Dodge Ram (pickup) History
Catalog record
This is a brief catalog introduction with limited source documentation. A licensed, identity-checked lead photograph has not yet been added for this page. Detailed year, configuration and ownership coverage must be identified separately; this page is not a complete vehicle catalog.
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The 'Ram' name arrived in 1981 when Dodge rebranded its D-series pickups; the trucks were solid but trailed Ford and Chevrolet through the 1980s.
The bold 1994 redesign, with its semi-truck-inspired big-rig front end and available Cummins turbo-diesel, dramatically raised the Ram's profile and sales. The high-performance SRT-10 (2004–2006) even put the Viper's V10 in a pickup.
In 2010 Chrysler split the trucks into a standalone 'Ram' marque, so model years from 2011 on are Ram-brand, not Dodge — this entry covers the Dodge era (1981–2010).
Generations
First generation · D/W rebadge
The D-series rebadged as 'Ram'.
Second generation · Big-rig redesign
The breakthrough semi-truck-styled redesign with available Cummins diesel.
Third generation · DR/DH
Home of the Viper-V10 SRT-10 sport truck.
Fourth generation (Dodge era) · DS (pre-split)
The last Dodge-badged Ram before the 2010 split into the standalone Ram marque.
Body styles
- Regular cab
- Club/Quad Cab
- Mega Cab (crew cab)
Notable special editions & performance variants
Ram SRT-10
A sport truck with the 500-hp 8.3-liter Viper V10.
Cummins Turbo Diesel
The Cummins inline-six turbo-diesel that made the Ram a towing favorite.
Related models
Collect the nameplate
Find a scale model of the Dodge Ram (pickup)
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