Black Dodge
Well-Known Member
2001
The Rules Have Changed... 20 Years Ago! 1994-2001 Dodge Ram
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Black Dodge
Well-Known Member
2002
Black Dodge
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Cool picture of new 2nd Gen on the dealer lot!
Black Dodge
Well-Known Member
Found a better picture of the 2nd Gen Dodge Ram debut truck
Black Dodge
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Cool 2nd Gen
Quick question Black Dodge . Didn't they do in this gen a Ram package called the "night Stalker" or something like that ? I can't remember how long ago it was that I saw on a dealer ship lot an all black Ram that everything was blacked out . Right down to the smoked head and tail lights , the windows , everything .
Black Dodge
Well-Known Member
Wow that sounds pretty interesting bear... I haven't heard about a night stalker package on 2nd Gen Rams but I'm sure it is entirely possible! Maybe it was a dealer added package? Maybe it was a limited edition package like the Richard Petty 2nd Gen Rams customized by a some builder and sold at select Dodge Dealers? I remember years ago sometime in the late 80's a Connecticut Dodge dealer was selling new little red express Dakota's painted just like the 78 and 79 trucks including stacks and a step side bed! I think those may have been a dealer made package? Dodge obviously didn't build those on the assembly line...
Black Dodge
Well-Known Member
Great read over on allpar about aero tuning the 2nd Gen Nascar trucks!
Link
http://www.allpar.com/corporate/bios/ian-sharp/nascar-truck-aero.html
Link
http://www.allpar.com/corporate/bios/ian-sharp/nascar-truck-aero.html
Black Dodge
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Black Dodge
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Black Dodge
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Black Dodge
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Black Dodge
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Black Dodge
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May 11, 1992 Autoweek
The Truck of Tomorrow
What can you do with a cab and a box? Some say a lot.
The pickup of the future is going to have a passenger compartment up front and a cargo box out back. That's what makes a pickup a pickup. But after that it's anybody's guess.
Ask Nissan's design chief. Gerry Hirshberg, the direction pickups should take, and he'll quite likely pull out pictures of the Gobi he and his design staff created a couple of years ago. You'll notice the Gobi does indeed have a passenger compartment and a cargo box. But that's where the similarity to today's pickups ends.
The idea, Hirshberg has explained, was to create an entry-level vehicle with the excitement of a sports car and the versatility of a pickup. And why not? Where is it written a pickup truck has to have a box-like cab followed by a box-like cargo container? Why not a helicopter-style passenger compartment and a cargo box with folding sides?
And inside, why should tomorrow's trucks have a featureless instrument panel set in front of a bench or a pair of buckets? The Gobi has an asymmetrical interior with a driver's "work station" and a "spacious lounge-like area" for the passenger.
But the Gobi is a bit too radical a departure for the near term. A sure thing for the showroom is a version of GMC's Sonoma GTX Sportside that is on the auto-show circuit this year. To use GMC's words, the compact-size Sonoma GTX "is the latest expression of its goal of translating automobile high performance technology-oriented engineering, comfort and convenience features and overall safety in light-duty trucks."
There is a growing similarity in what customers want in an automobile and in a personal-use truck, according to GMC Truck general manager, Lewis Campbell: "We can see the day, just a few years in the future, when almost every high-tech 'car-like' comfort, convenience and safety item will also be available on every personal-use GMC truck."
The Sonoma GTX Sportside, as its full name indicates, has a sportside cargo bed, a style which is currently not offered on any production compact. There's also a front air dam with integrated fog lamps, recessed grille and a rear spoiler integrated with the tailgate. The truck's unusual (for a truck) raspberry color will be available on some future GMC trucks. The production version of the Sonoma GTX will arrive in the 1994 model year.
Another near-termer is Ford's F-150 Superflare 4x4 in off-road trim, also currently on the show circuit. It's based on the production Flareside. Ford says the Superflare is a real truck, "one we could bring to market when the time is right."
The Superflare has dual power domes on the hood-for no apparent reason-a combination bumper/brush guard, a cab step bar/roll bar with driving lights, a duck-tail spoiler and dual exhaust. Like the Sonoma GTX, the Flareside is basically a dressed-up, we-could-easily-do-this production model, and it, or something very close, is definitely around the proverbial corner.
Although details are very sketchy, that corner is also concealing all-new pickups from Toyota and Dodge, and while the new Toyota truck poses a serious threat to Ford and Chevrolet, it's the Dodge truck that has the industry talking.
According to George Peterson of the auto marketing analysis firm, AutoPacific Group, in Santa Ana, California, the Dodge T300 full-size pickup will debut in the 1994 model year and will look very much like the Little Red Truck (LRT) concept pickup that first appeared at the 1990 Detroit auto show.
(Its appearance was brief, probably intentionally so; after the press got plenty of photos, it was pulled from the show. Unnamed executives said it was simply too close to the upcoming production version, and having it at the show gave away too many secrets to the competition.)
The LRT is almost retro in styling, with its fifties-look fat fenders, power-bulged hood, and squat, aggressive stance. It will come with a full range of engines including , probably for 1995, a version of the 8.0-liter V-10 now in the Viper. If the T300 does indeed look like the LRT concept truck, it will be a landmark in production pickup design.
The Toyota pickup, due in the 1993 model year, will be mid/full-size; that is, smaller than full, bigger than mid. It will have a V-6 at introduction with a V-8 later on. Talk is, the new Toyota, while not full-size, can nonetheless hold the obligatory four-by-eight sheet of plywood between its wheel arches. Toyota also has plans for an all-new compact pickup in 1994.
AutoPacific's Peterson also says to expect a new Ranger from Ford this fall. There will be a personal-use (non-commercial) 4x2 model and a "husky" 4x4 that will look very different from the 4x2. Mazda will get a version, and will drop the B2200.
As to truck trends in general, Ed Schoener, Chevrolet's assistant segment manager of full-size trucks, says there will be a proliferation of niches in the truck market, such as all-wheel (not for off-road) drive, and trucks with sports-car-like handling.
"In terms of variants step side, extended cab, crew cab, sport side, etc, what we have now is about it," he says. "There will be a lot of concentration in the future on improving ride quality, on features and technology."
He also expects the government to renew its interest in truck CAFE and emission standards when the recession is behind us. That's going to mean some changes in engines and transmissions to meet tighter regulations. Cars use multi-valve, OHC engines, turbocharging and supercharging to maintain performance while meeting regulations. Will trucks get the same technology? "Those are expensive answers," Schoener says. "Hopefully, we won't have to go to extremes in adding expense to trucks to get the necessary results."
When asked if the look of Chevy trucks will change. Schoener said, "You'll find out in a little while." That could be a reference to the major changes known to be coming for the S-10 pickup for the 1994 model year.
He is in the camp that predicts Dodge's T300 will have a "real traditional truck look." Will Chevrolet follow that path?
"I don't think we are going to back off from the position we have staked out for high style," he says.
Chet Kuziemko (Ku-shem-ko) is Ford's truck-marketing plans manager. His crystal ball predicts a move toward more aerodynamic, more "friendly looking" exteriors, with more car- like interiors for pickups in the near future.
"However, we don 't want to get away from the tough, durable look," Kuziemko says.
He sees more step cabs, especially now that more and more women are becoming prime users of pickups, more high-performance trucks (Ford will introduce one in 1993), and improved ride and handling.
And as for the T300 that everybody in the business is talking about these days, Kuziemko says. "If you want to sell something, it has to be cheaper, better or different. Clearly Chrysler went the different route."
May 11, 1992 Autoweek
The Truck of Tomorrow
What can you do with a cab and a box? Some say a lot.
Ask Nissan's design chief. Gerry Hirshberg, the direction pickups should take, and he'll quite likely pull out pictures of the Gobi he and his design staff created a couple of years ago. You'll notice the Gobi does indeed have a passenger compartment and a cargo box. But that's where the similarity to today's pickups ends.
The idea, Hirshberg has explained, was to create an entry-level vehicle with the excitement of a sports car and the versatility of a pickup. And why not? Where is it written a pickup truck has to have a box-like cab followed by a box-like cargo container? Why not a helicopter-style passenger compartment and a cargo box with folding sides?
And inside, why should tomorrow's trucks have a featureless instrument panel set in front of a bench or a pair of buckets? The Gobi has an asymmetrical interior with a driver's "work station" and a "spacious lounge-like area" for the passenger.
But the Gobi is a bit too radical a departure for the near term. A sure thing for the showroom is a version of GMC's Sonoma GTX Sportside that is on the auto-show circuit this year. To use GMC's words, the compact-size Sonoma GTX "is the latest expression of its goal of translating automobile high performance technology-oriented engineering, comfort and convenience features and overall safety in light-duty trucks."
There is a growing similarity in what customers want in an automobile and in a personal-use truck, according to GMC Truck general manager, Lewis Campbell: "We can see the day, just a few years in the future, when almost every high-tech 'car-like' comfort, convenience and safety item will also be available on every personal-use GMC truck."
The Sonoma GTX Sportside, as its full name indicates, has a sportside cargo bed, a style which is currently not offered on any production compact. There's also a front air dam with integrated fog lamps, recessed grille and a rear spoiler integrated with the tailgate. The truck's unusual (for a truck) raspberry color will be available on some future GMC trucks. The production version of the Sonoma GTX will arrive in the 1994 model year.
Another near-termer is Ford's F-150 Superflare 4x4 in off-road trim, also currently on the show circuit. It's based on the production Flareside. Ford says the Superflare is a real truck, "one we could bring to market when the time is right."
Although details are very sketchy, that corner is also concealing all-new pickups from Toyota and Dodge, and while the new Toyota truck poses a serious threat to Ford and Chevrolet, it's the Dodge truck that has the industry talking.
According to George Peterson of the auto marketing analysis firm, AutoPacific Group, in Santa Ana, California, the Dodge T300 full-size pickup will debut in the 1994 model year and will look very much like the Little Red Truck (LRT) concept pickup that first appeared at the 1990 Detroit auto show.
(Its appearance was brief, probably intentionally so; after the press got plenty of photos, it was pulled from the show. Unnamed executives said it was simply too close to the upcoming production version, and having it at the show gave away too many secrets to the competition.)
The LRT is almost retro in styling, with its fifties-look fat fenders, power-bulged hood, and squat, aggressive stance. It will come with a full range of engines including , probably for 1995, a version of the 8.0-liter V-10 now in the Viper. If the T300 does indeed look like the LRT concept truck, it will be a landmark in production pickup design.
The Toyota pickup, due in the 1993 model year, will be mid/full-size; that is, smaller than full, bigger than mid. It will have a V-6 at introduction with a V-8 later on. Talk is, the new Toyota, while not full-size, can nonetheless hold the obligatory four-by-eight sheet of plywood between its wheel arches. Toyota also has plans for an all-new compact pickup in 1994.
AutoPacific's Peterson also says to expect a new Ranger from Ford this fall. There will be a personal-use (non-commercial) 4x2 model and a "husky" 4x4 that will look very different from the 4x2. Mazda will get a version, and will drop the B2200.
As to truck trends in general, Ed Schoener, Chevrolet's assistant segment manager of full-size trucks, says there will be a proliferation of niches in the truck market, such as all-wheel (not for off-road) drive, and trucks with sports-car-like handling.
He also expects the government to renew its interest in truck CAFE and emission standards when the recession is behind us. That's going to mean some changes in engines and transmissions to meet tighter regulations. Cars use multi-valve, OHC engines, turbocharging and supercharging to maintain performance while meeting regulations. Will trucks get the same technology? "Those are expensive answers," Schoener says. "Hopefully, we won't have to go to extremes in adding expense to trucks to get the necessary results."
When asked if the look of Chevy trucks will change. Schoener said, "You'll find out in a little while." That could be a reference to the major changes known to be coming for the S-10 pickup for the 1994 model year.
He is in the camp that predicts Dodge's T300 will have a "real traditional truck look." Will Chevrolet follow that path?
"I don't think we are going to back off from the position we have staked out for high style," he says.
Chet Kuziemko (Ku-shem-ko) is Ford's truck-marketing plans manager. His crystal ball predicts a move toward more aerodynamic, more "friendly looking" exteriors, with more car- like interiors for pickups in the near future.
"However, we don 't want to get away from the tough, durable look," Kuziemko says.
He sees more step cabs, especially now that more and more women are becoming prime users of pickups, more high-performance trucks (Ford will introduce one in 1993), and improved ride and handling.
And as for the T300 that everybody in the business is talking about these days, Kuziemko says. "If you want to sell something, it has to be cheaper, better or different. Clearly Chrysler went the different route."
May 11, 1992 Autoweek
Black Dodge
Well-Known Member
Dodge Ram Picks Up Fans
Truck Combines Hard-edged Look With Added Safety
December 16, 1993|By Jim Mateja, Chicago Tribune
CHICAGO — At Chrysler, the phenomenon is being repeated.
First it was the Dodge Viper roadster. Now it's the Dodge Ram pickup truck. Try to buy one. Try to find one first.
While Ford and Chevrolet each have been selling more than 1 million pickups a year, half of them full-size, Dodge has been selling only about 80,000 full-size trucks - mostly to people who weren't willing to wait for a Ford or Chevrolet to be delivered.
Enter the full-size 1994 Ram pickup. Suddenly Ford and Chevrolet are taking notice.
''A guy had just put a down payment on a 1994 Ford F-Series XLT and was driving it home when he passed our store, saw a red-and-silver Ram T300 in the window, pulled in and bought the Dodge,'' said a suburban Dodge dealer who didn't want his name used.
Why the anonymity?
''Because the Ford dealer was really classy and returned the guy's deposit on the XLT when we called and told him that we just sold him a Dodge and (the buyer) wanted to return the Ford,'' the dealer said.
Dave Campbell, assistant zone manager for Chrysler Corp. in Chicago, related a similar story about an Oklahoma Dodge dealer. A customer pulled up to his store in a new 1994 Chevrolet C-K pickup with only 500 miles on it and traded it in for a Dodge Ram T300 half-ton pickup, Campbell said.
''I'm only able to keep trucks in stock for three days,'' said Pat Fitzgibbon, a Dodge dealer in South Holland, Ill. ''People are following the delivery trucks to the door. I wanted to drive one but couldn't because I had to sell it to a customer.''
The trucks are flying out of Central Florida Dodge showrooms as well.
''I can't keep them in stock,'' said Mike Nomar, sales manager at Southside Dodge in Kissimmee. ''Dodge built one fantastic truck.
Luke Potter Dodge in Orlando has sold about 17 new Rams since the truck's debut about six weeks ago, said sales manager Mike Abbott. Previous sales of full-size Dodge trucks at Luke Potter averaged only about four or five for the same time period.
For almost two decades, Chrysler's Dodge truck division surrendered the market to the perennial powers, Ford and Chevrolet. Dodge was left with the scraps, in large part because its full-size truck was unchanged year after year.
For 1994 Dodge restyled its Ram with a design similar to that of a Kenworth over-the-road hauler. The macho look has paid dividends for Dodge at a time when most truck-makers have been softening features and making their products more carlike. And at a time when safety is a primary concern among consumers, Ram offers a driver's side air bag and anti-lock brakes.
''It's unbelievable,'' said Bart McLellan, Chrysler product-planning manager for Jeeps and trucks. ''The new Ram went on sale Oct. 1, and we're selling at the rate of 2,000 trucks per day. We sold a total of 80,000 Ram pickups for all of 1993.''
McLellan added that as of late November, Dodge had 110,000 orders for the '94 Ram.
''We have capacity to build 250,000 a year at our Dodge City plant (in the Detroit area). If we had the capacity, we could sell 300,000 the first year. We're already looking at possible ways to build more and increase capacity in the future.
''We don't want to create a monster that we can't handle and end up with production overkill based on early sales, but we don't even have the extended-cab version yet that comes out late next summer and won't start offering the optional V-10 engine (a version of the one in the Viper) that people are champing at the bit for in the Ram until January,'' he said.
The Ram's acceptance comes on the heels of the success of the Intrepid LH sedan, the Viper two-seater and the Caravan minivan.
''And don't forget we have the Dodge Neon coming in January,'' said Ken Baronas, general sales manager for Bennett Motor Sales in Oak Park, Ill., a Dodge dealership. The Neon is a subcompact economy-car rival to General Motors' Saturn.
''But keep in mind that no one felt sorry for us in the '80s when we were selling Aspens and Omnis,'' Baronas said. ''When people did walk into our showrooms, they said they wouldn't buy a car because they felt we were going out of business.''
Before the new Ram was built, industry observers expressed doubt that Dodge could dent Ford and Chevrolet's dominance. The two had a combined 2.5 million truck sales a year. There was speculation that the success of Chrysler's LH sedans, minivans and Jeeps wouldn't carry into pickups.
Yet dealers said they were sure in advance that a new design and new equipment would lead to skyrocketing sales.
''If only 10 percent of the 2.5 million people who buy Ford and Chevy each year were disappointed, we stood to make 250,000 sales,'' Baronas said. ''And that doesn't take into account those who might have liked their Ford or Chevy but simply wanted to try something different.''
''We've always been known for bigger three-quarter and 1-ton trucks and expected only about 50 percent of Ram sales would be the half-ton. But 70 percent of sales are the half-ton versions. That means we're getting more personal-usage buyers than we expected, and that means we're winning over (Chevrolet and Ford) owners,'' McLellan said.
Truck Combines Hard-edged Look With Added Safety
December 16, 1993|By Jim Mateja, Chicago Tribune
CHICAGO — At Chrysler, the phenomenon is being repeated.
While Ford and Chevrolet each have been selling more than 1 million pickups a year, half of them full-size, Dodge has been selling only about 80,000 full-size trucks - mostly to people who weren't willing to wait for a Ford or Chevrolet to be delivered.
Enter the full-size 1994 Ram pickup. Suddenly Ford and Chevrolet are taking notice.
''A guy had just put a down payment on a 1994 Ford F-Series XLT and was driving it home when he passed our store, saw a red-and-silver Ram T300 in the window, pulled in and bought the Dodge,'' said a suburban Dodge dealer who didn't want his name used.
Why the anonymity?
''Because the Ford dealer was really classy and returned the guy's deposit on the XLT when we called and told him that we just sold him a Dodge and (the buyer) wanted to return the Ford,'' the dealer said.
Dave Campbell, assistant zone manager for Chrysler Corp. in Chicago, related a similar story about an Oklahoma Dodge dealer. A customer pulled up to his store in a new 1994 Chevrolet C-K pickup with only 500 miles on it and traded it in for a Dodge Ram T300 half-ton pickup, Campbell said.
''I'm only able to keep trucks in stock for three days,'' said Pat Fitzgibbon, a Dodge dealer in South Holland, Ill. ''People are following the delivery trucks to the door. I wanted to drive one but couldn't because I had to sell it to a customer.''
The trucks are flying out of Central Florida Dodge showrooms as well.
''I can't keep them in stock,'' said Mike Nomar, sales manager at Southside Dodge in Kissimmee. ''Dodge built one fantastic truck.
Luke Potter Dodge in Orlando has sold about 17 new Rams since the truck's debut about six weeks ago, said sales manager Mike Abbott. Previous sales of full-size Dodge trucks at Luke Potter averaged only about four or five for the same time period.
For almost two decades, Chrysler's Dodge truck division surrendered the market to the perennial powers, Ford and Chevrolet. Dodge was left with the scraps, in large part because its full-size truck was unchanged year after year.
For 1994 Dodge restyled its Ram with a design similar to that of a Kenworth over-the-road hauler. The macho look has paid dividends for Dodge at a time when most truck-makers have been softening features and making their products more carlike. And at a time when safety is a primary concern among consumers, Ram offers a driver's side air bag and anti-lock brakes.
''It's unbelievable,'' said Bart McLellan, Chrysler product-planning manager for Jeeps and trucks. ''The new Ram went on sale Oct. 1, and we're selling at the rate of 2,000 trucks per day. We sold a total of 80,000 Ram pickups for all of 1993.''
McLellan added that as of late November, Dodge had 110,000 orders for the '94 Ram.
''We have capacity to build 250,000 a year at our Dodge City plant (in the Detroit area). If we had the capacity, we could sell 300,000 the first year. We're already looking at possible ways to build more and increase capacity in the future.
''We don't want to create a monster that we can't handle and end up with production overkill based on early sales, but we don't even have the extended-cab version yet that comes out late next summer and won't start offering the optional V-10 engine (a version of the one in the Viper) that people are champing at the bit for in the Ram until January,'' he said.
The Ram's acceptance comes on the heels of the success of the Intrepid LH sedan, the Viper two-seater and the Caravan minivan.
''And don't forget we have the Dodge Neon coming in January,'' said Ken Baronas, general sales manager for Bennett Motor Sales in Oak Park, Ill., a Dodge dealership. The Neon is a subcompact economy-car rival to General Motors' Saturn.
''But keep in mind that no one felt sorry for us in the '80s when we were selling Aspens and Omnis,'' Baronas said. ''When people did walk into our showrooms, they said they wouldn't buy a car because they felt we were going out of business.''
Before the new Ram was built, industry observers expressed doubt that Dodge could dent Ford and Chevrolet's dominance. The two had a combined 2.5 million truck sales a year. There was speculation that the success of Chrysler's LH sedans, minivans and Jeeps wouldn't carry into pickups.
Yet dealers said they were sure in advance that a new design and new equipment would lead to skyrocketing sales.
''If only 10 percent of the 2.5 million people who buy Ford and Chevy each year were disappointed, we stood to make 250,000 sales,'' Baronas said. ''And that doesn't take into account those who might have liked their Ford or Chevy but simply wanted to try something different.''
''We've always been known for bigger three-quarter and 1-ton trucks and expected only about 50 percent of Ram sales would be the half-ton. But 70 percent of sales are the half-ton versions. That means we're getting more personal-usage buyers than we expected, and that means we're winning over (Chevrolet and Ford) owners,'' McLellan said.
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Black Dodge
Well-Known Member
COMPANY NEWS
COMPANY NEWS; New Pickup Is Displayed By Chrysler
By DORON P. LEVIN,
Published: January 6, 1993
DETROIT, Jan. 5— With a bow to the styling of over-the-road big-rig trucks, the Chrysler Corporation today publicly displayed a prototype of a full-size pickup truck it plans to start building this summer.
The 1994 Dodge Ram pickup will be the first mechanically updated vehicle of its kind from Chrysler in 22 years, a period in which the Ford Motor Company and the General Motors Corporation dominated the pickup market.
Chrysler's new pickup has already received strong positive reviews from several automotive enthusiast magazines, suggesting that it has the potential to be a strong seller. Chrysler's two previous introductions of all-new vehicles were big successes: the Jeep Grand Cherokee sport utility vehicle early last year and the L/H midsize sedans more recently. More Affluent Truck Buyers
"Affluent people want to take risks with a somewhat different design, and these are the people who more and more are buying trucks to make statements," said Ken Zino, the Detroit editor of Road & Track magazine.
A highly successful Dodge Ram would be a blow to G.M., which has lost market share of the light-truck segment to Ford in the last year. But Chrysler executives said they thought their vehicle would steal sales from both competitors equally.
The full-size pickup truck market is especially important to the Big Three because until recently it has been one of the few segments of the American automotive market without Japanese competition, owing to a 25 percent import tariff. In November, the Toyota Motor Corporation introduced a full-size imported pickup, which most industry experts think will eventually be built in the United States.
The most distinctive feature of the new Dodge model is its styling. With a grille that rises above lowered fenders, the appearance seems to mimic a Peterbilt or Kenworth truck tractor. By comparison, G.M.'s and Ford's models closely resemble each other.
"Our goal was to create a design that would be instantly recognizable," said Robert A. Lutz, president and chief operating officer of Chrysler. "It gives you a hint of the big, aerodynamic, over-the-road hauling rigs out on America's highways."
When Chrysler engineers were doing research on how the vehicle might be used, they noticed that many owners of commercial pickups bought "big gulp" drinks at convenience stores. In one instance, a workman made a special holder out of plywood for the oversize cup. The new Ram will feature cup holders that accommodate these very large drinks.
The Ram will be produced at Dodge's truck assembly plant in Warren, Mich., and at a Chrysler plant in Mexico City. Depending on demand, production could reach more than 200,000 units a year. Such a number would more than double Chrysler's 8 percent share of the pickup market.
Photo: "Our goal was to create a design that would be instantly recognizable," said Robert A. Lutz, president and chief operating officer of Chrysler, who stood yesterday before the 1994 Dodge Ram pickup truck. (Joe Polimeni)
COMPANY NEWS; New Pickup Is Displayed By Chrysler
By DORON P. LEVIN,
Published: January 6, 1993
DETROIT, Jan. 5— With a bow to the styling of over-the-road big-rig trucks, the Chrysler Corporation today publicly displayed a prototype of a full-size pickup truck it plans to start building this summer.
The 1994 Dodge Ram pickup will be the first mechanically updated vehicle of its kind from Chrysler in 22 years, a period in which the Ford Motor Company and the General Motors Corporation dominated the pickup market.
Chrysler's new pickup has already received strong positive reviews from several automotive enthusiast magazines, suggesting that it has the potential to be a strong seller. Chrysler's two previous introductions of all-new vehicles were big successes: the Jeep Grand Cherokee sport utility vehicle early last year and the L/H midsize sedans more recently. More Affluent Truck Buyers
"Affluent people want to take risks with a somewhat different design, and these are the people who more and more are buying trucks to make statements," said Ken Zino, the Detroit editor of Road & Track magazine.
A highly successful Dodge Ram would be a blow to G.M., which has lost market share of the light-truck segment to Ford in the last year. But Chrysler executives said they thought their vehicle would steal sales from both competitors equally.
The full-size pickup truck market is especially important to the Big Three because until recently it has been one of the few segments of the American automotive market without Japanese competition, owing to a 25 percent import tariff. In November, the Toyota Motor Corporation introduced a full-size imported pickup, which most industry experts think will eventually be built in the United States.
The most distinctive feature of the new Dodge model is its styling. With a grille that rises above lowered fenders, the appearance seems to mimic a Peterbilt or Kenworth truck tractor. By comparison, G.M.'s and Ford's models closely resemble each other.
"Our goal was to create a design that would be instantly recognizable," said Robert A. Lutz, president and chief operating officer of Chrysler. "It gives you a hint of the big, aerodynamic, over-the-road hauling rigs out on America's highways."
When Chrysler engineers were doing research on how the vehicle might be used, they noticed that many owners of commercial pickups bought "big gulp" drinks at convenience stores. In one instance, a workman made a special holder out of plywood for the oversize cup. The new Ram will feature cup holders that accommodate these very large drinks.
The Ram will be produced at Dodge's truck assembly plant in Warren, Mich., and at a Chrysler plant in Mexico City. Depending on demand, production could reach more than 200,000 units a year. Such a number would more than double Chrysler's 8 percent share of the pickup market.
Photo: "Our goal was to create a design that would be instantly recognizable," said Robert A. Lutz, president and chief operating officer of Chrysler, who stood yesterday before the 1994 Dodge Ram pickup truck. (Joe Polimeni)
Black Dodge
Well-Known Member
CHRYSLER CHAIRMAN, MICHIGAN GOVERNOR AND DODGE CITY EMPLOYEES CELEBRATE PRODUCTION OF 1994 DODGE RAM PICKUP
WARREN, Mich., July 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Chrysler Corporation (NYSE: C) Chairman Robert Eaton and Michigan Gov. John Engler today drove a red 1994 Dodge Ram pickup off the shipping line here at Warren Truck Assembly Plant to celebrate the company's first all-new full-size pickup in 22 years.
Gov. Engler accompanied Eaton as the passenger in one of eight Dodge Ram models selected for production launch celebration ceremonies that included hundreds of cheering plant employees from Warren stamping and Warren Truck, news media, UAW, Warren city and school officials, suppliers, and other guests.
"Chrysler's competitive advantage is its people," said Eaton. "... There isn't anybody ... who has a workforce like ours."
Eaton said that hourly employees at Warren Stamping and Warren Truck worked side by side with our designers, engineers, manufacturing specialists and suppliers.
"What you're looking at are valuable members of the Dodge Ram truck platform team," said Eaton.
Chrysler President Robert Lutz drove the second pickup off the line with UAW Vice President Stan Marshall as the passenger. UAW hourly plant employee Marvin Holly shared in the ceremonies by accompanying Executive Vice President of Manufacturing Dennis Pawley as he drove the third vehicle off the line.
Truck platform team members addressed the crowd. Lawrence Brumlow, a 28-year UAW hourly plant employee in the Trim area, shared the podium with Bill Fedlem, Chassis launch team engineer. Both were production launch team members who worked together during the pre-production phase to ensure the quality of the Ram manufacturing processes. They told the crowd that they're dedicated to producing a world-class product with quality.
Chrysler invested more than $125 million to facilitize Warren Truck. The Dodge City Complex also includes the adjacent Warren Stamping Plant and nearby Mound Road Engine Plant in Detroit. Warren Stamping supplies doors, hoods, fenders and box sides for Dodge Ram pickups. Mound Road Engine supplies the 3.9-liter V-6, 5.2-liter V-8 and 5.9-liter V-8 engines used in two- and four-wheel drive Ram pickups. The plant will produce models with the optional V-10 in January.
Warren Truck has the manufacturing flexibility to divide its production mix to 80 percent of the full-size Dodge Ram and 20 percent of the mid-size Dodge Dakota or vice versa.
At full two-shift, straight-time production, Dodge City will build 922 units a day with a workforce of 3,150 hourly and salaried employees. A second shift will start Aug. 9. The 2.8 million-square-foot plant is expected to produce about 230,000 trucks in the 1994 model year.
For production of the Ram, the plant's robots increased from 197 to 326. They are used for welding, painting, body sealing and material handling. New plant-wide enhancements include a new aperture line and caster-camber unit, a high-speed DEA Coordinate Measuring Machine System Five unit that verifies completely framed truck body dimensional specifications, automated seat unloading and delivery system, and roof line inner installation system.
Official introduction of new Dodge Ram models in dealer showrooms will be September.
-0- 7/27/93
/CONTACT: Alan Miller, 313-576-8093, or Chris Hosford, 313-576-8094, both of Chrysler/
(C)
WARREN, Mich., July 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Chrysler Corporation (NYSE: C) Chairman Robert Eaton and Michigan Gov. John Engler today drove a red 1994 Dodge Ram pickup off the shipping line here at Warren Truck Assembly Plant to celebrate the company's first all-new full-size pickup in 22 years.
Gov. Engler accompanied Eaton as the passenger in one of eight Dodge Ram models selected for production launch celebration ceremonies that included hundreds of cheering plant employees from Warren stamping and Warren Truck, news media, UAW, Warren city and school officials, suppliers, and other guests.
"Chrysler's competitive advantage is its people," said Eaton. "... There isn't anybody ... who has a workforce like ours."
Eaton said that hourly employees at Warren Stamping and Warren Truck worked side by side with our designers, engineers, manufacturing specialists and suppliers.
"What you're looking at are valuable members of the Dodge Ram truck platform team," said Eaton.
Chrysler President Robert Lutz drove the second pickup off the line with UAW Vice President Stan Marshall as the passenger. UAW hourly plant employee Marvin Holly shared in the ceremonies by accompanying Executive Vice President of Manufacturing Dennis Pawley as he drove the third vehicle off the line.
Truck platform team members addressed the crowd. Lawrence Brumlow, a 28-year UAW hourly plant employee in the Trim area, shared the podium with Bill Fedlem, Chassis launch team engineer. Both were production launch team members who worked together during the pre-production phase to ensure the quality of the Ram manufacturing processes. They told the crowd that they're dedicated to producing a world-class product with quality.
Chrysler invested more than $125 million to facilitize Warren Truck. The Dodge City Complex also includes the adjacent Warren Stamping Plant and nearby Mound Road Engine Plant in Detroit. Warren Stamping supplies doors, hoods, fenders and box sides for Dodge Ram pickups. Mound Road Engine supplies the 3.9-liter V-6, 5.2-liter V-8 and 5.9-liter V-8 engines used in two- and four-wheel drive Ram pickups. The plant will produce models with the optional V-10 in January.
Warren Truck has the manufacturing flexibility to divide its production mix to 80 percent of the full-size Dodge Ram and 20 percent of the mid-size Dodge Dakota or vice versa.
At full two-shift, straight-time production, Dodge City will build 922 units a day with a workforce of 3,150 hourly and salaried employees. A second shift will start Aug. 9. The 2.8 million-square-foot plant is expected to produce about 230,000 trucks in the 1994 model year.
For production of the Ram, the plant's robots increased from 197 to 326. They are used for welding, painting, body sealing and material handling. New plant-wide enhancements include a new aperture line and caster-camber unit, a high-speed DEA Coordinate Measuring Machine System Five unit that verifies completely framed truck body dimensional specifications, automated seat unloading and delivery system, and roof line inner installation system.
Official introduction of new Dodge Ram models in dealer showrooms will be September.
-0- 7/27/93
/CONTACT: Alan Miller, 313-576-8093, or Chris Hosford, 313-576-8094, both of Chrysler/
(C)
Black Dodge
Well-Known Member
Cool reference to the success of the 2nd Gen Dodge Ram in an article about Bob Lutz...
"I’ve been an admirer of Bob Lutz, the charismatic auto executive who had senior leadership positions at Ford, BMW and most recently General Motors, since I first met him when he was a Chrysler executive.
One of a handful of automotive leaders who almost always shot from the hip, Lutz would occasionally wing himself in the foot, but more often than not, he hit his target dead center. My first real experience with him was, I think, in 1992, at a small conference at Dodge for a handful of automotive journalists in Detroit.
Lutz had just orchestrated the Viper with Lee Iacocca and Carroll Shelby, which was a wonderful grandstand play, but it was his gutsy backing of the revolutionary 1994 Dodge Ram, one of the boldest moves by any U.S. manufacturer in the past 30 years, that impressed me more.
At the time, Dodge was absolutely dead in the water when it came to truck sales – Ford and Chevrolet owned the full-sized market. Lutz showed us the new Ram, with its massive 18-wheeler-inspired grille, handsome profile and available V-10 engine, long before the rest of the world saw it. At the time, he had no idea whether or not it would work.
But, he said, “If 90 percent of the buyers hate it, and 10 percent like it, and that 10 percent buys it, we’re way ahead of where we are now.” The truck was a smash, almost immediately vaulting into the fourth best-selling vehicle in the U.S."
"I’ve been an admirer of Bob Lutz, the charismatic auto executive who had senior leadership positions at Ford, BMW and most recently General Motors, since I first met him when he was a Chrysler executive.
One of a handful of automotive leaders who almost always shot from the hip, Lutz would occasionally wing himself in the foot, but more often than not, he hit his target dead center. My first real experience with him was, I think, in 1992, at a small conference at Dodge for a handful of automotive journalists in Detroit.
Lutz had just orchestrated the Viper with Lee Iacocca and Carroll Shelby, which was a wonderful grandstand play, but it was his gutsy backing of the revolutionary 1994 Dodge Ram, one of the boldest moves by any U.S. manufacturer in the past 30 years, that impressed me more.
At the time, Dodge was absolutely dead in the water when it came to truck sales – Ford and Chevrolet owned the full-sized market. Lutz showed us the new Ram, with its massive 18-wheeler-inspired grille, handsome profile and available V-10 engine, long before the rest of the world saw it. At the time, he had no idea whether or not it would work.
But, he said, “If 90 percent of the buyers hate it, and 10 percent like it, and that 10 percent buys it, we’re way ahead of where we are now.” The truck was a smash, almost immediately vaulting into the fourth best-selling vehicle in the U.S."
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Black Dodge
Well-Known Member
I've been spending all my time over on For A bodies on working on my Duster. I just wanted to give the 2nd Gen guys an update on my truck... I ended up selling the 18" wheels and going with a set of 17's and 33 x 12.50 tires. I think they fit the truck better for a cleaner look!
LocuMob
Fluid Technician
That's a nice looking truck.