When life gives you lemons you make lemonade, or in this case, when a tree falls on the back half of your 1967 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, you make it into a pickup not unlike the El Camino. It’s a lesson in both determination and sheet metal fabrication, and while converting a car chassis into a truck is nothing new, this new twist on an established hobby has us impressed at the quality and craftsmanship of this one-of-a-kind car.

As related above, the eBay auction tells the story of a classic Cutlass crumbled by an errant tree, and a master bodyman who decided to make the best of a bad situation. The engine, rear quarters and interior all come from the original Olds, but the bed and roof are from a mid-60s El Camino and replace that which was ruined by nature. The auction says that  everything works just as it is supposed to, and the Olds El Camino has just 37,000 miles on the odometer.

Power steering, air conditioning, four-wheel disc brakes and a factory tilting steering column are all part of the deal as well, but what really impressed us is just how factory stock this Cutlass pickup looks. The El Camino and its Ford rival, the Ranchero, have always been automotive oddballs, but the lines of the Cutlass look almost pre-destined for an open-back look. Even the El Camino-style tail lights seem to be right at home on this mish-mash of automobiles.

Naturally, such a unique car commands a high price, with the auction setting a Buy It Now price of $45,000. Yet it almost seems unfair to drive around somebody else’s labor of love. This is a car with a story to tell, a look at what might-have-been, and we hope whoever does buy it preserves that narrative for decades to come.