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Categories: Chevrolet : Chevrolet El Camino : Franklin Mint
Chevrolet El Camino SS454 (1971) in Metallic Blue (1:24 scale by Franklin Mint B11E891)
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This diecast model Chevrolet El Camino SS454 (1971) is Metallic Blue and features working steering, suspension, wheels and also opening bonnet with engine, boot, doors.
GM® “detuned” the El CaminoTM for 1971. Still, there was nothing timid about the LS5 454 V-8 that actually generated 5bhp more than the previous year. This spectacular model features the definitive re-creation of that powerhouse engine, in addition to cowl-induction hood and single headlight design that made the El Camino so easy on the eye.
Is it a luxury car or a pick up truck? The El CaminoTM (Spanish for “the road”) prompted this question since its introduction in 1959 and collectors of Chevrolet® classics debate it to this day. The truck/car hybrid idea, first embodied by Ford’s Ranchero the year before, proved to be a popular idea at the time, combining the best of both vehicle characteristics. Although the first two years of production were slow and the model name disappeared for a time, the El CaminoTM was reintroduced in 1964. This time, the El CaminoTM shared the Chevelle® platform and styling and offered two engines—a 283 and a 327 cid V-8. High performance was given high priority and the trend continued into the next decade.
1971 saw the availability of a new SSTM 454. The SSTM designation for the El CaminoTM guaranteed not only special badges and accents, but high-performance equipment and a feather-light rear end that allowed the driver to easily “burn out,” smoking the tires to the rims. In 1971, the El CaminoTM SSTM received the same styling cues as the Chevelle®, such as the new, more-blunted “V” front end and a new, black-accented grille. Custom trim was standard for the Super Sport and a popular cowl induction hood was optional. For the SSTM, it had sport mirrors, optional striping, badges and 15x7 Rally rims available, along with a choice of four engines.
Many El CaminosTM from this era are still used as daily drivers and some are used in various racing venues, but most have found their way into the collections of serious Chevrolet® performance car enthusiasts’ garages. Now, Franklin Mint Precision Models has re-created the 1971 El CaminoTM SSTM 454 in exciting detail—sure to be a front-runner in any die-cast collector’s list of “must have” models.
1:24 scale (approx. 22cm / 8.7in long) - made by Franklin Mint.
Limited edition of 5000 pieces.
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