Famous El Camino Owners
The right-hand-man of David Koresh owned a 1968 SS-396 El Camino. It was partially crushed by a BATF tank during the siege of his cult's complex in Waco Texas. The El Camino can be seen in numerous videos taken by news crews during the siege.
President Bill Clinton reportedly owned a 1970 El Camino at one time. Speaking to a group of GM employees, Clinton joked, "It had astro-turf in the back. I don't want to tell you what the astro-turf was for.".
Country singer Alan Jackson, famous for his song "Crazy 'bout a Mercury" and the recent "Crazy 'bout a Ford Truck" TV commercials, apparently likes El Caminos. He recently owned a 1971 SS-454.
It was reported that Frank Sinatra had a 1972 El Camino. It was recently advertised for sale at $50,000. I'd like some further confirmation on this.
Muscle car collector and former baseball player Reggie Jackson had a collection of rare El Caminos. Unfortunately, they were totally destroyed in a fire at one of his storage facilities.
Singer Dwight Yoakam is rumored to have owned a 1978 El Camino. He used money intended for body work on the El Camino to help finance his first recordings. He still has an El Camino, but it is unknown if it is the same one or a different one. It can be seen on the back cover of his album "Just Lookin'n For A Hit".
UPDATE: Jim Gessner writes:
"Famous old Corvette Racer and tuner Dick Guldstrand maintains Dwight's 78 El Camino. I am retired now, but while at Dick's as service manager we nicknamed the El Camino "Dwight's Trash Truck"!! Why? .....read on:
We put a ZZ4 late model driveline with a 700R4 that was enhanced, redid all the driveline and suspension and rear diff. Basically made a new truck with modern hot rod high tech driveline. Dwight had the interior redone in beautiful saddle Connelly leather, and added a great sound system. He dark tinted the windows, but let the original black paint stay old and beat up. He did not want it stolen as he drives it every day, and wanted it to look like an old ranch truck at the stables. He uses it about 15000 miles a year. Runs like a Corvette!! Dick's new shop is in Burbank. And Dwight still brings him the "trash truck" to keep it running perfect."
Motorcycle stunt man Evel Knievel used a white 1964 El Camino to haul a pair of his Triumph motorcycles.
Drag racing Hall of Famer Bob Smith ("Jet Car Bob") once owned a 1986 El Camino.
Eric Lundberg writes:
"I worked for Louis Unser as a race engine builder in his dyno shop in Santa Ana, CA, in 1979. He owned a '74 or so El Camino and used it as his shop truck. It said "Engines by Unser" on the doors. Louis was well-known in racing circles as his famous driver-brothers were. He also had a very severe case of Multiple Sclerosis, and could barely walk or move. Despite this, he still was allowed by the State of California to maintain a driver's license and drive the Elco on a daily basis, which he did. Despite his medical condition, which really was quite severe and debilitating, he demostrated to a DMV inspector and supervisor in very convincing fashion that he could still drive a car with the caliber of a race driver. He used the El Camino for this spectacular demo. He told this story to me in person. It took him 45 minutes to get out of the car and walk the 15 or 20' distance from his car to his desk at the front door of the shop and was unable to feed himself without at least some assistance, yet once in the Elco he was in his element and with one fair hand and foot (and that's all) he was down the road like a shot. The Elco had a modified 350, some suspension work, and was fun to drive, which I did quite often."