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Five Cars That Chevrolet Should Revive in 2022

It's 2022, and all major automakers are dropping cars in favor of SUVs. Chevrolet is no exception, as it now offers more than 10 SUVs and commercial vehicles and only five cars.
1959 Chevrolet El Camino 10 photos
Photo: Chevrolet
1955 Chevrolet Nomad1957 Chevrolet Nomad1959 Chevrolet El Camino1970 Chevrolet Caprice1970 Chevrolet El Camino1981 Chevrolet El Camino1987 Chevrolet Astro1990 Chevrolet Lumina APV1991 Chevrolet Caprice
But what if the auto industry would see a dramatic shift and cars would become popular again? What nameplates should Chevrolet revive? Here are the five cars that I'd bring back from the dead.

Chevrolet El Camino

Well, of course, the El Camino is at the top of my list. Not only one of the most iconic Chevrolets ever built, but it's also the most celebrated coupe utility in history.

Originally introduced in 1959 and discontinued after 1960, the El Camino returned in 1964 and soldiered on until 1987.

1959 Chevrolet El Camino
Photo: Chevrolet
It went through many redesigns, it was based on three different Chevys, and spawned a few monstrous iterations during the muscle car era, including the 450-horsepower SS454 LS6.

Even though Chevrolet discontinued the El Camino in the 1980s, GM continued offering a utility coupe in Australia as part of the Holden Commodore line.

The Holden Ute remained in production until 2017, when the brand put an end to Australian manufacturing.

Chevrolet Nomad

The station wagon is a dying breed in the United States, but the Nomad deserves a revival, even as a very limited production model. And yes, it would be cool if it would retain its original two-door layout. What a strange idea for 2022, right?

1957 Chevrolet Nomad
Photo: Chevrolet
The Nomad came to be in 1954 as a GM Motorama concept based on the Corvette. The production model debuted in 1955 as part of the Tri-Five lineup.

Although the original two-door wagon was phased out in 1957, Chevrolet kept using the Nomad badge for Impala-based four-door wagons from 1958 to 1961.

The Nomad resurfaced in 1968 as a Chevelle-based wagon and returned as an appearance package for the Vega in 1976. From 1977 to 1981, Chevrolet sold a Nomad variant of its full-size Van. It's been 40 years and we definitely need a new Nomad.

Chevrolet Caprice

Yes, I know the Caprice isn't as iconic as the Impala, but hey, the latter was discontinued in 2020 after 20 years on the market in the modern era. The Caprice hasn't been around since 2017, so it has a better chance of coming back. Sort of.

1991 Chevrolet Caprice
Photo: Chevrolet
Anyway, the Caprice was for many years the top-of-the-line full-size in the Chevrolet lineup. It also was the brand's best-selling nameplate and fared better than the Impala during the Malaise era.

It was also offered with high-performance V8 engines for most of its time on the market.

Chevrolet Lumina APV

Chevrolet's answer to the popular Dodge Caravan, the Lumina APV broke cover in 1989 as the company's first minivan. It was available for only one generation until 1996, when it was replaced by the Venture.

The latter was superseded by the Uplander in 2004, but Chevrolet stopped making minivans in 2008.

1990 Chevrolet Lumina APV
Photo: Chevrolet
While these vehicles are also losing market share to SUVs, minivans are still enjoying some popularity in the United States.

Both the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna were redesigned recently, and Chrysler still offers minivans through the Pacifica and Voyager nameplates. So I don't see why Chevrolet shouldn't reintroduce the Lumina APV.

Chevrolet Astro

Okay, so the Astro isn't exactly a car, but I'd love to see it return into showrooms. Introduced in 1985, it was slotted under the bigger Express van and soldiered on for two generations.

But while the Express is still in production today, the Astro was discontinued in 2005.

1987 Chevrolet Astro
Photo: Chevrolet
With the Express in desperate need of a redesign, perhaps the Astro is a good option as a successor. The nameplate was extremely popular in the 1990s when sales exceeded 100,000 units per year.

Is there another Chevrolet nameplate that you'd like to see revived in 2022? Let me know in the comments.
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About the author: Ciprian Florea
Ciprian Florea profile photo

Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer.
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