Since the first crossover vehicle appeared in 1957 – in the form of a Ford Ranchero – the idea of combining passenger car ride and pickup truck utility just hasn’t been abandoned. Today’s crossovers are more built off a station wagon/SUV theme than the pickup truck concept, but the idea just keeps coming back.
Adding in the possibility of some significant performance, though, brings this ’84 ‘Vette squarely to our attention.
Chevrolet followed Ford’s release with the El Camino in 1959 and variations on that theme have often had a significant performance component to them. So, it should follow that applying same same idea to a Corvette would only be the next logical step.
Based on these photos, appearing in AM Car Guide, someone already has and the results appear to be pretty darn good. Judging from the pics, this “Vettamino” looks as though the cargo area is actually large enough to have some degree of urban utility.
It seems that the rear bodywork has been extended to make a more useful pickup bed. Still, you’ll probably not want to be hauling hay bales around the ranch with this one.
Even in the gentrified farm lands of North Carolina, it looks as though this hauler has been found more suitable for shopping than for chores back at the ranch. When it comes to making a statement in a land that’s dominated by pickup trucks, this Vettamino is talking loud and clear.