The 119-inch wheelbase and passenger car chassis ensured a pleasant ride and good handling - something few pickups of the period could boast. Automatic transmissions were also available-either the Powerglide (a 2-speed automatic) or the Turboglide (a continuously variable automatic). But there were engine upgrade options, starting with two V8 engines: One offered 170 horsepower (improved to 230 in 1960), with 283 cubic inches and fuel injection the second V8 option was up to 355 horsepower, with 348 cubic inches and three carburetors. inline 6-cylinder, with a 3-speed manual transmission. The standard engine was a 135-hp, 235-cu.-in. Although the El Camino wasn't the first vehicle to blend a passenger-car platform with the utility of a truck’s cargo bed, it was ultimately the most successful in the United States. The inaugural El Camino was introduced as the flagship of Chevrolet light-duty truck line. The first-generation GM version of the car-based pickup debuted on Octoas a new " 1959" model.Two years later, GM answered with the Chevrolet version, christened "El Camino" which is Spanish for "the road" (or "the way"). General Motors was left without an equivalent product, and not responding to the blue-oval threat simply wasn't an option. Relatively popular in the prewar years, car-based pickups had all but disappeared from the American landscape when Ford launched it's 1957 Ranchero in December 1956. The Ranchero was more car than truck (the reverse of the Cameo Carrier) and gave buyers the usefulness of a light pickup truck with the comforts (and familiarity) of an everyday driving car. Although not a big seller, the Camino Carrier, which never made a comeback, did inspire Ford to rethink the pickup concept and set the stage for it's Ranchero. Boasting V-8 power, automatic transmission, two-tone paint, and deluxe interior, the " 1955" Chevrolet Cameo narrowed the distance between car and truck. While it was stylish inside and out and turned heads, in reality it was a well-designed version of the Chevy Task Force generation of pickup trucks. They rolled out a specially designed and fancied-up version of their pickup truck to add style and comfort. In 1955, Chevrolet did something new and special.History of the El - 1958 Before the El Camino-the Cameo Carrier. The Cowboy Cadillac - History of the El Camino
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