I owned an El Camino for a few years. It was an '84, built right in the middle of the Smog Years when engines were both weak and had horrid gas mileage.
It was more a car than a truck and you couldn't fill it full of giant rocks or anything. Many owners installed air lifts to deal with that. It did have a positraction (limited slip) differential, so it would actually go up dirt roads in the rain. Many of the present 2wd trucks are really 1wd and have limited mobility, less than a fwd car.
I think they go back to 1959, so they were an American tradition. Some of the early models had optional huge motors with lots of horsepower. Those models can still be seen in car shows and collections and are worth a lot.
I always thought they looked good and lots of people really do like them. In California you see a lot of them in daily use, kept up nicely with decent bodywork and paint. Crate motors are readily available, so they can easily be kept going. They have survived more than one fuel crisis.
Ford had their own version, the Ranchero, but it was never as popular. I also owned one of those, the Falcon Ranchero, which was a compact model with a 6 cyl motor. Later, they were built on the big frame and got really huge. I just saw one in perfect condition yesterday at the lumber yard. People don't throw them away, either.
A few years ago, Ford showed a concept car, a Ranchero built out of a Taurus. Very nice, but a FWD truck will never fly in the US, ever. Even for going to Home Depot and getting two sheets of plywood, Americans want their trucks to be rear drive.
The only FWD pckup I ever drove was a VW diesel. Easily the worst vehicle I ever drove. Only 2-cycle cars from the old Soviet Block could have been worse.
Properly done, the El Camino concept will work and sell. I have always thought they should have done this a long time ago. It is just strange that Pontiac, rather than Chevrolet, is showing this.
Aztecs are good vehicles. Good for target practice.
