The US is finally bowing to worldwide (and WTO) pressure to reduce farm subsidies.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/31/bu.../31geneva.html

 

I don't know how much I buy the "lost jobs" angle. Detroit just doesn't want anyone else taking a chunk out of their truck and SUV profits. And you'll bet they won't give it up without putting up a fight.

Yes, the Ute/El Camino would be classified as a truck. But this is something else that needs to be addressed. Truck standards need to be improved and brought closer to the level of cars. That manufacturers introduce these questionable "trucks" (Magnum, PTCruiser, Minivans, etc.) to offset their Surburbans, Excursions, etc. poor performance shows how ineffective current requirements are. These loopholes have actually allowed fuel economy to get worse in recent years.

Things need to be set right (and you could include getting rid of the chicken tax while you're at it), regardless of what Detroit automakers are crying and lobbying for. It remains to be seen if any politician has the guts to do this.

 

Well, regardless of laws, etc., I beleive we're looking at "yet another GTO" venture. The Holdens just don't have the right look for America. Sure, they're great cars but there's something about the overall look that doesn't fit this market.

I can just see it, a rebadged Holden named El Camino at a Chevy dealer... $3500 over sticker... automotive press saying "bland style causing poor sales", etc, etc.

If GM is going to do a new El Camino, they MUST get the North America design team involved. It can't be done for the reason of getting something in the lineup quickly. I don't know about the rest of you, but my experience tells me you have to put a bit of real effort and work into something before it can succeed.

GM should learn from their first go at this!

 

All El Camino was is just a Malibu with a pickup bed in the back. It looked as boring in it's day as any other bottom feeder, fleet rental Chevelle & Malibu. To top it off, there simply is no way I see that you can make an El Camino in sufficient quanity to make it profitable. Sales haven't been good for that type of vehicle since the early 70s. Ford pulled out in '79, and GM stopped selling them in the US in the early 80s & in Mexico a few years later. The Dodge Rampage flopped. Australia is the only place to make these things in the quanity they'd sell at a profit without the price going into the stratosphere.

As far as the markups, that's the dealers. You're going to see markup on these things regardless as to where they're made. As far as GM learning their lesson, I hope the lesson they've learned is to that gouging dealers can sink not only the car, but alot of good will as well.

We aren't going to venture into an all too familiar "It doesn't look like an El Camino" quagmire here, are we?

 

is anyone beside me getting dejavu?
In the late 90's GM went thru the same thing about bringing back the elcamino. The even had a concept veh. based off the late 90s impala ss (sorry tried look for the pics i had of it but they are loooong since gone) looked nice then, but what are they going to base it off now? the new impala is FWD, as are most Chevy veh, are they going to chop the back end off a GTO and ad an SSR bed???

 

No they are going to use the Holden Ute, which is basically a El Camino made in Australia.

Clickhere To learn about Holden and the Ute.

 

Incorrect, guionM...

...Production of the El Camino/Cabillero ended with the demise of the G-body in 1987/1988. Any proud Amercian could buy an El Camino SS right until the bitter end, but precious few bothered to do so.

In any case, the market base for a reborn El Camino is small but enthusiastic. With a sub-$25K MSRP and LS-1 performance, GM could easy move 18,000+ Chevrolet-badged "El Camino" Utes in the first year - alot easier than Pontiac has been moving GTOs. However, I can't see sustained sales success without AWD and Crew Cab variants.

 

IIRC, that concept (it was orange, wasn't it?) was done by ASC, not GM.

Redzed is right about the availability of the El Camino. The production was moved to Mexico but it was still sold in the US.

 

Here ya go:
http://www.chevelles.com/elcamino/ec_95.htm

again, here ya go :
http://us1.webpublications.com.au/st.../53333_8mg.jpg

 

Double checked, and it's my bad.

El Camino production was moved to Mexico in 1985, with the expectation GM would continue making them for some time after the rwd midsize line production ended. Though the G-body ended after the 1987 model year, there were actually 1988 El Caminos sold!

Only 740 of them though.
http://www.chevelles.com/elcamino/ec_total.htm

 

That's my point. It was built off a recognizable vehicle that was selling very well in it's day. It may be boring, but it was styled for the market.

That was 30 years ago! Trucks are all the rage in the new millenium.

Right. That's what GM thought about the GTO, too.

You won't get that from me. I'm not an El Camino enthusiast particularily although I've always like them. But, if there ever is another one, it should at least have a design to get the attention of the locals.

Why wouldn't there be a market for a sawed-off sedan? How about the next gen Impala (rwd)?

 

AWD and Crew Cab variants already exist..

 

[/COLOR]My local Chevy dealer knows to put my order in on the first day

 

http://www.ultimatesimcentral.com/sk.../ss_camino.jpg

That's what I'm waiting for.

 

There have been several El Camino concepts over the years, one was made from a Lumina Z34 and I think that is the one ASC built. The Impala SS based one is real, but the pic. in the link was of a scale model someone built, or so it looks. Also it has the older Caprice dash in it. Also I remember a pruple concept El Camino in the early 90s that really wasn't called an El Camino from what I can remember, but looked very cool looking.

I think that the last generation of El Caminos looked really good in there day, I always liked swoop of the b/c pilar, something I think would improve the look of the Holden Utes. I never did care for the Monte Carlo SS front end grafted on some of those El Camino SS, something about it didn't match very well IMO.