‘80 El Camino

Number: HKJ61-N9C0Q

Year: 2023 - 3/10

Collection: HW: The 80s

Born: 1978, Doraville, GA

Manufacturer: Chevrolet (General Motors)

A new, trimmer El Camino was unveiled in 1978, adopting the new, more sharp-edged Malibu styling, and a one inch longer wheelbase of 117.1 in (2,974 mm). The front-end sheet metal and doors were shared with the Malibu, and the rear bumper was shared with the Malibu station wagon. For the first time, though, the El Camino had a unique chassis – it was shared with no other Chevrolet. The front end featured a new single rectangular headlight design. The base engine was a 200-cubic-inch (3.3-liter) V6 that developed 95 hp (71 kW), except in California where, to meet emissions standards, the 231-cubic-inch Buick engine was the base engine. Two upgrades could be ordered: a 305-cubic-inch V8 with 145 hp (108 kW), or a 350-cubic-inch V8 with 170 hp (127 kW) that was only available in El Caminos and Malibu station wagons. It was not available on Malibu passenger cars (with exception to coupe and sedan Malibu 9C1 police vehicles).

The El Camino trims started with the base model, then the Conquista (meaning 'Conquest' in Spanish) which mainly consisted of a special paint treatment and finally the Super Sport which was the sports model available with six-cylinder and V8 engines. Chevrolet later offered a Black Knight model in 1978 which ended production after only 1,200 examples were produced due to legal problems with the rights holders over the use of the name. This model featured a large hood emblem of two dragons and a knight, and would be reworked and relaunched for 1979 as the Royal Knight option for Super Sport models.

Following its debut as a redesigned "new-size" model in 1978, the 1979 model received minimal changes, which amounted to a little more than a new divided grille. However, a "small-block" 267-cubic-inch (4.4-liter) V8 joined the options list and slotted between the standard 3.3-liter V6 and the optional 5.0-liter four-barrel V8. The 350-cubic-inch (5.7-liter) V8, developing 170 hp (127 kW) was again available. Both three- and four-speed manual transmissions had floor shifters. The Royal Knight option for the Super Sport debuted.