Classic Classified: 1970 Chevrolet El Camino SS 396
From: Hemmings Motor News
Date: March 1989
Price then: $7,800 ($15,000 adjusted for inflation – about the cost of a new 2015 Hyundai Accent today)
Price now: $8,900-$35,700
Approximate dollar difference: $20,700 (assuming No. 1 condition)
Approximate annual rate of return: 3.4%
1970 El Camino SS, 396, 350 hp, Protect-o-plate, dealer invoice, original matching numbers, 4-spd, champagne gold paint, saddle interior, everything original and in near flawless condition, a fine example of a tight, fast, unmolested muscle car, $7,800
With all its success, it is easy to forget that the El Camino actually came out as an answer to the Ford Ranchero. By 1970, Chevrolet really let the El Camino flex some muscle with a Super Sport package that could get you a big-block V-8 under the hood and the same sporty looks of the Chevelle. In comparison to the Chevelle, the El Camino is a deal compared to a similarly equipped Chevelle SS. That holds true today as much as it did then. While this example would have seen only minor gains from investment, the cool factor of this El Camino is all there.
