What did GMC call their El Camino?
GMC called its version of the El Camino the GMC Caballero.
Across the GM lineup, badge engineering produced several near-identical vehicles under different divisions. The GMC Caballero was a two-door coupe utility built on the same underpinnings as Chevrolet’s El Camino, updated with GMC styling cues and branding. It served as GMC’s answer to the El Camino niche during the late 1970s and 1980s.
Origins and naming
To understand the designation, it helps to know that GM offered badge-engineered variants of the same platform. The Caballero was essentially the GMC-aligned sibling of the Chevrolet El Camino, sharing mechanics, doors, and a similar silhouette while wearing GMC badges and a distinct front fascia.
Key facts about the GMC Caballero are summarized below.
- Badge-engineered sibling of the Chevrolet El Camino
- Produced in the United States from around 1978 through 1987
- Built on GM's A-body platform, sharing mechanicals with the Chevelle/El Camino family
- Distinct GMC styling cues and branding, including a GMC grille and badging
These points illustrate how the Caballero functioned within GM’s strategy, offering a GMC-branded alternative to the El Camino while preserving the car-based pickup concept.
Context within GM's badge-engineering strategy
The Caballero exemplifies GM’s approach in the era: delivering similar vehicles across divisions to broaden appeal and keep sales within the corporate family, rather than creating entirely separate platforms for every market segment.
Summary: GMC's El Camino counterpart was the Caballero—an badge-engineered, two-door coupe utility produced roughly from 1978 to 1987 that shared the El Camino's core underpinnings but carried GMC branding and styling.
Did GMC have a version of The El Camino?
Yes, GMC did make a version of the Chevrolet El Camino, first as the GMC Sprint (1971–1977) and later as the GMC Caballero (1978–1987). These vehicles were essentially identical to the El Camino, sharing the same platform and mechanicals, but with different badging.
You can watch this video to learn more about the GMC Sprint's relationship with the El Camino: 58sSteve MagnanteYouTube · Mar 23, 2022
- GMC Sprint (1971–1977): Introduced so that GMC dealerships had a counterpart to the El Camino. It was mechanically the same as the El Camino but featured its own grille and badging.
- GMC Caballero (1978–1987): When the El Camino was redesigned in 1978, GMC renamed its version the Caballero. This name was also a Spanish word, similar to the "El Camino" name.
- Shared features: The Sprint and Caballero shared the same engines, transmissions, and features as the El Camino. Special editions also mirrored the El Camino's, such as the Caballero SP being equivalent to the El Camino SS.
- Sales: The GMC versions sold in much lower numbers than the Chevrolet El Camino, making them rarer today.
This video discusses the evolution of the El Camino, including its relationship with the GMC version: 1mGraphic Cars EvolutionYouTube · Jun 10, 2023
What is a GMC El Camino called?
The GMC El Camino was called the GMC Sprint from 1971 to 1977, and the GMC Caballero from 1978 to 1987. It was essentially a badge-engineered version of the Chevrolet El Camino, sharing the same platform, engines, and chassis. The name change to Caballero occurred with the model's restyling in 1978.
- GMC Sprint: This was the name for the vehicle during its first generation, from 1971 to 1977.
- GMC Caballero: The name was changed to Caballero for the 1978 model year, with the vehicle remaining in production under this name until 1987.
What is a GMC Caballero?
The GMC Caballero is a car-based pickup truck, commonly known as a "coupe utility" vehicle, that served as the rebadged counterpart to the Chevrolet El Camino. It was first released in 1978 and manufactured in the United States by General Motors until its discontinuation in 1987.
What is another name for the El Camino car?
Caballero
Although based on corresponding General Motors car lines, the vehicle is classified in the United States as a pickup. GMC's badge engineered El Camino variant, the Sprint, was introduced for the 1971 model year. Renamed Caballero in 1978, it was also produced through the 1987 model year.
