Ram pickup


The Ram pickup is a full-size pickup truck manufactured by Stellantis North America and marketed from 2010 onwards under the Ram Trucks brand. The current fifth-generation Ram debuted at the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, in January of that year.
Previously, Ram was part of the Dodge line of light trucks. The Ram name was introduced in October 1980 for model year 1981, when the Dodge D series pickup trucks and B series vans were rebranded, though the company had used a ram's-head hood ornament on some trucks as early as 1933.
Ram trucks have been named Motor Trend magazine's Truck of the Year eight times; the second-generation Ram won the award in 1994, the third-generation Ram heavy-duty won the award in 2003, the fourth-generation Ram Heavy Duty won in 2010 and the fourth-generation Ram 1500 won in 2013 and 2014, and the current fifth-generation Ram pickup became the first truck in history to win the award four times, winning in 2019, 2020, 2021 and most recently, 2025.

First generation (1981; D/W)

The first-generation Dodge Ram trucks and vans introduced in October 1980 feature a Ram hood ornament first used on Dodge vehicles from 1932 until 1954. Not all of the first-generation trucks have this ornament and is most commonly seen on four-wheel-drive models. Dodge kept the previous generation's model designations: D or Ram indicate two-wheel drive while W or Power Ram indicate four-wheel drive. Just like Ford's F-Series, Dodge used "150" to indicate a half-ton truck, 250 for a three-quarter-ton truck, and 350 for a one-ton truck. The truck models were offered in standard cab, "Club" extended cab, and crew cab configurations. They also were offered along with and bed lengths and "Utiline" and "Sweptline" styled boxes along with standard boxes. Externally, the first-generation Rams were facelifted versions of the previous generation Dodge D-Series pickups introduced in 1972. The new model introduced larger wraparound tail lamps, dual rectangular headlamps, and squared-off body lines. Engine choices were pared down to the 225 slant-6 and 318 and 360 V8s. The interior was updated, included a new bench seat, a completely new dashboard and an instrument cluster with an optional three-pod design – a speedometer in the center, with the two side pods containing an ammeter on the top left, a temperature gauge on the bottom left, a fuel gauge on the top right and an oil pressure gauge bottom right. Models without the full gauge package had only indicator lights in the place of the temperature and oil pressure gauges. Among the options offered on the Ram were front bumper guards, a sliding rear cab window, air-conditioning, cruise control, tilt steering column, power door locks and windows, AM/FM stereo with a cassette tape player, styled road wheels, aluminum turbine-style mag wheels, special paint and stripe packages, two-tone paint, and a plow package for four-wheel-drive models.
The "Club Cab" was dropped from the lineup after 1982, but Dodge kept the tooling and reintroduced it nearly a decade later in the 1990 models. The four-door crew cab and Utiline beds were dropped after the 1985 model year, to make room on the assembly line for the then-upcoming 1987 Dodge Dakota, and were never reintroduced in this generation.
Basic Ram 100 models were reintroduced for 1984, replacing the previous "Miser" trim level available on the Ram 150. A "Ram-Trac" shift-on-the-fly transfer case was added for the 1985 Power Rams, and both the crew cab and Utiline flared bed versions were discontinued for 1986, the latter not to return on any Chrysler-built pickup. For 1988, the slant-6 engine was replaced by a fuel-injected V6 engine first introduced with the Dodge Dakota. The engine, on which the 3.9 L V6 is based, also received electronic fuel injection in 1988. Because of the new computer-controlled fuel injection, ignition, and ABS system, more vehicle information needed to be displayed through any warning or notification lights; so inside the cab where a small compartment was once located on the dash, a new "message center" with four small rectangular light spots, contained the check engine light and other tell-tales including one for the parking brake and the ABS if the truck was so equipped. The message center later included "wait to start" and "water in fuel" lights on diesel models. Diagnostic fault codes were stored in the computer's memory, and cycling the ignition key three times allowed the computer to flash the trouble codes through the check-engine light for diagnosis of some problems. Rear ABS became standard equipment on 250 and 350 models for 1989.
The Ram 100 model designation was dropped and these models folded back into the 150 range for 1990, due to the introduction and sales success of the Dodge Dakota pickup. Additionally, the instrument cluster was slightly revised; the ammeter was replaced by a voltmeter while maintaining the 3-pod arrangement of the speedometer and gauges. Also for 1990, Dodge reintroduced the Club Cab, equipped with fold-out jump seats for the 1991–1993 models. Entry was made through the passenger or driver's doors because there were no rear doors for this configuration. For 1991, all versions received standard rear-wheel anti-lock brakes.
These trucks, though popular with fleets, sold poorly compared to the Ford F-Series and the General Motors C/K trucks, with sales rarely breaking 100,000 units for most years of their production. Part of this was due to the dated cab and chassis design which had been in production since 1972, the lack of a powerful diesel option until 1989, and the lack of a big-block gasoline V8 option. Additionally, the interior had been given few updates since the October 1980 market launch.

Engines and transmissions

For 1989, the 5.9 L V8 received throttle-body fuel injection for a 20 hp gain, while the 3.9 L V6 became standard on W100 and W150 pickups. Additionally, Dodge introduced a new overdrive automatic transmission for reduced fuel consumption. This light-duty transmission was designated the A500, and was offered with the 3.9 L V6 and 5.2 L V8. An "O/D off" pushbutton switch to lock out the overdrive 4th gear was added to the message center. The A727 automatic saw continued use for some 5.2 L engines, all 5.9 L engines, and heavy-duty applications.
The grille was redesigned for 1991 but kept the large rectangular headlamps and crossbar appearance. The engines were substantially upgraded for 1992 and 1993 with multi-port fuel injection, new manifolds, and higher-compression cylinder heads for noticeably higher output. These newly revised engines were marketed under the "Magnum" name. A heavy-duty automatic transmission with overdrive called the A518 was offered with the 5.2 L and 5.9 L engines. As part of Chrysler's overhaul of corporate transmission nomenclature, the A500 and A518 were redesignated 42RH and 46RH, respectively, in 1992. The initial 4 signified a 4-speed transmission, the second digit identified the transmission's relative torque capacity, the letter R in the third position denoted a rear-wheel-drive transmission, and the final letter H signified hydraulic shift control. The 3-speed automatic remained available; the A727 was redesignated 36RH, and the A904, A998, and A999 became the 30RH, 31RH, and 32RH, respectively.

Cummins Turbo Diesel

After 1978, the Chrysler RB engine was discontinued and therefore no longer offered in Dodge pickup trucks. Without a "big-block" gasoline engine or diesel, Dodge's heavier-duty models had a severe power disadvantage over the competition, and thus began losing potential customers in the commercial market. Rather than developing a brand-new engine, Chrysler signed a deal with commercial engine manufacturer Cummins to use a version of its 5.9 L B Series engine in the Ram trucks. This proved to be a mutually beneficial deal, allowing Cummins to expand its product output and Dodge to have a competitive engine for its heavy-duty models. The introduction of the Cummins Turbo Diesel model in 1989 coincided with the first sales increase for Ram trucks in several years. The Cummins was coupled with a heavier-duty version of the A727 automatic or a 5-speed manual transmission and was available on 250 and 350 pickups and pickup-based chassis-cab trucks above 8,500 pounds GVWR. This diesel engine option was different from the diesel engines offered in Ford and GM trucks in that the Cummins features direct injection, whereas the Ford and GM diesels feature indirect injection. This also means that the Cummins does not have to rely on glow plugs. The Cummins is a straight-six engine, whereas the GM and Ford diesel engines are V8 engines. Additionally, the Cummins is turbocharged, while the 6.2L GM/DDC and 7.3 L IDI Ford/IH are naturally aspirated.
This was not actually the first engine to debut in Dodge pickup trucks as a diesel option. The 1978 D-series models were available with a Mitsubishi naturally-aspirated diesel, but it was seldom ordered. The Cummins diesel was in short supply the first two years, but for 1991, Dodge managed to ramp up production.
Partway through the 1991 model year, Dodge started using 350 frames in Ram 250 Cummins and Club Cab models.

Engines

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Special editions

  • Prospector – Prospector was a package available throughout the 1980s that usually included a different fuel tank, cloth seat, and carpeting. In the late 1980s, a light package and the large 6×9 mirrors were added to the list of options. This trim package was carried on until the end of production in 1993.

    Second generation (1994; BR/BE)

The second-generation Dodge Ram began development in 1986. The original concept, dubbed the "Louisville Slugger" by Chrysler's Advanced Packaging Studio, was to be a modular platform that would accommodate a full-size truck and full-size van, which would have provided a roomy cab and cargo bed. The modular design was scrapped in 1987 and was replaced with a more conventional truck design when the design was moved to the American Motors design studio. The more conventional design, dubbed "Phoenix", was originally scheduled for a 1991 production; when Bob Lutz showed it to the new styling designers, chief designer Phillip E. Payne told him, "It looks like nothing more than a rehash of everybody else's truck." At that, Lutz told him he had six months to come up with something better. The exterior styling of the truck that was eventually released was the result of design concepts by Payne during 1988–1990. A review by the Dodge pick-up truck studio designers felt that modern pick-ups looked "too flat and sedan-like", while the early 1950s Studebaker pick-up and the semi-trailer trucks had just the right "macho" look to them. The design included a big-rig style front end and a large grille that was deemed risky at its introduction, but ultimately proved popular with consumers.
Debuted on January 5, 1993, at the North American International Auto Show and going on sale on October 1, 1993, the redesigned 1994 Ram was a sales success and was named "Truck of the Year" by Motor Trend in 1994. Sales increased from 95,542 units in 1993 to 232,092 in 1994, 410,000 in 1995, and 411,000 by 1996. The latter third year, it was prominently shown as the hero vehicle in the film Twister, as well as the CBS television series Walker, Texas Ranger. Sales of this generation peaked at just over 400,000 in 1999 before declining against the redesigned Ford and GM trucks. By 2001, Ram sales figures trailed those of Ford and GM trucks.
The engine offerings were carried over from the last generation, which were the 3.9L V6, 5.2L V8, 5.9L V8, and 5.9L I6 Cummins turbo diesel options. Added to the lineup was a 8.0L gasoline V10 designed as an alternative for those who wanted superior pulling power, but did not want a diesel, thus making the former the first factory V10 truck. The V10 and diesel were available in 2500/3500 models above 8,500 pounds GVWR. Models were now the 1500 half-ton, 2500 three-quarter-ton, and 3500 dual-rear-wheel only one-ton in both two- and four-wheel drive. Ram 1500s offered both short and long cargo beds on both regular and extended Club Cabs, Ram 2500s offered only long beds with regular cabs or a choice of beds on Club Cabs, and Ram 3500s only offered long beds on both cabs.
Dodge offered the 2500 series in two different GVWRs from 1994 to 1996. The heavy-duty 2500 effectively took the place of the discontinued one-ton single-rear-wheel trucks. Rear axles for the light-duty 2500 trucks were semi-floating, while the heavy-duty 2500 rear axles were full-floating. Light-duty 2500 trucks shared the frame with the 1500, were only available in regular cabs in two- or four-wheel drive, and were equipped with either the 5.2L or 5.9L V8 engine. All Ram 2500s and 3500s had eight-lug wheels.
The front axle continued to use an independent coil-sprung double-wishbone suspension on 2WD pickups, but the leaf springs on 4WD models were replaced with coil springs. Ram 3500 chassis-cab models now used a solid, coil-sprung front axle and the same frame on 2WD and 4WD models.
On the inside, special attention was paid to in-cab storage features, with a large glovebox, a center armrest storage area, and extra storage space behind the seat.