Guanzhou Auto show continues to be a wild place. The latest example is from Chevrolet which displayed a variety of modified cars on the floor. The most fascinating is this Malibu that was converted to a pickup.
Although Ute conversions aren’t groundbreaking, some are more successful than others. The Malibu that was converted to a pickup might make people realise how much they have been missing an El Camino.
You can find our complete coverage of the 2021 Guangzhou Auto Show here
Starting with the idea of chopping the back half of the roof off of a Malibu and carving out everything behind the front row of seats to make a pickup bed, the tuners responsible for this conversion certainly weren’t constrained by a lack of ambition.
For that feeling of a beach feel, they added a roll cage to the bed and topped it with (what appears) an air ride system. The Malibu is painted a robin’s egg blue on the bottom and white on top, another successful nod to the classics.
Although it’s unclear if the engine has been modified, it’s clear that significant time has been spent under the Ute. The Malibute has sided exit exhausts and large fenders. There is also a front splitter and rear spoiler.
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It has received a lot of attention as well. It has rich brown leather upholstery, but the star of the show is its steering wheel. A thin ’60s-style wheel, what it lacks in space for airbags, it makes up for in retro-cool.
Ultimately, it’s a very successful build and makes me wonder if a Malibute could have been successful. America can sustain a sedan-turned pickup. Or should we settle with SUVs that are converted into pickups only?
