Slide of
The motif of a charging ram was first fitted to Dodge cars and trucks in 1932 and featured on every model until 1954.
It reappeared in 1981, when the Dodge D series (2WD) and W series (4WD) pickups were rebranded Rams and Power Rams under an initiative from Chrysler’s then-chairman, Lee Iacocca.
Since then, there have been five generations of Ram full-size pickups, and the all-new, high-tech 2019 edition (pictured), which went on sale earlier this year.
In 2010, Ram Trucks became a standalone brand within what is now Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA). Join us on a journey from Ram’s past to present…
- Slide of
Dodge-Power Wagon woody wagon (1948)
Dodge’s immediate post-war truck output included the Power Wagon series. Power Wagons were 4x4 trucks based on military vehicles and were adapted into different body styles for different purposes, including this 1948 woody wagon.
Seventy years on, Ram still uses the Power Wagon name for off-road versions of its pickups. But the standard, truck-mounted winches now have 12,000lb (5455kg) rather than 7,500lb of pulling capacity…
- Slide of
Dodge-Power Wagon (1951)
The second series of Power Wagon arrived in 1951. Power Wagons had a low-range transfer case for serious off-road use and power take-offs to operate auxiliary equipment front and rear – the “The self-propelled power plant”, as contemporary advertisements put it.
The vehicles were also marketed as “America’s greatest farm truck” and as having “Power for every purpose”, while Dodge Trucks more generally were billed as “Job rated” – somewhat similar to GMC’s recent “Professional grade” tagline. Plush modern trucks are unrecognizable from the work trucks of yore, but the key messages of truck advertising have changed little in more than half a century.
- Slide of
Dodge-D100 (1966)
Fast forward to 1966, and the Dodge D series had a far sleeker look than the immediate post-war vehicles. The trucks were powered by the big block B or RB ‘wedge’ V8s that had replaced the FirePower (Hemi) engines in 1958.
The truck was an evolution of the original D series, which had been launched in 1961. A 1965 facelift had brought a restyled grille and headlights, and double-wall boxes with a full-width tailgate.
- Slide of
Dodge-D100 Adventurer (1969)
The 1969 D100 Adventurer benefited from re-engineered suspension and steering to improve on-road handling. There was also a new hood and a safer, redesigned steering wheel was fitted.
The D series was assembled in Warren, Michigan, where Ram 1500s were made until the 2019 switch to nearby Sterling Heights. Warren will build the next generation of Ram HD pickups from 2020.
- Slide of
Dodge-D100 Adventurer interior (1970)
The simple instrument panel of this 1970 D100 Adventurer is a far cry from the 2019 Ram 1500’s huge touchscreen, but Dodge was already taking steps to add creature comforts and exterior style to what had previously just been considered work vehicles.
Air conditioning was available on the D series by this time, as well as carpets and bucket seats. There was even a ‘Dude’ special edition exterior trim package endorsed by actor and comedian, Don Knotts.
- Slide of
Dodge-D100 Adventurer (1972)
The basic architecture of the third-generation D series, introduced in 1972, would endure until 1994, by which time the truck was known as the Ram.
In advertisements for the 1972 models, Captain Pickup promised to “fight the forces of ‘ho-hum’ pickups with new styling, ride and handling”. Independent, coil-spring front suspension was a standout new feature. Double-wall construction and extensive use of galvanized steel promised better durability.
- Slide of
Dodge-D200 Club Cab (1973)
The Club Cab, introduced in 1973, provided “an extra 34 cu ft of storage space inside for things you don’t want to leave outside”. Dodge boasted that the Club Cab model, which retained its full-length box, would still fit inside a standard 20ft garage.
Electronic ignition was also standard. “This system is not affected by cold or rain, it eliminates points or condensers that wear out and is virtually maintenance free,” crowed publicity from the period.
- Slide of
Dodge-W150 Macho Power Wagon (1978)
The Macho Power Wagon was part of a four-truck range of ‘Adult Toys’ that also included the Four by Four Ramcharger, Warlock and Street Van. Macho Power Wagons came with standard black bucket seats and a roll bar. They were finished in bright colors with black and yellow accents. Ram revived the Macho Power Wagon label on a 2016 SEMA concept.
Elsewhere in the 1978 range was the first diesel option in a Dodge pickup, a 4-liter Mitsubishi inline-six.
- Slide of
Dodge-Ram D150 Sweptline Royal SE (1981)
The Ram name and badge returned to Dodge trucks with a 1981 redesign of the D series that had been in production since 1972.
The advertising tagline for the relaunch was ‘Dodge trucks are Ram tough’ – a reworking of the earlier ‘Dodge builds tough trucks’.
- Slide of
Dodge-D150 Miser (1983)
Built as a low-cost, fuel-crisis-friendly, full-size alternative to the mid-size offerings of rivals Chevrolet and Ford, the Ram Miser was powered by a six-cylinder engine.
The Ram Miser included 310 sq ft of galvanized steel – more, said Dodge, than comparable trucks from Chevy or Ford. The maker claimed that as a result of its use, more than 90% of the D series and Ram trucks built in the prior decade were still on the road.
- Slide of
Dodge-Ram D350 Crew Cab (1985)
Crew cabs now dominate the truck market but were far from an overnight success. Dodge built its first in 1962, although some early Power Wagons also had four doors.
The truck shown here is a 1985 Ram 350 Crew Cab. Its Sweptline box – sides flush with the cab – was now the only box style option after the stepped Utiline design was dropped the same year.
- Slide of
Dodge-Dakota LE 4x4 (1987)
The mid-size Dodge Dakota, first introduced in 1987, was a sales hit. Buyers would, advertisements promised, “get the sporty styling, car-like handling and fuel economy of a compact,” but also the “Ram tough performance, cargo space and 3-across seating of a full-size”.
By the early 1990s, the fortunes of the cutting-edge Dakota contrasted sharply with those of the Rams and Power Rams, which could trace their roots back two decades and were selling fewer than 100,000 a year. Dodge’s pickup market share in full-size pickups fell to around 7%.
- Slide of
Dodge-Ram D250 Cummins Diesel (1990)
The aging former D series was given one final major update when a 5.9-liter Cummins diesel engine was introduced in 1989. The inline-six, fitted to the 1990 D250 shown here, featured Bosch fuel injection. Diesels soon accounted for a large proportion of Ram sales.
An updated, 6.7-liter version of this diesel, the ISB, remains in production. A four-cylinder derivative also powers London’s New Routemaster hybrid-electric buses.
- Slide of
Dodge-Ram 1500 (1994)
The first all-new Ram pickup debuted in 1994, finally replacing the rebadged D/W series trucks. The distinctive, heavy-truck-influenced styling was a departure from pickup tradition and cues can still be seen in the 2019 model.
The truck was a huge success, quadrupling annual sales to more than 400,000 units in only three years, and more than doubling the Ram’s market share in full-size pickups to 19%.
- Slide of
Dodge-Ram Quad Cab SLT (1998)
A four-door Quad Cab configuration with ‘suicide doors’ was an option on the 1998 Ram 1500. A contemporary advertisement read: “The four doors open to a remarkably spacious interior, a newly redesigned instrument panel, and a new, standard passenger-side airbag.”
Later, Dodge engineers took around 100mm of length from the cargo box and used it to extend the cab, which created space for rear doors that hinged at the B-pillar. This family-friendly four-door truck, which foresaw the current popularity of the crew-cab configuration, debuted in 2002.
- Slide of
Dodge-Ram 1500 Quad Cab (2002)
A highlight of the engine line-up for the third-generation Ram was the return of the Hemi. The new, 5.7-liter, 345bhp motor was available from 2003, a year after the updated truck hit the market.
Also new for the third generation was the SRT-10 model, powered by the Viper’s 8.3-liter, 500bhp V10 and available in regular or Quad Cab versions. Beginning in 2004, Dodge made just over 9,500 SRT-10s before production was discontinued in 2006.
- Slide of
Ram 5500 Chassis Cab (2014)
The Ram pickup was renewed again in 2009, a year before Ram Trucks became a standalone brand within FCA. The five-link, coil-spring rear suspension it introduced is still a novelty in the segment. A series of updates throughout the truck’s nine-year life propelled it to record sales of 599,000 units across the US and Canada in 2017.
Heavy duty and chassis cab versions followed the 1500 into production, including the 2014 Ram 5500 crew cab 4x4 chassis cab shown here, which was powered by a 6.7-liter Cummins diesel. That engine is the latest version of the B Series that first appeared in a Ram in 1989.
- Slide of
Ram-1500 Rebel (2019)
Ram’s latest pickup was revealed at the 2019 North American International Auto Show. The truck has a 4in-longer cab and is around 225lb (102kg) lighter than the model it replaces, which remains on sale as the Ram 1500 Classic.
The off-road Rebel edition of the new truck, shown here, features a 1in suspension lift, Bilstein shocks, 33in Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac tires and an electronic locking rear diff.
- Slide of
Ram-1500 Laramie Longhorn (2019)
The upscale interior is a standout feature of the 2019 Ram 1500. The instrument panel is dominated by a 12in touchscreen that operates the latest version of FCA’s Uconnect infotainment system, which is kept current by over-the-air updates.
The black/cattle-tan leather and wood trim of the Laramie Longhorn model, which retails for more than US$50,000, is typical of how modern pickups fuse work-truck capability with luxury-car materials and the latest technology.
- Slide of
Ram-1500 eTorque (2019)
Ram has yet to announce a plug-in hybrid 1500 to rival the Ford F-150’s that’s due in 2020, but the 2019 Ram 1500 derives fuel-efficiency gains from the eTorque mild hybrid system. It’s available on both the second-generation, 3.6-liter, 305bhp Pentastar V6 engine (shown here) and the 5.7-liter, 395bhp Hemi V8.
Just as important as lower fuel consumption in this truck application, is the additional torque offered by the eTorque system – 90lb ft on top of the V6’s standard 269lb ft and an extra 130lb ft for the 410lb ft Hemi.
Close
