Full Description: History of the 1978-1987 Chevrolet El Camino The Chevrolet El Camino was GMs response to the success of the 1957 Ford Ranchero. The idea of a car-based light duty pickup or coupe utility had been played around with prior to World War II but it seemed to have been forgotten until the 1950s when the success of the gentleman pickups like the Chevy Cameo indicated that the market was ready for an even more car-like pickup truck.The idea lasted well into the 1980s with the final down-sized Malibu-based generation that bowed in 1978. It was a trim and handsome vehicle although it lacked the classic status of the earlier Chevelle-based El Caminos. Like nearly everything else built during the malaise-era the choice of powertrains was a bit uninspiring. Nonetheless payload was still a hefty 800 pounds which made the car a flexible and practical choice.PLUS up to $2000 reconditioning fees on qualifying vehicles. Sales tax in your County title and tags not included in vehicle prices shown and must be paid by the purchaser. While great effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site errors do occur. So please verify information with a custom service representative. This is easily done calling us or visiting us at the dealership.716-886-1626Please visit safercar.org to verify if this car has any open recalls.