#1959 EL CAMINO SSR UPDATE#
#1959 EL CAMINO SSR MANUAL#

Higher priced in V8 form, a Turbo-Fire equipped Model 1280 started at $2,248, or $20,461 in today's money. Priced starting at $2,138 for the inline-6 Model 1180, this spec of the ‘59 El Camino cost around $19,460 in today’s money - for comparison, a proper ‘59 Chevy pickup started at $1,900, or around $17,294 today. Later returning to Chevy's lineup for ‘64, the El Camino spanned a continuous production run from there up to 1987, where it was then sadly killed off for good.īecause of this shaky start, the ‘59 El Camino saw low production numbers, with only 22,246 being made for that year.

But, this was a pretty expansive list of options for the time, and what the El Camino did even better than that was in regards to practicality.Ī practical and comfortable vehicle, the ‘59 El Camino was affordable as a car but sold rather poorly being less practical and more expensive than a true truck, seeing a styling change in 1960 that made sales dip even lower, leading to its discontinuation that year. Options were a similar story and included bits like armrests for the seats, a cigarette lighter, dual exhausts, power steering (not offered with top V8 options), disc brakes, beefier springs, a padded gauge cluster, a radio, 2-speed windshield wipers, 13 solid paint, and 10 two-tone color choices, and not a whole lot more. Barebones and basic, the ‘59 Chevy truck lineup’s interior made the El Camino look downright luxurious, and though it indeed is spartan by today’s standards, bits like the vinyl bench seat - coming in either blue, grey, or green, its patterned cloth upholstery inserts, awesomely analog dashboard, chrome trim style, and overall seating position made it a much better place to be comfort-wise.īeing the late ‘50s, standard features and options were rather sparse, with standard equipment including single-speed windshield wipers, gauges for mechanical systems like oil pressure, and not much else. Not exactly a performance car though, the ‘59 El Camino weighed in at around 3,750 lbs and was focused more on low-end grunt to move loads with ease.ĭesigned to be a more comfortable and better handling alternative to traditional pickup trucks, the El Camino’s virtues in this regard started with its interior.

#1959 EL CAMINO SSR MANUAL#

For the V8 powered Model 1280 things were a similar story, with the 3-speed manual being standard, and the Powerglide or overdrive for the manual being options - though it also included a beefier 3-speed Turboglide auto as another option.

On the inline-6 Model 1180, a 3-speed column shift manual came standard, and a 2-speed Powerglide auto or 3-speed manual with overdrive were optional. Related: Ford Rumored To Be Working On High-Performance Ford F-150 Street Truck The most desirable and muscular engine though was the 348 cu-in Turbo-Thrust V8, making between 280 hp with a single 4-barrel carb, and up to 315 hp with an array of three 2-barrel carbs feeding it fuel. The lower offering was the 283 cu-in Turbo-Fire (which was just a name, and not an indication of a turbocharger) V8 making 185 hp with a 2-barrel carb, or 230 hp with 4-barrels. Making things more exciting though, the Model 1280 designation came with a choice of 2 V8s and several variations to them. With almost all of their cars from the Impala to the Biscayne sharing the same B-Platform, the El Camino would be born from these models - but with a truck twist.

#1959 EL CAMINO SSR UPDATE#

A seriously dramatic update compared to '58 models, one of the most iconic and extreme aspects were the tail fins, standing out as some of the coolest in an already fin-obsessed era. Lagging behind a fair bit, Chevy watched as Ford introduced new platforms and style in 1957, helping to give traction to this trend around bigger and longer, yet lower and sleeker cars on the market.įinally, for 1959 Chevy rolled out the update they needed, up-sizing, elongating, lowering, and overall making their passenger car lineup properly sleek and stylish, as well as ahead of the time. With the paradigm and overall bulky style of the '40s evolving through to the mid-'50s, new lower-slung styling began to hit the scene as well with one of the most defining features of the era - giant tail fins. The late 1950s were a transformative time for the car industry, especially when it came to body design.

1959 el camino ssr