DODGE RAM TRUCK: ACCOLADES AND MUCH MORE
The Dodge Ram truck has won many accolades and awards, including Motor Trend Magazine’s Truck of the Year Award five times. It has earned all the praise and great reviews throughout the years simply because it deserves to do so. It has consistently been one of the country’s best and most popular trucks. Its “Ram Tough” sturdiness and powerful workhorse tradition have kept this amazing truck at the top of its class since its inception and the 2017 Ram truck is carrying on that proud tradition.
The Ram pickup, previously known as the Dodge Ram Pickup has been around since 1981 when the first generation Ram pickup was born. That was also the first year that the Ram hood ornament was introduced. (It was first used on Dodge vehicles in 1933). Dodge had built trucks before 1981, to be sure, and the company kept the earlier incarnations’ model designations the same. “D,” “B’ or “Ram” meant that the truck had two-wheel drive and the “W” or “Power Ram” signified four-wheel drive.
The Dodge Ram truck also used the same signifying numbers as Ford such as 150 meaning one-half ton truck, 250 meant three-quarter ton and 350 indicated a one-ton truck. The first generation Dodge Ram trucks lasted from 1981 to 1993 when
They were redesigned for 1994. The second gen trucks had more of a big-rig look and they were an immediate success. Sales of the 1993 trucks were 78,000 and they jumped to 240,000 in 1994. Two years later in 1996, sales doubled to an incredible 480,000.
The third generation in 2002, increased the popularity of Ram trucks sales soared once again. The fourth gen Ram trucks came out in 2009 and are still amazingly popular. There are several cab and engine options along with the option you really can’t get in other brands’ trucks: the “class-exclusive” manual transmissions. These great transmissions have been available since 2011 and they bring back the old feeling of driving and controlling a real truck.
Payload has increased and so has towing capacity in this generation. Since safety has always been a consideration at Dodge, Rams come with antilock disc brakes, electronic stability program (ESP) and side-curtain airbags. The IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) awarded Ram with its highest rating of “Good” for crash tests as well as roof strength. It’s no wonder the Ram truck wins so many awards. You can see this legendary truck in person at Musselman’s Dodge.