Auto World 1966 Chevrolet El Camino

The El Camino is one truck that seems to be everywhere in the diecast modeling world.  From 1959 to 1986, the El Camino is the longest-serving car-based truck in the U.S. and was a favorite to anyone from contractors to enthusiast at the time.  Now while there are a lot of replica El Camino's out there, there seems to be missing gaps in a few model years.  Auto World will fill those voids with the 1966 and, later on, 1967 El Camino.

El Longitivity

In 1959 the El Camino was introduced to the burgoing market of luxury trucks like Cameo, Sweptline, and the like.  Based on the Impala, that's basically what it was except it had a pickup bed.  At the time no one would think this hybrid would last long, but after a few years absent it returns on the Chevelle Malibu platform.  It's here where the El Camino goes for a rugged look and, just for muscle car enthusiast, SS versions with motors that went up to 454 CID.  In the 1970's the El Camino still thrived on as an alternative to gas-guzzling trucks and a switch at the end of the decade to the Malibu platform.  The 1980's saw renewed interest in full-size trucks, with a smaller S-10 pickup to take over the El Camino's sales, finally ending in 1986.

The Auto World version is the basic version, meaning plastic tires, base, and a hood that looks like it could open but doesn't (the reason behind this is future variations with different models will require different hoods).  It's a bummer since having these features would really make this casting pop out, even if it's doing it all by itself!

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The exterior is smooth, clean, with proper attention paid to the front grille and lights that stick out like the real thing, trim and El Camino badging details, and the rear cove with integrated taillights.  The bed is functional and looks good despite a lack of an opening tailgate.  The interior features the two-tier dash seen on Chevy's since the 1962 Bel-Air, Biscayne, and Impala; upper has switch controls above the speedometer, the bottom has speedo, radio and glovebox.  One side effect of this design is the tachometer has to be a separate add-on, a feature that changed in 1968 redesign. The door panels are nicely done and the console properly flows from dash to front seats.

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The base is nicely done and details are carefully paid attention to.  What is under the hood is likely a 283 or 327 CID V8 with four-speed manual.  Finally I must say that I'm not a fan of the 1966 Chevelle body style, but on an bigger El Camino with rallye wheels and not those goofy wheel covers over the steels, the 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu line is starting to appeal to me.