Ram Trucks

Ram Trucks (stylized as RAM) is an American brand of light to mid-weight pickup heavy duty trucks and other commercial vehicles, and a division of Stellantis North America (previously Chrysler Group LLC). It was established in a spin-off of Dodge in 2009 using the name of the Ram pickup line of trucks.[2] Ram Trucks' logo was originally used as Dodge's logo. New series Ram 1500 pickups are made at Sterling Heights Assembly in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Since its inception, the brand has used the slogan "Guts. Glory. Ram."

From October 2023, Ram became part of the Stellantis Pro One global commercial vehicles division.[3]

Background

Prior to the 1970s, Dodge had maintained a separate marque for trucks, Fargo Trucks, primarily for use outside the United States. After that point, all trucks made by Chrysler were distributed under the Dodge marque.

In June 2009, when Chrysler emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, Fiat Group received a 20% stake in Chrysler Group LLC and Sergio Marchionne was appointed CEO, replacing CEO Robert Nardelli.[4] On June 10 that year, substantially all of Chrysler's assets were sold to "New Chrysler", organized as Chrysler Group LLC. The federal government provided support for the deal with US$8 billion in financing at near 21%. Under CEO Marchionne, "World Class Manufacturing" or WCM, a system of thorough manufacturing quality, was introduced and several products re-launched with quality and luxury. The Ram, Jeep, Dodge, SRT and Chrysler divisions were separated to focus on their own identity and brands.

Ram Trucks was established as a division of Chrysler in 2010, as a spin-off from Dodge, and using the name of the Dodge Ram line of pickups that is now sold under the Ram banner.[5] According to Chrysler, the Ram Trucks brand will concentrate on "real truck customers", rather than casual truck buyers who buy trucks for image or style.[6]

The Fiat Ducato cargo van design has been adopted and is sold as the Ram ProMaster in North American markets, filling the gap created when Daimler ended production of the Dodge Sprinter in 2008. The goal was to increase truck sales "from today's 280,000 to 415,000 by 2014".[7]

Executives at Chrysler stated their intention to compete in the semi-trailer truck category with Ram, a possibility that was aided by Fiat's ownership of Iveco and an already available network of Dodge dealers. Ram trucks are marketed separately from Dodge cars; former Ram Division President Fred Diaz stated, "Ram trucks are not a Dodge model. Ram will always be 'vinned' (Vehicle Identification Number) as a Ram. We need to continue to market as Ram so Dodge can have a different brand identity: hip, cool, young, energetic. That will not fit the campaign for truck buyers. The two should have distinct themes."[8]

On July 21, 2011, Fiat bought the Chrysler shares held by the U.S. Treasury, increasing its stake in the company.[9]

In April 2013, Diaz left Ram Trucks to serve as vice president of Nissan's divisional sales and marketing. He was replaced by Reid Bigland.[10]

Fiat Chrysler formed as a new corporate entity in January 2014.

In August 2014, Ram Trucks CEO Reid Bigland was tapped to lead the Alfa Romeo brand in North America. It was announced that the new head of the Ram Trucks brand would be longtime Chrysler employee Robert Hegbloom, who joined Chrysler in 1986 and had been a director for Dodge. In October 2018, Bigland was promoted to CEO of Ram Trucks. Shortly thereafter, he discovered that the division had been misreporting sales figures and turned over that information to the U.S. government for investigation. Allegedly, Fiat Chrysler cut his bonuses in retaliation, which resulted in Bigland filing a whistleblower lawsuit against them. In March 2020, Bigland announced his resignation.[11]

In December 2024, former CEO of Dodge and Ram, Tim Kuniskis came out of retirement to once again become CEO of Ram.[12]

Stellantis formed in 2021 when Fiat Chrysler merged with the French PSA Group.[13][14]

Stellantis to introduce its first hydrogen-powered vehicle in the North American market.[15]

The Ram brand logo features the head of a ram, formerly the logo used by Dodge.

Trucks

For specifically foreign-market models (designed by Chrysler Europe, etc.), see below.

From 1927 to 1928, all trucks built by Dodge were sold under the Graham name, as that company held the marketing rights at that time.

Production

Ram vehicles are manufactured at five facilities; two in North America, one in Western Asia, and two in South America.

• Sterling Heights Assembly, Sterling Heights, Michigan, United States. This facility was first built in 1953 as the Michigan Ordinance Missile Plant, operated by the US Army. Chrysler Corporation purchased the facility in 1983. The plant currently produces the Ram 1500 (Quad Cab and Crew Cab).[19]
• Saltillo Truck Assembly Plant, Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico. The facility first opened in 1995. The plant manufactures the Ram 2500-5500 Heavy Duty and the Mexico-only DX Chassis Cab.[20] The plant has won numerous awards and has been recognized as the Chrysler groups best truck facility in terms of build quality.[21] The Saltillo stamping plant is also attached to the facility.
• Tofaş, Bursa, Turkey. The plant produces vehicles primarily for the European market; however, the Ram ProMaster City is produced at Tofaş and imported into North America.
• Goiana, Pernambuco, Brazil. The plant produces vehicles primarily for the Latin American market. The output consist of FCA Small Wide 4×4 and Small Wide 4×4 LWB platform based vehicles, the factory produces Jeep and Ram branded trucks and SUVs. The plant currently produces the Ram Rampage and Ram 1000 (the badge-engineered Fiat Toro), along with the Jeep Renegade, Jeep Compass, and the Jeep Commander.
• Betim, Minas Gerais, Brazil. A Fiat factory that produces the Ram ProMaster Rapid/Ram V700 Rapid (the Latin America-spec badge-engineered Fiat Fiorino) and the Ram 700 (the badge-engineered Fiat Strada).

In popular culture

Ram Trucks entered popular culture in an unintentional way on February 4, 2018, during Super Bowl LII.[22] Their commercial's use of Martin Luther King Jr.'s sermon "The Drum Major Instinct" was quickly and widely panned by audiences, academics, news outlets and social media alike.[23][25][26] Of particular concern was its usage of a speech in which King condemned advertising ("we are so often taken by advertisers ... those gentlemen of massive verbal persuasion") to sell more Ram Trucks.[27] Within hours, content creators on YouTube had made spin-offs ("What Martin Luther King Actually Thought About Car Commercials", "The MLK Super Bowl Ad Dodge Didn't Show You", "What Dodge LEFT OUT Of Their MLK Commercial In Super Bowl", etc.) that showed a more accurate perspective of King's sermon and opinions about advertising.[29]

Ram trucks feature prominently in Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone television series as the chosen work vehicles of the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, featuring the ranch's logo and branding on the sides of the vehicles. The trucks feature a variety of configurations, mostly 2500-series trucks with the 6.7L Cummins diesel.

European versions of Ram vans

Fiat Professional was FCA's global light commercial vehicle brand marketed outside North America, marketing the same vans marketed as Ram in the Americas. In the other part of Stellantis, PSA, and all brands except DS Automobiles sell vans in three sizes under their respective brands.

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