Certainly, one of the key things that the retro-designers missed out on, at least in this country, is the resurrection of the car-based pickup truck. Arguably, an early implementation of what we call SUV’s today, was utility and performance blended into a single vehicle in the form of El Caminos and Rancheros.

The mid-1950’s first saw the emergence of car-like features in a utility vehicle, with the introduction of the 1955 Chevrolet Cameo Carrier pickup, forefather of the 1959 El Camino. It was apparently a common theme at the time, as Ford launched their Ranchero in 1957.

Today, the evolution of world cars and the platform chassis make changes quicker and more painless than in the past. Rapid prototyping and flexible manufacturing essentially make changes faster and less expensive, so that market shifts can be more easily accommodated.

These days, any Photoshop whiz kid can crank out their own interpretation of anything visual and, when applied to automotive matters, the results can range from stunning to, well, not stunning. Here we have some iterations on the El Camino theme, starting from a contemporary Camaro body. We have no doubt that these kinds of efforts are closely monitored by some part of all the automotive OEMs.

This is far from the first time that individual proposals for the return of an El Camino style vehicle have emerged. Mind you, it’s only been the Australians that paid any heed to such needs, but previous rumors have suggested that someone else may be listening. Time will tell, but in the interim, enjoy these visions.