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Performance utility · 3 seats

1972 Chevrolet El Camino

Performance utility powered by 1972 Chevrolet El Camino inline-six and V8 family.

Classic Muscle EditorialLast reviewed Sep 3, 2026

Suggest a correction
Exact-year 1972 Chevrolet El Camino exterior view; restoration and equipment remain specific to the photographed vehicle.
Body Two-door coupe utility
Engine range 250 inline-six through available V8s
Chassis Chevelle-based perimeter-frame platform
Identity VIN, trim tag, drivetrain codes, and build records must agree

Story

1972 Chevrolet El Camino

The 1972 El Camino closed the third generation with Chevrolet passenger-car road manners, an integrated pickup box, and a broad engine menu. This page covers the model-year family; SS equipment and individual engine combinations remain configuration details rather than duplicate base identities.

Powertrain and chassis

Factory literature places the El Camino within Chevrolet's 1972 Chevelle family. Engine, transmission, axle, suspension, brake, cooling, and trailering equipment varied by ordered configuration, so no photographed survivor should be treated as proof of every factory combination.

Authentication

A useful inspection starts with the VIN, body and trim tags, frame and body identifiers, drivetrain codes, component dates, and original paperwork. Badges or a single engine casting cannot establish an SS package or a born-with drivetrain on their own.

Exact-year 1972 Chevrolet El Camino detail view; restoration and equipment remain specific to the photographed vehicle.Charles via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Price history

Values

Nominal dollars from original price sheets, auction archives, and approved value references.

Original Price

A verified original price is not yet available for this car.

Values move with paperwork, originality, options, condition, venue, and body style. High bids and guide values are labeled separately from completed sales.

Reference records

Options, Colors & Components

Source-backed details for trim, chassis, production, and authenticity.

Engine Details

  • 1972 El Camino engine range 250-cubic-inch inline-six through available Chevrolet small-block and big-block V8 applications · 1972 Chevrolet El Camino, subject to series and option restrictions · engine assembly / specification

Transmission

  • Factory transmission Three-speed manual by application
  • Factory transmission Four-speed manual by application
  • Factory transmission Turbo Hydra-Matic automatic by application

Still Researching

  • rear axle The reviewed kit does not establish a complete ratio-by-powertrain table for this page.
  • brakes The reviewed material does not support a complete standard-versus-optional brake table.
  • suspension A complete suspension package and component table has not been reconciled.
  • option packages The full package and option matrix is not yet documented here.
  • production No reviewed ledger safely separates all 1972 El Camino configurations.
  • paint colors A complete paint-code and availability table is not yet reconciled.
  • trim and appearance The complete molding, stripe, wheel, and badge matrix is not yet reconciled.
  • interior The complete upholstery, seating, instrument, and trim matrix is not yet reconciled.
  • authenticity markers Model references cannot prove one survivor's born-with components or ordered equipment.

Codes & names

Names & Engine Codes

Common names and codes are grouped so LS6 references point to the same engine, not separate pages.

1972 El Camino 250 inline-six 1972 Chevrolet El Camino inline-six and V8 family
1972 El Camino 307 V8 1972 Chevrolet El Camino inline-six and V8 family
1972 El Camino 350 V8 1972 Chevrolet El Camino inline-six and V8 family
1972 El Camino 402 V8 1972 Chevrolet El Camino inline-six and V8 family
1972 El Camino 454 V8 1972 Chevrolet El Camino inline-six and V8 family

Photo and video gallery

Gallery

0 additional photos or videos

Approved images are shown with the relevant sections above. No additional gallery media is available yet.

Sources & Documentation

Reader contributions

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