Zac Quinn 
If you’ve ever wondered what the Chevrolet El Camino might have looked like based on today’s standards, look no further than GM Design‘s Instagram page, where concept art from the design division at General Motors gets released to the public, sometimes, things are a glimpse at a vehicle that becomes a prototype or even goes into production, other times, they are just fun sketches that make us wonder “what if” which is where this recent sketch by Brian Malczewski comes in.
The first thing that stands out in the image is the massive wheels that leave very little room for the tires within the wheel well, but that is typical of design sketches. At the front, it’s clear that inspiration was taken from the Chevrolet Camaro, with a boxier front end and spaced headlights. Following the profile along with extravagant curves, we can see a slight spoiler just behind the cab of this car before leading into the evident bed of the vehicle. This sketch has a two-door design with unique taillights that appear similar to what’s currently employed on the C8 Corvette.
We’ll take this time to note that Malczewski was integral in the exterior design of the GMC Hummer EV SUV. Moreover, the talented designer even put a time stamp on this sketch on social media.
“Dang went back into the archives for this one. Looks like some kind of Chevy muscle truck sketch from 2015. Thanks again @generalmotorsdesign,” Malczewski wrote on his own Instagram page. This would imply that GM flirted with the idea of a sixth-generation Camaro-based ute, but ultimately it never happened.
It may have caught fire in Australia, though, where the VF Holden Commodore was offered up with a truck bed up until 2018 or so, when GM decided to completely neuter the heralded Aussie muscle car and attempt to sell it as a rebadged Opel Insignia with the ZB Commodore. With Holden not even existing as a brand anymore, it’s safe to say the results of such a decision were disastrous.
Indeed, the take rate on a Camaro-based trucklet would have probably been terrible, with only the most enthusiastic and quirky among us likely to turn money over for one. Likewise, today’s muscle cars are decreasing in popularity as customers want something more versatile, family-friendly, and able to haul things (as seen with the popularity of trucks), this would offer the best of both worlds, sporty styling and utility. We’ve seen a 1972 Chevrolet El Camino equipped with a Chevrolet eCrate system, so perhaps an electric version will come someday.
The Chevrolet El Camino is remembered as a muscle car that you could take to the job site. And this mullet of a machine is now a classic that has long deserved a comeback. Especially in America’s truck-hungry market.
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