The El Camino has reached the end of the road, again.
Long gone from U.S. roads, the idea of a car/pickup hybrid has lived on in Australia where they are known as utes and have become as stereotypically Australian as a shrimp jumping off an Outback barbie into Paul Hogan’s mouth.
General Motors’ entry in the segment is the Holden Ute, a rear-wheel-drive two-door that rides on the same platform as the Chevrolet SS and Caprice police car sold in the United States and wears a nameplate that dates back more than 60 years.
But Carsguide reports that the beloved trucklet will be discontinued in 2016 due to competition from cheap pickups imported from Thailand, including GM’s own Colorado compact.
Holden officials would not comment on the report.
Ford is also ending production of its Falcon Ute at the end of 2016 as it winds down all of its Australian manufacturing operations that year, surely marking the end of the segment for good.
Introduced in 1958, Chevrolet last offered an El Camino in the U.S. in 1987, but fans have held out hope of its return ever since.
Their faith was almost rewarded when the Pontiac G8 ST concept was revealed at the 2008 New York Auto Show.
Basically a rebodied Holden Ute, the 361 hp sport truck was set to go on sale in 2010, but GM’s financial collapse spelled the end of it along with the rest of the Pontiac brand.
Instead, a new Chevrolet Colorado is on the way next year. This one made in the USA.