When Chevrolet introduced the 1959 El Camino, the bow-tie brand launched a successful product run that would continue for nearly 30 years.

When Chevrolet rolled out the 1959 El Camino on October 16, 1958, we can bet the company was inspired at least in part by the successful launch of Ford’s similar car-pickup hybrid, the Ranchero, in 1957. But before we give Ford all the credit, we pause to reflect that Chevrolet was offering its own Coupe-Pickup model (above) way back in 1936. Chevy sold more than 3,000 Coupe-Pickups in that first year, and the model remained in production through 1942.

In truth, the basic Ranchero/El Camino concept—a comfortable passenger car with a cargo box on the back for light hauling duty—is nearly as old as the auto industry. In Australia, where the body style is affectionately known as the ute, the coupe-utility is as familiar as a koala or a kangaroo.

Built on the same X-Built Safety Girder chassis as the Chevy passenger-car line, the ’59 El Camino borrowed much of its interior from the bottom-of-the-line Biscayne series, but featured Bel Air-style bright-metal exterior side trim with Snowcrest White accent paint. The full catalog of Chevy engine options was available, including the trusty 235 CID straight six and 283 CID V8s, and even the 348 CID V8 with three two-barrel carbs and 315 hp. Transmission choices included three-speed manual, Powerglide, and the new Borg Warner T10 four-speed.

While the El Camino was clearly more car than truck, the Chevy brass chose to market it as part of the Chevrolet Task Force truck campaign (below). Sales boomed in the first year as the El Camino actually outsold the Ranchero, but then slipped in 1960 and the model was discontinued. For a few years, Chevy’s car-truck slot was filled by the Corvair-based ’61-’64 Rampside/Loadside pickup (see our feature here.)

In 1964, an all-new El Camino based on the Chevelle intermediate-class platform was introduced, and in this basic format the vehicle remained on the market through 1987. (There was a badge-engineered GMC Sprint/Caballero version, too.) By then, of course, real pickup trucks were offering all the luxury and comfort any driver could want, and there was no longer any room in the lineup for a car/truck mashup like the El Camino.