The Chevrolet El Camino, born from a long-gestating prototype, made its grand entrance in 1959 to outsell Ford’s Ranchero, proving that size—and tail fins—do matter. With a “Safety Girder” X frame and engines that could make a speed demon blush, the El Camino was a hit. Yet, the 1960 model, with a tamer rear fin and fewer horsepower, couldn’t keep up with Ford’s Falcon Ranchero. The El Camino was benched, leaving Chevy’s engineers scratching their heads, likely while saying, “We’ll be back.”