Pick of the Day: 1959 Chevrolet El Camino

even when emptya truck bed carries a lot of weight. The Chevrolet El Camino is the automotive equivalent of Nickelodeon’s “CatDog,” with the appearance of a car but the chassis of a pickup truck. You could call it a hybrid. Some call it a coupe utility. I found something interesting Chevrolet’s This is how I identify the original El Camino after I selected this 1959 as my Pick of the Day.

Brochures are a great way to familiarize yourself with a car manufacturer’s model range for a specific year. Luckily, there are plenty of 1959 Chevrolet brochures available online. But you have to look for a certain type to find a first-year El Camino. No, you won’t find it next to a Biscayne or Parkwood, although Chevrolet calls the El Camino “an ideal blend of passenger car charm and truck practicality.” The El Camino shares brochure space with the Task Force 59 pickup truck. While Chevrolet mentions that it “offers the best qualities of a premium passenger car,” it goes into more detail about the El Camino’s ability to get the job done. The “human-sized pickup box” has an “airtight tailgate” that can “firmly support long loads” when lowered. Of course, the El Camino is also available with V8 power: Turbo-Fire 283 or Turbo-Thrust 348.

According to reports, this El Camino’s four-cylinder 348ci V8 engine has been rebuilt and paired with a column-mounted Powerglide two-speed automatic transmission. According to the selling dealer, the silver body panels are straight and the chassis and chassis are clean.

When this truck’s workday is done, its red, pink, and white vinyl interior offers the comfort and convenience of rebuilt power steering, dual-circuit power brakes, and a custom Autosound AM/FM radio.

If you asked 10 different people what type of vehicle an El Camino is, you would probably get seven different answers. If you pay the asking price of $59,500, you can call it yours.

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