Jalopnik
Friend, Romans, Cotomer Sevis Representatives, lend me your ears; I come to bury the El Camino badge, not to praise it. The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their frames; so let it be with the El Camino. The noble Bob Lutz hath told you El Camino hath instant name recognition, if it were so, it was a grievous fault, and grievously hath Lutz answer'd it. Here, under leave of Lutz and the rest — for Lutz is an honorable man. So they are all honorable men.
Come we to speak in El Camino's funeral. It was our friend, faithful and entertaining to us. But Bob Lutz, he was ambitious. He hath brought many vehicles home to Detroit. Whose ransoms did the General's coffers fill. Did this in El Camino seem unlikely? When that the poor hoons have cried, El Camino hath wept: instant name recognition should be made of sterner stuff. Yet Bob Lutz says it had instant name recognition. You all did see that on the New York Auto Show we thrice presented him a Vote El Camino button, which he did thrice refuse: was this because of instant name recognition? I speak not to disapprove what Bob Lutz decided, but here I am to speak what I do know. You all did love El Camino once, not without cause: What cause withholds you then, to mourn for it? O judgment! Though art fled to brutish beasts, and GM has lost their reason. Bear with us, our heart is in the reject bin here with El Camino. and we must pause till it come back to us. [Kicking Tires]
Comments
WTF?
BOOOOOOOOOO.
So GM is approaching this as all votes in the country are approached: Pretend popular vote matters but just got where the money and power points...
USA #1!!
What's in a name? That which we call an El Camino by any other name would smell as sweet.
SO the superdelegates get to decide, did anybody show them the vettamino??
@no_slushbox: Different Shakespeare play.
Yah, so they can't stomach calling a Pontiac a Chevy name, like they've never done that before. And they can't brand engineer a vehicle either.
"most likely out" means it ain't dead yet. Just at Death's door.
It further means that "El Camino" has made it to the final 10.
I'm all for them naming it something other than "El Camino" if and only if they plan to badge one as a Chevy sometime in the future.
Why they decided to bring a ute into the states as a Pontiac in the first place seems to defy logic. Other than it being a "performance" car.
Fine, don't name it El Camino, but do give us an El Camino.
no sense of humor and/or no cojones.
I assume that a Vetteamino will henceforth be known as the VetteG8? Doesn't have quite the same ring to it.
The 2009 Pontiac G8 El Camino Jalopnik addition, I get 10 points on the backend for the crossmarketing idea, hell at least Lutz knows who you are now
Just for that I'm not going to buy one!
PLPLPLPLPLPLPLPLPLPLPLPLPLPLPLPLPLPLP!!!!!1!!!!
uh, edition, yeah right
Of course this leaves the door open to a proper El Camino with a bow tie on the tail gate. I would imagine that Chevy dealers are screaming for some sweet Aussie lovin'.
Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit...
Arse.
"...because of internal discord about a Chevy nameplate being applied to a Pontiac vehicle."
I'll grant that El Camino might not be the best name with which to market this vehicle, but what if the best name with which to market it was a Chevy name? Would internal slap-fighting prevent Pontiac from using it?
You can't call a Pontiac an El Camino! After all, it isn't "Catherine Zeta-Smith". Sheesh.
It seems as if the Pontiac nameplate also will not survive. So the G8 ST may never appear and will end up being sold in the same intended showrooms (but now just containing Buicks and GMCs) as a GMC Caballero. Give it a year or two there as the Caballero and then it will be badge engineered to fit Chevy showrooms as the El Camino.
The only other name I approve of is "Ute"
Ooh...! Ooh...! Now let's do Macbeth... oops, bad luck to say that out loud... I mean that Scottish play...
"Out out, damned Lutz...!"
Someone's going to make a killing with replacement badges.
I still think it is dumb to bring this over as a Pontiac. With the Malibu doing very well and poaching current Impala customers, bringing the Holden in as a Chevy is a good chance to take the Impala a)a little upscale b) RWD .
Ute. Maloo. El Caballero. The only three acceptable remaining possibilities in my book.
@DonSchenck: Well Chrysler did it with the Aspen name from Dodge.
@Mad_Science: That someone is JHP www.jhp.com.au who sells any Holden part you desire, including the Chevrolet badges Holden enthusiasts put on their cars Down Under.
Personally, both the Commodore sedan and the Ute here should have went to Chevrolet in the first place with no styling changes which is the way they are sold in the rest of the world.
Why do Americans insist on ruining or changing an already good thing?
"But Bob Lutz, he was ambitious."
And I hold ambition of so light and airy a quality that it is but a shadow's shadow.
calling it a truck, albeit with sport as a pretense or not, makes less since then El Camino.
I guess I shouldnt have voted for mulletmobile, sorry guys.
Never thought one vote would make that much difference.
I'm so ashamed
@TriShield: WE don't, it's them in the towers/dungeons of Michigan...
I'd love to drive a full blown HSV Commodore, just let me and I will, honest!
The Pontiac brand is toast anyway (so sayeth Sweet Pete @Autoextremist.com).
There is a good chance Chevy will eventually sell this thing.
Autogrog-
Cars.com has all but confirmed that the "El Camino" moniker has been nixed... ...regarding use of the Chevy-associated nameplate on a Pontiac vehicle. Frankly, we agree with this decision.
You guys should beat them up... Jalopnik is so much better. And El Camino is still the best name choice for this thing by far.
@graverobber- Same great taste, new low price!: Absolutley. "G8 Sport Truck" (or whatever) for the scoopy, slightly silly looking Pontiac ute, and el Camino for the plainer, cleaner, nicer looking Chevy version to follow.
The universe is back in balance.
They have taken the El Camino name from us. We have been pricked, and we do indeed bleed......
How about the pontiac G8 SUCXV (that'd be sport utility car crossover vehicle)
@lascauxcaveman: We could call both of them the G8 Sport Truckaminos.
Wanh Wanh.. it wasnt an el camino anyways, besides a pontiac is not an el camino...
@crazygutgut: yer right.. it aint a caballero either.
But there was a pontiac el-camino..
in 1966 and it was a factory concept..
[www.chevelles.com]
Doesn't matter... everyone (or maybe just me) will call it an El Camino anyway. Doesn't matter what those fools decide to name it.
They're probably still feeling the sting from the GTO debacle. If they had called that the G7, people would have lined up to buy it. That would be their theory, anyway, I'm sure.
That said, they do need to make a real El Camino with a bow-tie and a selection of engines from great to small.
It can't be that hard to find el camino emblems, if I had one that would be my first modification.
@Murdoc: Someone will probably start re-popping them as soon as the new El Camino rolls onto showroom floors.
How about El Chamillion?
You know ... LOOKS like an El Camino ...
Get it? Get it??
(Why do I feel like a third grader trying to tell an off-color joke?)
Just get a front end from a Middle East market Lumina.
Is anyone suprised? "El Camino" is a name, names are old-fashioned. Honestly, I never once thought GM would choose a cool sounding, instantly recognizable, and memorable name over some random, forgettable jumble of letters and numbers.
Looks like the first-ever Pontiac G8STGTPLX is set for launch.
I may be the only Jalop to say so, but I can't really say I'm heartbroken that the name El Camino is being dropped.
Wait... I'm doing it wrong. Let me try that again. Ahem:
G8 was born free as El Camino; so were you. They both have fed as well, and they can both endure the Jalop's hoonage as well as the other.
For once, upon a raw and gusty day, the troubled 16th Highway chafing with her tours, El Camino said to me, "Dearest thou Dearthair, now leap on with me onto this angry road and hoon to yonder point?" Upon the word, accoutred as I was, I plunged on, and bade him follow; so indeed he did.
The engine roar'd, and we did buffet it with lusty Kumhos, hooning it along and taming said road with hearts of juvenility!
But ere we could arrive the point proposed, El Camino cried, "Help me, Dearthair, or I fishtail all over hell's half acre!
I, as Stig, our great ancestor, did from the Top Gear track upon his abilities the old GTI W12 Concept bear, so from the turns of the 16th Highway did I the tired El Camino. And this vehicle is now become a Jalopnik god; and Dearthair is a wretched creature, and must bend his body if El Camino carelessly but nod on him.
He had a malaise when he was in the eighties; and when the fit was on him I did mark how he did rattle. 'Tis true, this "god" did shake! His coward lines did from their tastefulness and style fly and that same nameplate whose legend doth awe the world did lose his luster. I did hear him groan:
Ay, and that engine of his that bade the journalists mark him, and write his praises in their magazines, alas, it cried, "Give me some power, Mr. Goodwrench," as a sick Rover.-Ye gods, it doth amaze me, a vehicle of such a feeble calibre should so get the start of the majestic world, and bear the Jalopnik adoration alone.
In other words... The legend of the El Camino is better than the actual vehicle ever was. Let's leave the legend alone, let the El Camino live on in our memories, and move on to a new car.
@theeastbaykid: "Ute Maloo, El Caballero." That's like a whole sentence in some other language.
@Lounatic: And look at where that got them...
Yeah!!!
A stupid notion not just a stupid name...
If you want a freakin pickup, buy a pickup.
If you want a freakin car, buy a car.
@Pope Dearthair the Awesometh: Congratulations, good Sir, you win one (1) intarnets-based COTD.
@Pope Dearthair the Awesometh: I love our readers.
@Matt Hardigree: Group hug!
@Matt Hardigree: I'd love to say it were mutual, but my heart is for Murilee, saucy wench of mystery, intrigue and leather bustiers, alone.
Riiight. What is it with t