The Ram is one of a few household trucking names in the USA (the others being Ford, Chevrolet, Nissan and Toyota). It is produced by the Chrysler Group LLC. The headquarters of the company are in Auburn Hills, Michigan, on the outskirts of Detroit. The production of the Dodge Ram started in 1981. It was named Ram after the decoration on their hood, dating back to 1933 and in 2010 it was shortened to only Ram. There are two Chrysler’s plants that produce the Ram today; one in Saltillo, Mexico and the other one in Warren, Michigan, US.
This model has been here for more than 30 years and it has undergone many changes and improvements in terms of driving performances, design and technical features. The Ram has won the Truck of the Year title for times: in 1994 (second generation of the Ram), 2003 (third generation), 2010 (fourth generation) and 2013 (Ram 1500).
Although awards aren’t the only measure by which the opinion about a truck is created (the users/drivers being the first and most significant critics of truck quality), they certainly shouldn’t be dismissed. The Ram is one of the cult models of trucks in the USA and it has reached a cult status.
It all began in 1981, when the Chrysler Group started producing the Dodge Ram as an improved version of the old Dodge D model, which had been produced between 1961 and 1980.
So the new Dodge Ram basically represented an upgraded version, with extended back lamps, rectangular front lamps and sharper lines of the truck. The new Dodge Ram could be purchased with the Slant-6 or V8 powertrains. When talking about the interior, the most important innovations were a totally redesigned dashboard and a restyled bench.
After the Club Cab was dismissed in 1982, there weren’t any other major changes design-wise until 1986, when a new crossbar grille was introduced. However, the Dodge’s mechanics continued working on the Club Cab and they returned it later for the models made in 1991.
The most important changes on the Dodge Ram in terms of driving performances in the eighties were the shift on the fly function and engine improvements. The Slant-6 engine was replaced by the V6 with fuel injection and 3.9 liters, raising the power level for 25%. Another engine boost for the Dodge Ram was done in 1988, with the new 5.2 L engine and computer-controlled fuel injection. Other additional features in this period were electronic supervision of the ignition and ABS system. Since the end of the 1980s saw a lot of newly introduced electronic controls for different Dodge Ram features, it was necessary to insert some extra notification lights inside the cab: the parking brake, ABS and check engine lights.
The Dodge Ram manufactured the models 150, 250 and 350, each of the numbers indicating the half-ton truck, quarter-ton truck and one-ton truck respectively. In 1984, the Dodge Ram 100 model was added. Yet, in 1990 the Ram 100 was dismissed due to low sale figures in contrast to Ford’s F 150 model and some other pickups.
At the beginning of the 1990s, the Dodge Ram prepared several engine improvements, launched under the common name Magnum. Those upgrades included the 3.9L and 5.2L engine in 1992 and 5.9L in 1993, with an even stronger fuel injection feature, aided by new manifolds and stronger cylinder heads for more powerful compression. During that period, a new automatic transmission line for heavy duty trucks was introduced and the Dodge also returned the Club Cab in 1992, again with no back doors, but only the front ones.
One of the pivotal points in the development of the Dodge Ram models was the introduction of the Cummins B Series engine to the list of Dodge’s engines. This engine fueled by diesel offered direct injection and the turbocharging feature, leaving Ford and GM diesel engines behind. The launch of the Cummins engine helped the Dodge sales to increase significantly.
In 1994 the Ram models were redesigned and the look of the exterior was mainly based on design ideas by Phillip E. Payne from the beginning of the 1990s and surveys made among customers and Ram’s drivers. The drivers opted for a powerful exterior design of the Ram, to make it leave an impression of a big strong pickup truck. The Dodge’s designers created a powerful-looking front part, with a large bold grille and strong thick front bumper. Alongside the already existing engine models, the novelty was the 8.0L V10 engine, meant for great pulling demands.
When talking about the changes in the design of the interior of the Dodge Ram, the 1990s models saw the extension of the glovebox, modernization of the dashboard and gauges and larger space behind the seats. The main changes in the cab size and design were the introduction of the quad cab, which had four full-sized doors, in 1997 and in 1998 the rectangular mirrors were replaced by round mirrors; finally, in year 2000, heated leather seats were introduced, denoting a move towards the more sophisticated 21st century design.
In terms of sales increase, the 1990s were a logical follow-up of the production processes induced in the 1980s. So the number of the sold units of the restyled 1994 Ram jumped from 100,000 in 1993 to 400,000 in 1996.
After the first generation introduced in 1981, and the second generation in 1994, it was the right time for the new generation of the Ram. So in 2002 the third generation of the Ram 1500 was introduced and in 2003 the new Ram 2500 and 3500 models followed up.
The rearrangement of the mechanics and design conducted in this new generation of the Ram included the modernization of the engines for different models, restyled interiors, and renewed frames, as well as the enlargement of the grille. However, all these changes weren’t spectacular and they had the previous generation’s structure as a base. The restyled models boosted sales, so in 2002 and 2003 the number of the sold Ram models reached 450,000, which was a new peak in sales numbers of the Ram. However, from 2003 to 2005 Ram experienced a significant decline in the sales, falling to just about 400,000 models sold in 2005.
That led to a new renovation of the Ram and in 2006 its models were updated. Since the Ram’s mechanics and designers saw their rivals were leaving them behind, they decided to prepare something special for this updated version. It was an extended cab, with 560 mm of additional capacity inside the cab and a two-meter cargo bed.
When talking about the mechanical aspect of this 2006 update, it is important to point out that the older version of Hemi V8 engine (5.7L) used in Ram 1500 was replaced by the Multi-Displacement System Hemi engine. Its main characteristic was the deactivation of a cylinder when lighter loads were carried and thus lower the gas consumption.
In addition, models produced after in 2007 and later came with the Cummins powertrain, featuring 6.7 Turbo Diesel engine, as well as an updated transmission with six speeds.
The latest generation of Dodge Ram models was presented in 2008. The first model of the new generation was Dodge Ram 1500, as a representative of the fourth generation Dodge Ram, while models 2500, 3500, 4500 and 5500 followed later.
Due to the turmoil on Wall Street in 2009 and the subsequent economic recession, many companies were forced to reorganize their production and management. Chrysler wasn’t an exception. So in 2010 the Dodge brand ceased to produce ram trucks. Due to the restructuring, the new truck manufacturing brand was launched the same year: Ram, which has been making Ram trucks since then.
Among many models they produce (which can be seen on their website), one of the most sophisticated models in terms of design and electro-mechanical features is the Ram Cargo Van (Ram C/V) , which stepped on the international trucking scene in 2012. Created on the grounds of the Dodge Grand Caravan, it comes with a 3.6 L Pentastar engine with six cylinders (V6) and auto transmission with six speeds. It offers 144.4 cubic feet of interior loading space, with 1,800 lb or about 820 kg of the inside cargo volume. This model can tow up to 3600 lb trailer, achieving 25 mpg on the highway, according to the Ram mechanics.
No matter if they are called Dodge Ram or simply Ram, these brands have been an inevitable part of the American truck market for more than three decades. It is hard to imagine the day when the Dodge Ram would stop being produced.
Although they have experienced serious problems, the crew from Chrysler managed to find a way how to save the Ram and its models from a closedown, changing and improving them for the new challenges on the trucking map of the States and the World.
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