and aftermarket wheels indicate this is an enthusiast-owned vehicle. Whether it's hauling snacks from the nearby Costco, making general contracting trips, or simply spinning its rear tires, it's always refreshing to see this General Motors oddity.
A New York transplant hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Emmet White has a passion for anything that goes: cars, bicycles, planes, and motorcycles. After learning to ride at 17, Emmet worked in the motorcycle industry before joining Autoweek in 2022. The woes of alternate side parking have kept his fleet moderate, with a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta GLI and a 2003 Honda Nighthawk 750 street parked in his South Brooklyn community.
