1959 Chevrolet El Camino

1959 to 1960 · Pickup · 22,246 built

Chevrolet's bold answer to Ford's Ranchero, the first-generation El Camino arrived in 1959 as a stylish car-truck hybrid built on the full-size Impala platform. With its dramatic bat-wing rear fins and distinctive two-tone paint schemes, it captured the era's space-age optimism perfectly. The Base model came standard with Chevy's reliable 235-cubic-inch inline-six, though savvy buyers could option up to the 348 V8 for serious performance. Production lasted just two model years before Chevrolet pulled the plug, making these early El Caminos surprisingly rare today. Only around 36,000 were built across both years, with 1960 models being particularly scarce. Clean examples have become increasingly sought-after by collectors who appreciate their unique blend of practicality and period style. The car-truck concept would return in 1964 on the mid-size Chevelle platform, but these original full-size versions remain the most distinctive and collectible El Caminos ever produced.