hey i was lookin in this chicks magizen and this guy had a 1948 el camino..... i didnt think they made them in that year


big bear

Are you sure it wasn't a funeral flower car?

Had to be a misprint.

Dyslexia maybe? 48 vs 84? The older I get, the more I find happening it me too well as. :-(

What year did Holden start making the UTE?

I seen a 47/48 Holden Ute at a show in California a couple of years ago. It looked shrp for a "down under" car.

I saw a 48 Ute at the Charlotte AutoFair at Lowes Motor Speedway last year. Pretty well restored, and had a $14,000 price tag as I remember. Probably not a bad price for something that has to be a rare bird after all these years. I don't think I could ever get used to driving it with the steering wheel on the "wrong" side though.

I dont know how true it is, but I heard that they made them as early as 1942

The Ute never was called an El Camino...and lets hope it never will be!!! :x

Folks,
You can find "El Camino's" dating back to the 1930's. What you may notice is that they are normally right hand drive (steering wheel on the right). These cars are usually from Australia where they are know as "utes". I have a model of a 1950 version and pictures of others.
A very few have been imported, and if one really wants one, they are available for import from Australia.
What makes a ute unique is that the body is one piece, unlike a traditional pickup which has a seperate cab and pickup body. This was an original Aussie idea. Another intriguing thought is that they still make utes in Australia. General Motors already has plans to import the latest Pontiac GTO from Australia, where it was sold as the Holden Monaro. Well guess what? That same Holden is available in ute form. Presto, a great source for a brand new El Camino which many of us have wanted for a long time. Will General Motors see the light and import some for eager purchasers tired of fixing up their twenty plus year old El Camino?
Maybe some of us should write GM and express interest. Incidentally, the Holden ute is easily found on the Web using a search engine for pictures. If you get lost, let me know, and I will research it further for you.
I have been to Australia, really like their cars, almost as much as they do, and have some car enthusiast connections there.
Eric

Here is one link to a Webpage for what could become a new El Camino.
It may not please everyone, as it is quite contemporary in styling, but it would have the performance and feel of the El Camino we like.
http://www.eagers.com.au/new_uteVU.htm
Eric

Here is another view of what could potentially become the new El Camino for "SS" enthusiasts...
http://www.eagers.com.au/new_uteSS.htm

Personally, the idea of a new El Camino is quite exciting. It could easily become a reality. The conversion to left hand drive has already been made for the Pontiac GTO, from the same source, and Holden is a subsidary of General Motors and uses common GM mechanicals.

If the idea really intrigues you, why not write GM and tell them that you want one!
Eric

The first year the "EL CAMINO" was produced by "CHEVROLET" as we know it was in 1959. The Ute has never had the name "EL CAMINO" I don't care for the thought of another country trying to reproduce a part of OUR American Automobile History for the sake of marketing/sales/profit. I think that GM Execs got their wires crossed (more likely their heads up each others butts) when they decided to try and pawn off some foreign made car as the GTO which is once again a part of OUR American Automobile History...and like I said in a previous post whats next "Korean Korvettes?" Find me one car...any car that was officially named "El Camino" prior to 1959 with the exception of a Cadillac concept car! Once again the Ute is NOT nor ever was an El Camino and I hope that it never will be!...both for the sake of OUR American Automobile History and for what jobs have already been lost due to corporate greed! Sorry to be so blunt...and this is "MY OPINION" you sir need to start a website named "UTE CENTRAL" since you like the Ute so much and seem to know so little about the history of the El Camino...do you even own an El Camino or just a model of a 1950 Ute? (this oughta stir it up a bit) :lol:

Well sir, as you know, this forum is a place for civil discourse so I will try to take your comments constructively. Perhaps you may know that Holden is a subsidiary of General Motors, and that many Holdens use General Motors parts like engines, imported from the US.
There is no reason either why the Holden ute could not be assembled in the US, but the existence of the parts could be an encouraging note to folks who wish a new El Camino could be made available. Believe me, I am sensitive to the loss of US jobs overseas, but this is not really the issue here. Actually the last several years of El Camino production were done in Mexico anyway.
My first El Camino was ordered brand new by myself, a 1977 model. Presently I drive a newer one, but it is getting tired. I would hardly consider it un- American or out of El Camino tradition to purchase a new rebadged Holden ute with a 350 V-8, turbo transmission, and sounding exactly like the El Caminos of previous generations, with newer mechanicals to give it superior handling, ride, and perhaps even style characteristics.
Some of us would really like a "new" El Camino,
Eric

Believe me, I am sensitive to the loss of US jobs overseas, but this is not really the issue here. Eric Maybe not, but I bet a lot of laid off UAW members might disagree with you. Either the parts are manufactured in the US and the cars assembled in Mexico or vice versa. I see no reason for GM to go half way around the world to build another car just so they can hike up the price to $60K due to availability. I notice you don't list a location where you live...it wouldn't be Australia by chance? I am not against GM bringing back the El Camino...and I hope that it does. But pulling some plastic emblems off of one car and sticking on El Camino emblems doesn't make it an El Camino, at least I hope not. Also I think the original concern here was that you stated that the "EL CAMINO" had been being produced prior to 1959 and dating back to the 1930s (NOT) and that I believe IS the issue here! The history of the American Made Chevrolet El Camino began with the 1959 production year...not a 1930's Ute! 8)

Did you notice that my last post had ''El Camino" in quotes? The history of the actual El Camino is well known, and I was around and old enough to appreciate the 1959 El Camino, and even helped tow one out of a ditch, in which a lady driver had placed it.
My point is that we need a new El Camino and we could have one for a lot less than the $60,000 you suggest. In fact, under twenty thousand dollars is possible for a base model, given Aussie exchange rates, if you are looking at their prices.
Eric

New cars suck. Too much plastic. Too quiet. Too clean. Bring back the metal! Kill the atmosphere!

But you gotta love that new car smell......