11. Chevrolet El Camino
In 1957, Ford introduced the Ranchero, a half car half-truck they built with a passenger car chassis and design. It was an interesting alternative to a regular truck since it offered the decent payload of a truck and the drivability and size of a standard car. Chevrolet was caught by surprise, so they didn’t have a ready answer to this model. The Ranchero became relatively popular, so Chevy needed something to fight Ford. The answer came in 1959 with the El Camino.
They built this beautiful truck on an Impala frame. It featured the same looks, engine, and cabin. Immediately, it was well-received by car customers since it offered the goodies of Chevrolet’s main passenger lineup with a half-ton capacity. The El Camino was even more upscale than the Ranchero. It featured a better option list as well as more powerful engines. The straight-six was standard, but many customers optioned for the V8. The production lasted until 1986.