While combing the vacant offices filled with long forgotten archived junk, I came across a pile of Readers’ letters that had been stashed in a drawer.  One white envelope caught my eye as I was tossing the pile into the recycle bin. In that envelope, there was a one page letter and these renderings of a 2010 Camaro/El Comino concept. All though 2010 is just around the corner, Andy Clem's Camaro/El Comino concept isn't a farfetched dream considering consumer demand for the compact pickup resurrection.  (This probably arrived at our offices before GM announced the Pontiac ST—and, of course, long before GM cancelled the ST and killed Pontiac.) It might be a little late for this concept to become a production vehicle for ’10, but who knows what lies ahead for 2011. Would you buy a Camaro with a truck bed? Take a look at the concept drawings and let us know with your comments below.

Dear Truck Trend,

I see a big day when a retro all-time American classic of the 1970s can return. It would be the all-new 2009 Chevrolet El Camino SS and LTZ. My dad and I talk about it all the time. My dad drives a 1972 El Camino 350. He loves it. The new El Camino could be sold in the USA by 2009 as a 2010 from GM’s Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, plant or one of GM’s U.S. plants. Why can’t you build this, Chevy? The SSR is no more. Build a 2009 Camaro-based El Camino for future Gen-X buyers with the 1970-1972 retro look. Give it Cadillac CTS taillights and a design like the ’09 Camaro. You could do it keeping the roofline and doors from the Camaro, with just a rear bed in place of the trunk in the 1970s style.

Andy Clem
Cutler, California

P.S.: Here are some drawings that my dad and I thought up as to what the new 2009 El Camino should look like.