This introductory year El Camino has been completed in popular “restomod” fashion with some mild deviations from stock. Add-ons include aftermarket air conditioning, five-spoke custom wheels and a custom steering wheel. The finish is well-executed in bright red with black interior. The dashboard displays its original flair and the transmission is automatic. The exterior exhibits plentiful and stylish chrome trim and is a nice representation and reminder of a market niche no one fills today.

Chevrolet had been considering a car based pickup since 1952, by the time of the 1959 introduction of the El Camino, they had a very good idea of how they wanted to execute the plan. Interestingly, the 1959 car upon which the El Camino was based was greatly restyled for that year and sold in lesser numbers than the Ford model it competed with. However, the El Camino handily outsold its Ranchero counterpart. Offering the practical uses of a truck with the stylish drivability of a car made the El Camino very popular with buyers who were avidly moving out to suburbs.