autoevolution
 

Highly Optioned Chevrolet El Camino SS Is Looking For a New Owner

The U.S. market may be mad about pickup trucks. As of late, the mid-size genre has been making a comeback, yet the country that put the workhorse on the map has yet to rekindle its fondness for the coupe utility vehicle. Accordingly, period models remain relevant to this day.
1970 Chevrolet El Camino SS 10 photos
Photo: Mecum Auctions
1970 Chevrolet El Camino SS1970 Chevrolet El Camino SS1970 Chevrolet El Camino SS1970 Chevrolet El Camino SS1970 Chevrolet El Camino SS1970 Chevrolet El Camino SS1970 Chevrolet El Camino SS1970 Chevrolet El Camino SS1970 Chevrolet El Camino SS
Ford started the ute trend in Australia with the 1932 Ford Type 302 and Type 304, then the body style took off in North America with the advent of the 1957 Ranchero. General Motors followed suit in 1959 with the El Camino, and thus, the segment’s masterpiece was born.

The third-generation El Camino (1968 to 1972) is the one that takes top honors from classic car enthusiasts, and it’s easy to understand why. The looks, the grunt, the pop culture iconography, there are a whole lot of things that helped the El Camino ascend to classic car status. On that note, Steve McQueen had an orange-painted Z25.

The blue-and-white painted example of the breed pictured above is even better than what The King of Cool had, for it is an LS5. A pretty rare option even then, LS5 translates to 454 cu.in. (7.4 l) of big-block V8. Rated at 360 horsepower and a tire-shredding 500 pound-feet of torque, this retro workhorse packs some serious punch for what it is.

Slated to cross the block at the Portland 2017 sale, Mecum Auctions didn’t give an estimate for the Astro Blue-painted LS5 454. Bearing in mind a similarly specced model usually goes for roughly $30k, it’s not a lot of money when you think about what you get in return.

Under the timeless bodywork, the SS454 features a matching-numbers LS5 and a heavy-duty 12-bolt posi with 3.31:1 gearing. Riding on 14x7-inch Super Sport wheels wrapped in period correct Goodyear Polyglas F70 tires, the utilitarian machine is backed by a 400 Turbo 3-speed tranny.

Recently restored from the ground up, the bite-the-back-of-your-hand beautiful SS454 boasts a certificate of registration from the LS5 Registry.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories