Though I can appreciate a cool truck and would certainly enjoy having one as a second vehicle, I’m not really much of a truck guy. Even the toughest “truck stuff” I need to do in my life (hauling mulch, mostly) is more than capably dispatched by my RAV4, and if I ever do need substantial heft/bulk handling ability, I just rent one of Home Depot’s F250 flatbeds for about the same cost as a couple of pizzas.
If I had to do real (but not gnarly) truck stuff on the regular and daily a bed-equipped vehicle, I would be drawn much more to the Ford Maverick and Honda Ridgeline (and Hyundai Santa Cruz, I guess) than “real” trucks. The more car-like, the better. Better still if the vehicle is more car than truck, small and lightweight, in the mode of the Volkswagen pickup. Yep, just put a bed on a Rabbit and call it good. Feel free to click the graphic if you’d like to visit the story:
I’ve always enjoyed El Caminoizations of cars (or Rancheroizing, if you prefer) and The Autopian has frequently explored the concept both as historical artifact and speculative what-if, and I find them all fascinating. Again, you can click on any of the images to view the stories.
For today’s Autopian Asks query, I’d like to know what cars you’d like to see get the bed-graft treatment – or a ute conversion, we mustn’t forget how the Aussies do it. I think electric vehicles in particular are ripe for the for El Caminio-ing, thanks to the much greater flexibility of component packaging. Hence the Model Y in the topshot. A Tesla with a truck bed? Model Y-not?
But who cares about what’s easy or difficult or even feasible; if your dream car-truck would be based on the C8 Corvette, so be it! Honestly, having the C8’s LT2 sitting in the open bed would look incredible, even if it would make it impossible to fit a sheet of plywood in there.
Your turn:
What Cars Would You Most Like To See Get The El Camino Treatment?
Top graphic images: Tesla; Honda
A Lotus Europa, with the original engine replaced with a Subaru boxer engine, so that the rear deck/engine cover can be rebuilt lower to make a ute bed.
The Outback of course, any generation. What kind of question is that.
Prius camino
The good PT Cruiser conversions really seem to work.
Also, from now on, we should call the Torino-based Ford Ranchero the “El-Dudeirino”.
I’d love a Type 3 Caddy, the way VW managed to put the engine entirely under the trunk would lend itself beautifully to a truck.
Gumpert Apollo or Pagani Zonda
The best El Camino would be – an El Camino. Camaro from the B-pillar forward, but beef up the undercarriage for weight and include a ramp made for the car and tie-downs to easily load and transport motorcycles or ATVs. No 4WD version, keep the bed low, but AWD would work. Have performance and utility versions, the utility versions made to haul heavier trailers. Make sure, at least above the wheel wells with a lip on the tailgate, that you can load the standard 4X8 drywall or plywood.
What you would have would look cool, be fun to drive, and be useful. Stick in a V-8 or hybrid inline 6 (we’re hauling. we need torque, even if we’re just hauling ass), make sure there are manual versions, and you’re off to many sales.
The Bishop/Mercedes’s BMW 5 series wagon would be pretty cool as a ute.
A ’95 Buick Roadmaster wagon would be the ultimate ute.
It makes a fair good ute with the roof intact. Got 250,000 out of mine, was sick of getting the slushbox rebuilt. If I could’ve gotten one with three pedals, I’d still be driving it.
Not quite the same, but ….
https://www.streetmachine.com.au/features/stuart-appleby-custom-2003-e39-bmw-m5-ute
Pretty close! Great find.
Any sedan or wagon that’s RWD or AWD. FWD utes are an abomination. back in the 90s I saw a BMW wagon that was make into ute at a jobsite in Marin and it looked awsome.
None. I hate El Caminos.
Camry hybrid.
Porsche Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach Package.
ALL OF THEM.
It seems like everything sold today is an SUV and either already has a pickup variant (Honda) or a BOF truck that pretty much eliminates the need for a ute in the lineup. The obvious exception is the already mentioned Outback, and that would be a fun one. I’d have loved a two door Baja.
Kia/Hyundai already had the Santa Cruz if you want to go that route.
Looking towards Europe, a cut-away ID.Buzz would be fun, but it’s already too expensive. A front engined Ferrari would be fun, too, if we’re talking unlimited budget.
The HHR, the conversions I’ve seen look pretty good as a mini-truck. For currently sold vehicles, the boxier SUVs, like a Hyundai Venue I feel like has a good little front end to complement a truck back end. And for future cars something like the Jeep Recon EV, have a Dodge variant as a Rampage.
Completely backward from the current, “What truck would you like to be an SUV?” which already is, essentially, all of them
All except the Ram anyway.
Subaru Outback
Don’t be a Brat.
Oops doubled up before I saw yours
First Gen xb. The have made them for the JDM market. I want one now, not 2033.
https://www.thedrive.com/news/30352/the-toyota-bb-open-deck-is-the-scion-xb-pickup-truck-we-never-got-stateside
The current Dodge Charger.
None, because no car comes with front bench seats anymore. A proper El Camino has a bench, not buckets.
Seriously, just why did those go away? And don’t say “airbags” because a split bench was an option on the Monte Carlo until 2000, and those had dual airbags. They made coupes more practical than bucket seats. Were they seen as cheap or something?
The Impala had one until 2011, and it might have even been available on the Impala SS. I think the Buick Lacrosse/Allure had one at least on the first gen, and Toyota offered an Avalon with a front bench seat until the mid 2000s
And of course, the big-ass trucks might still be available with a front bench seat
If Tesla had just done that to a 3 or Y (or even an X or S), that shit would’ve fucking printed money and would be MUCH more profitable than the garbage can they eventually made.
I don’t think four doors makes for a proper Camichero, and it needs to be based on a car, not a crossover, platform.
See my screen handle for what that car ought to be. (Not that I’m holding my breath for Chevy to see the light and do what they should’ve done the model year-before-last, to give us a platform to work from.)
ID.buzz. Why not?
Expense. Something something juice from the squeeze…
And speaking of El Caminos, one of my uncles who had as his life goal to own all 57 models of 1959 Chevrolets had a couple 59 El Caminos in the barn. There was also an Olds Tornado in there, and occasionally there was talk of installing the Toronado engine and transmission package in the back of the El Camino with all the ski boat dress up accessories, like the big chrome headers sticking up in the air and all that.
I would still like to see someone do that.
I never knew I wanted to see this until you described it. Now I badly want to see this.