This 1970 Chevrolet El Camino SS Is The Mullet That Parties Up Front And Back

 The original muscle car-meets-pickup truck gets a digital makeover that makes us want one all over again.

There’s always been some sort of magnetic appeal to the Chevrolet El Camino. After all it brought together the best of two of America’s favorite types of vehicles — the muscle car and the pickup truck. In its first couple of generations, it was built for utility, and it showed. The third generation El Camino changed all that, with an outward focus on sporty appearances, and performance.

The 1970 Chevy El Camino SS 454, which packed Chevy’s most powerful engine, made sure there were no doubts about what it stood for. And while the 3rd-gen El Camino was already the best looking in the family, this restomod perfects the formula.

Based on a 1970 Chevrolet El Camino SS, this digital concept is the brainchild of 3D artist Rostislav Prokop. Created exclusively for HotCars, don’t blame us if this El Camino widebody restomod ends up rent-free in your head. We can’t really say we’ve seen an El Camino widebody before, and the extra aggression suits this muscle car that’s so legendary it’s earned a place in Urban Dictionary as a whole lifestyle! No wonder the El Camino was called the mullet of cars — not everyone can pull it off.

Imagining The 1970 Chevy El Camino Widebody That Never Was

The Chevrolet El Camino was originally based on a station wagon platform with an integrated cab and bed, unlike most pickups out there. This gave it a lot more comfort and better road manners than a truck, but with more utility for the working family man. When Chevrolet realized they were sitting on a gold mine, they threw everything they had at it.

By the ‘70s, the El Camino was way more muscle car than light pickup truck. Safe to say, this widebody El Camino is pure, rippling muscle. The first thing you notice is the shaker hood, with the velocity stacks and paint-matching air cleaners to poke through. The integrated bumpers get modern air dam cutouts where the indicators used to be, with a carbon fiber lower splitter bringing it lower to the ground.

There’s also no missing the widebody kit that’s on this El Camino restomod. It does a great job adding more character to the otherwise plain sides on the original ’70s Camino. As if that wasn’t enough, there’s also an integrated roof lip spoiler to give the cab more race-aggression, if the welded roll cage wasn’t clue enough.

The reprofiled body drops ever so slightly towards the rear, with a tonneau cover over the Camino’s party trick — the pickup bed. Modern lighting and quad, asymmetrical exhaust tips complete the modern El Camino look. The fact that this El Camino is bagged, and can go from lowrider to hot rod in seconds, only adds to its appeal.

If It Looks This Good, Why Did Chevy Stop Making The El Camino?

The irony of the El Camino is that it was killed by its own brother — the Chevrolet S-10 light pickup. By 1984, even though the Camino had become lighter and more advanced (and uglier), the S-10 was beating it in sales right through. By 1987, Chevrolet pulled the plug on what is easily the most unique car to come out of the muscle car era.

Later, in 1995, a fresh El Camino concept was born to bring it into the 21st century. But this again was killed thanks to the growing popularity of SUVs. In 2000, another try was made. The Chevrolet Super Sport Roadster concept finally gave birth to the Chevrolet SSR. Unfortunately, it was only made between 2003 and 2006. And despite its retro styling, retractable hardtop and V8 engine options, it failed. Blame a design too ahead of its time, and its high price tag.