This 1959 Chevrolet El Camino is a super cool car/truck hybrid with a mild custom look and is ready for some serious cruising! Starting in the mid-1950s, with the debut of the Chevy Cameo, American automakers started to release luxury pickup trucks that prioritized style alongside utility. The first pickup truck aimed to compete with Chevrolet's Cameo was Ford's Ranchero, which featured a novel design known as a "Sedan Pickup" and debuted in 1957. The Sedan Pickup is a combination of a car and pickup truck, with a car-type passenger cab in front and a standard pickup box on the back. Towards the end of 1958, the Cameo had fallen out of favor with the rising style of the "Task Force" pickups and on October 16, 1958, the 1959 Chevrolet Pickups debuted in dealer showrooms. Noticeably absent in the '59 debut were the Cameo Pickups instead replaced with a brand new Sedan Pickup model, the 1959 Chevrolet El Camino. Touted as "More than a Car " More than a Truck," the El Camino was essentially a combination of a truck and car; that is, a pickup truck body on a passenger car's chassis. Up front, the '59 El Caminos shared the same new-look grilles, hoods, and headlight design of Chevy's 1959 passenger car models. The rear end treatment also significantly resembled the '59 Chevrolet passenger cars, complete with the swooping tailfins that surrounded the teardrop-shaped "Cat Eye" taillight lenses. The side profile is where the car-truck hybrid design was most evident, with the passenger cabin resembling a '59 Chevrolet car with a cut-out for the pickup truck box in the rear. The interiors were also more beautiful than standard '59 Task Force pickups and from the factory looked quite similar to the elevated look of a '59 Impala or Bel Air. Under the hood on this '59 El Camino is a 283 Cubic Inch V8 engine fed by a single 2 barrel carburetor that together were said to have produced 185 horsepower when new. The 283 V8 is backed by a 3 speed manual transmission that is shifted via a column-mounted "three-on-the-tree" shifter. Exhaust exits the small block Chevy powerplant via dual exhaust ports that generate a nice throaty sound out the rear. This 1959 El Camino is a nicely optioned 50s pickup truck! With power steering, squeezing in and out of a tight parking space a the local car show or drive-in is a total breeze and the overall driving experience is much improved. Further simplifying challenging parking situations is a pair of dual outside chrome mirrors, with the driver's side mirror doubling as an auxiliary spotlight. All four wheels have been upgraded to a Rally-style rim, accented with beauty rings and "Derby" style chrome hubcaps, paired with wide whitewall radial Coker Classic tires, that together provide a mild custom look and provide a fantastic ride cruising down the road. Refinished in an eye-catching two-tone paint scheme consisting of Roman Red and Snowcrest White, this '59 El Camino has fantastic curb appeal. The steel pickup box is in great shape as is the wooden slat bed, that complete the gorgeous exterior appearance of this classic Chevy truck. The custom interior of this '59 Chevrolet El Camino has a wonderful look! The bench seat has been reupholstered in two-tone red and white vinyl, as are the matching custom door panels and matching upholstered package tray. The Roman Red painted dash, red carpeting, and matching steering wheel are in fantastic condition as well and retain a nice stock appearance. The instrument cluster is equipped with a 120 MPH speedometer, temperature gauge, and fuel gauge, along with a clock and indicator lights for the generator and oil pressure. The dash is finished with a locking glovebox, ashtray, and retro-style upgraded AM/FM/Cassette entertainment system. Whether you're buying your first classic pickup truck or you're adding to your existing Chevy collection, this 1959 Chevrolet El Camino would make an excellent choice. Give Ellingson's a call today at 763-428-7337!
