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Dodge’s first run at an SUV took on the Bronco and Blazer and reminds us today what the true spirit of off-roading is all about.
Pre-Modern SUV
The Dodge Ramcharger hails from a time when SUVs were actually SUVs, that is, body-on-frame, shortened wheelbase versions of pickup trucks, a time before today’s car platformed, uni-bodied crossover fluff. This was back when people often referred to an SUV simply as a four-by-four, as in, “Oh ya, Donnie lives up there in the UP, lake effect snows and all, but he’s got his four-by-four. So ya know, that helps.” Indeed, this rough and tumble two-door four-wheeler, codenamed Rhino, was intended for rugged off-roading, for hunting trips rather than trips to the mall. Today, we will look back at the Dodge Ramcharger, one of the brighter automotive spots to emerge from the Malaise era of the mid-1970s.
First-Generation Dodge Ramcharger
The Dodge Ramcharger debuted in 1974 as Chrysler’s answer to the successes of the Ford Bronco and the Chevy Blazer. Like those two SUVs, the Ramcharger was based off a pickup, the RAM pickup’s AB platform in this case, albeit with a wheelbase shorted by some nine inches and an upgraded suspension for a smoother ride.
The Ramcharger offered five different engine options that included a pair of LA small-block V8s, a 318 cu-in (5.2L) or 360 cu-in (5.9L). Two larger V8s were also offered, a 400 cu-in (6.6L) and a 440 cu-in (7.2L). A smaller 225 cu-in (3.7L) slant-six was also available and would become the Ramcharger’s base engine starting with the 1975 model year. Of these engines, the 318 proved to be the most popular among buyers.
The Ramcharger began as a strictly a four-wheel drive affair, but a rear-wheel drive option was offered starting with the ’75 model. The first generation was sold with either a dealer-installed cloth top or the factory removeable hardtop. Options included an ice chest located in the center console, skid plates, and a spare tire cover. In fact, so rugged was the Ramcharger that the rear and passenger seats were factory options.
The Ramcharger saw only minor changes over the years, with the addition of items like the Macho package which added a Hurst shifter in 1978. For the final year of the first generation Ramcharger, the SUV upgraded to power windows, power steering (4WD models only), and a new part-time four-wheel drive system.
Second-Generation Dodge Ramcharger
Beginning with the 1981 model year, the Ramcharger embarked on its second generation with a major redesign (coinciding with updates to the RAM pickup upon which it was based). Sadly, this meant the cancellation of the removable hardtop for the Ramcharger, but the visual updates did add a new egg-crate style grille.
Engine options were scaled back to just two: the 318 cu-in V8 and the larger 360 cu-in V8. Transmission options curiously expanded at the same time with either a three-, four-, or five-speed manual available alongside a three-speed Torqueflite automatic (replaced by a four-speed automatic in the 1991 model).
A new crosshairs style grille was added in the ’86 model to match the rest of Dodge’s lineup. The signature ram’s head hood ornament was discontinued after the 1990 model, becoming a dealer add-on only after that.
The second-generation Ramcharger evolved little over its twelve-year stint and was cancelled following the 1993 model year. It did, however, continue in Mexico until 1996.
Third-Generation Dodge Ramcharger
Even with those extra three year, the Mexican market was not yet done with the Ramcharger, which got a new third-generation starting with a new 1999 model. Naturally, the third-generation Ramcharger was based on the Dodge Ram pickup and the Dodge Durango SUV. Indeed, the Mexican 3rd-gen Ramcharger looks exactly like a two-door version of the Durango. Unlike the Ramchargers that had proceeded it, the third generation was only ever offered in rear-wheel drive. The Ramcharger was finally discontinued for good after the 2001 model year.
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