With a confluence of digital design, 3D printed parts, and the one percent with too much money, everything automotive now seems possible. Even a new Chevy Chevelle. This year Trans Am Worldwide in Tallahassee, demonstrated this synergy by debuting its 70/SS. A contemporary version of the 1970 Chevelle, it follows along the company’s playbook of reimaginations based on the current Camaro platform.
What’s the 2024 Chevy Chevelle based on?
Its most ambitious project yet, the entire Camaro is reskinned with carbon fiber body panels into a Chevelle, an iconic name long dropped from Chevy’s lexicon of iconic cars. Everything available with a new sixth-gen Camaro, especially its general engineering and modern reliability, comes with the 70/SS. That means convertible or coupe, and six-speed manual or automatic transmissions.
Trans Am upgrades the suspension and modifies the interior to go along with the external mods. The company does limited editions of certain engines like a 1,500 hp twin-turbo version it calls the LSX. But it also will do various reincarnations of models from Chevelle history like “SS 454” and “SS 396.” This keeps these limited as well. But it helps to amortize its design, engineering, and tooling over more than 25 total examples.
It has also worked well for its current contemporary Firebird also based on the Camaro. Available for a few years, it has proven Trans Am’s business case for these unique and well-done automobiles. Especially since with the Camaro platform you instantly get both a coupe and convertible. But then what?
Is the El Camino popular enough to create from a 2024 Chevelle?
GM’s path has always been to create as many variants from its expensive tooling as it could get away with. The original Chevelle came as a coupe and convertible, but also as a station wagon and four-door sedan. It was also the basis for the El Camino Ute pickup.
That Chevelle sub-brand continues to have a strong following today, 35 years after the last one rolled off the assembly line in Mexico. And its sedan/pickup makeup has found new favor with Hyundai’s Santa Cruz, the Ford Maverick, as well as smaller unibody pickups in the works from other manufacturers.
So since we’re talking about confluences, we wondered if the collision of increased El Camino-like popularity, combined with Trans Am’s excellent contemporary Chevelle makings, might point toward the company doing an El Camino variant. We’re sure its plate is probably extremely full cranking out Trans Am and Chevelle limited editions.
How likely is it for Trans Am to make an El Camino?
But it just seems so ripe for it to happen. The likelihood is doubtful, but we can at least wonder. This variant would require quite a bit more modifications to the Camaro platform than the current company offerings. So that in itself probably deems it unlikely.
But we’re seeing pickup conversions in kit form for Dodge Chargers, A4 Audis, Jettas, and more. And the prices seem reasonable. Could this kit approach to Trans Ams ingredients actually make it more feasible?
Who knows? We can speculate all day long. The point is that with the proliferation of impossible production of reborn Aston Martin DB4s, recreated Bugatti Type 37As, and more, anything and everything is possible. If there is a market for a far-flung car, there could be dedicated groups of enthusiasts ready to fill it.
