As everyone here knows, 1959 was the year Hawai‘i became the 50th state. So in keeping with the 50th year of statehood, The Garden Island’s Motoring page is excited to feature a beautiful 1959 Chevrolet El Camino. When the Chevrolet
As everyone here knows, 1959 was the year Hawai‘i became the 50th state. So in keeping with the 50th year of statehood, The Garden Island’s Motoring page is excited to feature a beautiful 1959 Chevrolet El Camino.
When the Chevrolet El Camino made its debut to the public as a curvaceous pickup truck, it turned out to be more of an artistic success rather than a commercial one. Over time however, the El Camino became so popular that it continued manufacturing the line for 25 years.
“I always liked the cat-eye look and stylish fins of the ‘59 El Camino, so five years ago I found this one on eBay and bought it,” said Gair. Paying a whopping $11,500 from a guy in Fresno, Calif., Gair decided to make his El Camino what he likes to call, a “daily driver.” The ‘59 El Camino runs on a Chevy 350 V8 combined with a Mustang II front end, giving this 50-year-old classic a ride that feels like it’s running on a power-glide.
The previous owner thoughtfully installed an after-market air conditioner providing Gair with real southern comfort on those hot, muggy, August days.
Though Gair’s combination car and pickup is 50 years old, it still remains one of America’s most popular automobile classics.
“This car is fun to drive but I simply don’t drive it often enough,” said Gair. As a result of keeping his classic stored in his garage, the salt air has over time quietly crept in and had its way with the chrome finish. Gair is considering sending his ‘59 classic off to Honolulu for chrome and body work but the tonneau cover will most likely be replaced by a custom craftsman on Kaua‘i.
The once nationally popular 1960s bee-hive hairstyle will probably never return to the fashion scene in our lifetime, but the styling and lines of 1959 Chevrolet El Camino will remain a classic, forever.
Pointing to the wrap-around front and rear windows and the classic fins and taillights, Gair said, “They just don’t make anything like this ’59 El Camino anymore.” Fifty years ago cars were created with daring style and a sense of great adventure. Two cases in point would be the bullet-tailed 1959 Chevrolet Cadillac El Dorado convertible and the 1959 Chevrolet El Camino. Gair once owned a 1959 Chevrolet Cadillac El Dorado convertible while living in Las Vegas but today he looks back with regret for ever selling it.
It’s true enough that most of today’s cars are conservatively designed for fuel economy and look like you could drive in either direction without turning a head or raising an eyebrow. The ‘50s and ‘60s raised the bar on style and over the decades chrome was gradually replaced with plastic even though the replacement costs continued to rise along with safety-featured technology.
“My El Camino came out the same year as Hawai‘i entered statehood,” Gair said, “and somehow I feel that this car carries a lot of aloha in it.”
Gair likes to refer to his El Camino as “daily driver” but he also refers to it as a “keeper.”
To view a short video of Jim Gair’s 1959 Chevrolet El Camino click on the “TGI video” link at kauaiworld.com.
Watch video
footage online
of this classic 1959 Chevrolet in action as part of The Garden Island’s recurring series on Kaua‘i’s Classic Car Club and check back each week for a new classic.
