Chevrolet El Camino SS 396
The Chevrolet El Camino occupies a uniquely American niche: the car-truck hybrid. Based on the Chevelle platform, the El Camino combined the front half of a muscle car with a pickup bed, creating a vehicle that could tow a boat on Saturday, run the quarter-mile on Sunday, and commute to work on Monday.
When equipped with the SS 396 package, the El Camino became a genuine muscle car that happened to have a truck bed. The 396 big-block in L78 form produced 375 horsepower — the same engine available in the Chevelle SS — and the El Camino's slightly lighter weight (no heavy trunk and rear seat) gave it a respectable power-to-weight ratio.
The third-generation El Camino (1968-72) shared the Chevelle's handsome styling, including the dramatic Coke-bottle bodyside sculpture and long-hood/short-deck proportions. The SS package added the blacked-out grille, SS badges, special hood, and the full complement of muscle car running gear including heavy-duty suspension, power front disc brakes, and wide-oval tires.
For 1970, the El Camino could be ordered with the 454 LS5 (390 hp) and, theoretically, the LS6 (450 hp) — though actual LS6 El Caminos are extremely rare and hotly debated among collectors. The combination of 450 horsepower and a pickup bed was as gloriously impractical as it sounds.
The El Camino continued through 1987 but the muscle car era was its golden age. Today, SS-equipped El Caminos from 1968-72 are sought after by collectors who appreciate their versatility, unique character, and the fact that they can be shown at car shows and used for actual work.
El Camino values track closely with Chevelle values, typically at a modest discount. The bed floor, bed sides, and bed-to-cab junction are unique rust areas. Check the rear coil spring pockets for rot. SS documentation is essential — many base El Caminos have been dressed up as SS models. Big-block cars (396/454) are significantly more valuable than small-block versions. The bed's utility means many survivors have led harder lives than comparable Chevelles.
The El Camino was produced in two runs: 1959-1960 (based on the full-size Chevrolet) and 1964-1987 (based on the Chevelle/Malibu). SS equipment was available from 1968. The LS6 454 El Camino is one of the rarest factory muscle cars — fewer than 10 are believed to exist with documentation.