Ram

The Ram nameplate appeared on Dodge full-size trucks for the 1981 model year, when Dodge moved away from the long-running D/W-series badging and adopted Ram branding for its light-duty pickup line. That first era carried forward the basic truck architecture of the previous generation, but the new name and ram’s-head identity gave the model a stronger, more memorable image. Through the 1980s, the truck steadily evolved from a workhorse into a more broadly appealing pickup, with growing trim levels, cab configurations and available V8 power. A major milestone came in 1989 with the availability of the Cummins turbo-diesel, which became one of the model’s most important historical features and helped build its reputation for durability and towing strength. For the 1994 model year, Dodge launched a thoroughly redesigned Ram with dramatic, heavy-truck-inspired styling that set it apart from the more conservative full-size pickups of the era. That second-generation truck became a defining American pickup of the 1990s and early 2000s, especially in higher-output and heavy-duty forms. Ram remained a Dodge nameplate through the 2009 model year, after which the Ram truck line was separated into its own brand beginning with the 2010 model year.