The hot version featured a high, 10.5:1 high-compression, a larger 4bbl carb and dual pipes.įor the following year the Chevy El Camino was subject to the same facelift as the Chevelle with a sharper V’d front end behind which you could get a new L79 327 producing 350 hp.
#59 el camino horsepower plus#
Under the hood there was three optional sixes plus two versions of the 327 rated at 250 and 300 hp. Car design had moved away from the fins of the fifties and the new Camino was a very clean design based on the Chevelle two-door wagon. “The road” came to an end, at least for the time being.Īs Ford persisted with the Ranchero, Chevrolet had little choice but to reintroduce their version in 1964, however, it was based on a mid-size platform rather than the preceding full-size platform. Sales of the ’59 El Camino were brisk at 22,246 units but they were by no means staggering and they fell off the following year to 14,163.
#59 el camino horsepower manuals#
Three or four-speed manuals were available as was a two-speed Powerglide auto. Under the vast hood, Chevrolet offered a 3.9L 235 ci straight six, the 4.6: 283 ci V8 and the Turbo-Thrust 5.7L 348 ci V8 producing a max of 335 hp. The new-for-’59 Chevy El Camino, which means “the path” or “the way” in Spanish was based on the Brookwood two-door station wagon… This was no hog-hauling pickup this was cruiser personified. Wide “cat’s eye” taillights were split along the bed line. The rear was equally wild with sweeping airplane influenced “batwing” fins that emanated from just behind the cab and ran the entire length of the bed-it was about as far as fins would go. The greenhouse featured a huge wrap-around windshield and an unusual and dramatic “flying wing” top that was an abbreviated version of the tops on full-size cars. Up front there were twin intakes above a full-width grille flanked by dual headlights.
The new-for-’59 Chevy El Camino, which means “the path” or “the way” in Spanish, was based on the Brookwood two-door station wagon as was the sedan delivery and it emulated the styling of the full-size Chevy Impala. Only 500 were sold in ’58 and the model was dropped. Chevy sold some 5,200 units in ’55 but sales slumped in ’56 to 1,460 and in ’57 to 2,240. The big difference initiated by designer Chuck Jordan was the ditching of the running boards and the use of fiberglass bedside panels to afford a more integrated appearance. Although based on Chevy’s regular pickup, the Cameo had many car-like features including car-like interior, optional engines, automatic rather than stick transmissions and power-assisted brakes and steering. While GM was behind Ford, there were some directional indicators in 1955 when Chevy introduced their factory-customized Cameo Carrier pickup. Nevertheless, its mere introduction caused GM to take notice. While the concept was sound, sales for 1957 did not reach 22,000. The Ute was only ever really popular in Australia until the Ranchero was invented to meet the same needs for a comfortable pickup that could do double duty as a utility vehicle and a cruiser. His happy marriage appeared in 1934 when a coupe body was joined to an integrated pickup bed. Bandt to begin work later that year on marrying a coupe to a pickup. Vehicle: Ford Ute Photo Credit: Tony Thacker The popularity of such a beast caused one lady to apparently write to Ford Australia asking for “a vehicle to go to church in on a Sunday and which can carry our pigs to market on Mondays”. Vehicle: 1957 Ford Rancheroīut wait, the history can be traced to Australia where Ford offered two roadster pickups in 1932, one with a straight-side bed known as the Standard Utility Car or ‘Ute’ for short. The Ranchero was based on a two-door, station-wagon platform that had an integrated cab and pickup bed unlike a regular pickup that has a separate cab and bed. Of course, being an agricultural driven country the pickup has been the vehicle of choice for generations and as we have often seen, GM was caught back footed when Ford introduced their Ranchero in 1956. The pickup truck is as American as apple pie and the Chevy El Camino is apple pie à la mode. Business in the Front, Party in the Back The Chevy El Camino
0 kommentar(er)
