Some give diamonds for Christmas. Dale Earnhardt Jr. got his wife a 53-year-old car

Anyone who believes NBC sports analyst Dale Earnhardt Jr. has gotten too sophisticated for his NASCAR roots needs to see what he got his wife for Christmas.

It’s a car — sort of — and not anything close to a new one.

“Yes y’all, Dale Jr. surprised me with a 1966 El Camino!” Amy Earnhardt posted on Instagram Christmas Day.

“By far the best gift I’ve ever received ... I’ve wanted one for as long as I can remember. And it’s perfect!” she wrote.

A photo on her Instagram page showed it’s cherry red, with big chrome rims.

El Caminos were an odd car-truck hybrid made from 1964 through 1987, mostly by Chevy, according to H&HClassic.com.

What the retired NASCAR star paid for the restored vehicle wasn’t revealed, but prices for souped-up versions range from $15,000 to $75,000, according to ClassicCars.com.

Amy Earnhardt didn’t say what she got Dale Earnhardt Jr. in return, but the last thing he needs is another car.

Among his more eccentric hobbies is collecting wrecked race cars for Dirty Mo Acres, a car graveyard on his property near Mooresville, North Carolina. A website lists about 45 “graveyard ghosts” as being laid to rest at the site.

Nearly all appear unsafe to drive, and probably won’t even crank, judging by photos he posts online.

By contrast, Amy Earnhardt made it clear she’s driving her 53-year-old El Camino.

“Thank you, honey, so much!” she wrote on Instagram. “I love it! Now let’s go to HomeGoods and fill this baby up!”

This story was originally published December 26, 2019 at 4:06 PM with the headline "Some give diamonds for Christmas. Dale Earnhardt Jr. got his wife a 53-year-old car."