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Get These Cars at 0% APR Right NowDodge Truck Generations: Through the Years
The history of Dodge trucks from before they were even called trucks all the way to the all-new all-electric RAM 1500 REV.
Dodge Trucks
Today, anybody can roll up to a Dodge dealer, or just about any other mainstream brand, and roll away in a truck that’s ideally suited to their needs. That wasn’t always the case though. Dodge has played a huge role not just in that progress but by influencing truck design for more than a century. Today, we’re going to take you back through the years to the very genesis of trucks and into the future with the upcoming all-new all-electric RAM 1500 REV.
The Early Years of Dodge Pickups
The company we now know as Dodge and its sub-brand RAM goes back to another company aptly named Dodge Brothers. That company, headed up by the two Dodge Brothers themselves, built its first car in 1914.
Over the next decade it slowly but surely began to build and sell vehicles that we’d consider trucks today. While based on cars, Dodge was the very first automaker to offer different sizes of cargo beds along with the club cab configuration.
By 1925, Dodge had bought another truck manufacturer so that it could build heavier trucks. In the next ten years, it would grow in popularity to the point that it took second place in U.S. sales from Ford. It was during that span of time that the RAM emblem first appeared on a Dodge product. While the date of the very first use of the badge has been lost to history, most agree that it was sometime in 1932.
Dodge T-Series Pickups
Late in the 1930s, Dodge debuted a new pickup that shared many components with the outgoing generation. Dubbed the T-Series for 1939, the new truck featured sleeker components, multiple duty levels, and a dizzying array of configurations. While the nomenclature would change based on the year and equipment, most remember this generation of Dodge trucks as the Job-Rated ones. The tail-end of this generation is responsible for the Dodge Power Wagon, a battle-born pickup with serious off-road capability.
B-Series, C-Series and D-Series Pickups
In 1948, Dodge changed up the truck again. This new generation, dubbed the Pilot-House or B-Series, aimed at meeting customer needs regarding comfort without sacrificing utility. As such, they came with a radio, complete weatherproofing for the cabin and available turn signals on the hood. By the mid-1950s Dodge introduced the first V8 for its pickup series. Up until this time, it had largely employed six-cylinder engines.
Late in the decade, the C-Series came along with a new marketing term, the Power Giants. That name worked since the base engine was a 120-hp flathead inline six. A V8 with 204 hp dubbed the Red RAM would point to the future more than anyone could’ve known at the time. When the C-Series bowed out in 1961 in favor of the D-Series, it would be the shift that led Dodge to its RAM.
The D-Series was an innovative truck in more ways than one. In 1963, it became the first domestically produced truck from the “big three” to offer a four-door crew-cab option.
Between then and the end of the 1960s, Dodge leaned heavily into special packages including the Custom Sports Special with unique interior bits, bucket seats, and carpeting, and the Dude Sport Trim Package with its unique graphics and exterior trim.
Dodge Li’l Red Express
Almost ten years later Dodge would introduce two of the most important trucks it’s ever made nearly back to back. First, in 1978, the Li’l Red Express made its debut. Equipped with a special version of the brand’s police interceptor 360 cubic-inch V8, it made 225 horsepower and according to Car and Driver, was the fastest American-made vehicle from 0 to 100 mph at the time.
The Birth of the Dodge RAM
In 1981, Dodge finally dubbed its pickup truck the RAM. For the next decade and just beyond, the RAM would offer reliability, configurability, and capability to the point that it became a staple in the market. At the same time, its design had grown somewhat tired by the early 1990s.
In response, Dodge decided that it was time for a full redesign and bold styling. In an effort to lean into its connection to heavy-duty work and its diesel engine fans, the brand introduced the 1994 RAM with a face that mimicked the styling of big rig trucks.
It ended up being a hit but Dodge didn’t sit on its laurels with regard to styling or features. Throughout the next nine years, it would continually update the truck and prepare for another full redesign in 2002. When it arrived it was taller, wider, and even bolder. Then, in 2004, Dodge looked back at the Li’l Red Express for inspiration as it released the RAM SRT-10, a two or four-door pickup truck with the V10 from Dodge’s Viper sports car.
The RAM Sub-Brand
A new generation would debut in 2009 and then become the RAM sub-brand in 2010. It featured more heavy-duty features like heavier towing capacities and better payload limits but it also saw the introduction of independent rear suspension. Even today, it’s widely considered by many to offer the best ride quality and handling of any full-size pickup on the market. Notably, other companies like Toyota are following RAM’s lead.
In recent years, RAM has continued to expand its lineup. The RAM HFE (High Fuel Efficiency) was launched in 2013 with the ability to get 18 mpg in the city and 25 on the highway. While the general platform is still in production as the RAM 1500 Classic, another generation, dubbed DT, launched in 2019. In 2021, the RAM 1500 TRX was unleashed with a 702 horsepower supercharged V8 and a $92,010 price tag. It sold out in three hours. The RAM brand hasn’t stopped progressing though.
The Electric Cowboy
As the transition to electrification continues, RAM might seem behind the curve. Chevrolet, Ford, Hummer, Rivian, and possibly Tesla will all beat it to production regarding a full-sized EV pickup. Despite that, RAM says that it’s benefitted from waiting to join the fray. It’s recently announced RAM 1500 REV is a battery-electric pickup with potentially world-beating statistics.
While nowhere near as groundbreaking as its concept body promised, the REV will still feature a pair of available battery packs. The base pack comes with a range of up to 350 miles which is more than the Ford F-150 Lightning and the Rivian R1T. If that wasn’t good enough, RAM promises to also offer a 229 kWh battery that’ll provide up to 500 miles of range.
Not only is that more than any other production truck available now, but it’s enough to provide decent towing ability. The 1500 REV is slated for 2024 production where it’ll become one of the coolest tailgating vehicles on the market.
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