The Ram 1500 is the half-ton truck of the Ram full-size pickup range. Its name comes from the Dodge Ram introduced in October 1980 for the 1981 model year, and since Ram Trucks was separated from Dodge in 2010 the 1500 has been the volume model of the line.
Ram 1500 at a glance
| Maker | Chrysler, Dodge Truck division; Ram Trucks from 2010 |
|---|---|
| Range | full-size Ram pickup |
| Model class | half-ton |
| Name introduced | October 1980, for the 1981 model year |
| Drive designations | D or Ram for two-wheel drive, W or Power Ram for four-wheel drive |
| Cab styles, first generation | standard cab, Club extended cab, crew cab |
| Beds, first generation | 6.5 ft and 8 ft, Utiline and Sweptline styles |
| Engines, first generation | 225 slant-6, 318 and 360 V8 |
| From 1988 | 3.9 L V6 and 5.2 L V8 with electronic fuel injection |
| Ram 100 | 1984–1989, folded back into the 150 range for 1990 |
| Motor Trend Truck of the Year | 1994 (second-generation Ram), 2013 and 2014 (fourth-generation 1500) |
| Brand | Ram Trucks from 2010 |
The English Wikipedia article covers the 1500, 2500 and 3500 together; this page uses the parts that describe the half-ton 150 and 1500.
History of the Ram 1500
Ram as a Dodge nameplate
The Ram name was introduced in October 1980 for the 1981 model year, when the Dodge D series pickups and B series vans were rebranded. Dodge kept the model designations of the previous generation: D or Ram meant two-wheel drive, W or Power Ram meant four-wheel drive. Just as Ford used 150 for a half-ton truck, Dodge used 150, 250 and 350 for its half-ton, three-quarter-ton and one-ton models — which is where the 1500 name later came from. The first-generation Rams were facelifted versions of the Dodge D series pickups introduced in 1972, with larger wraparound tail lamps, dual rectangular headlamps and squared-off body lines. A ram’s-head hood ornament, used on Dodge vehicles from 1932 until 1954, returned on many of them.
The 150 in the first generation
The trucks came as standard cab, Club extended cab and crew cab, with 6.5 ft and 8 ft beds in Utiline and Sweptline styles. Engine choices were pared down to the 225 slant-6 and the 318 and 360 V8s, and the interior was updated with a new bench seat, a new dashboard and an optional three-pod instrument cluster. Basic Ram 100 models were reintroduced for 1984 in place of the Miser trim of the Ram 150. For 1988 the slant-6 was replaced by the 3.9 L V6 that had first appeared in the Dodge Dakota, and the 5.2 L V8 received electronic fuel injection. The Ram 100 designation was dropped and those models folded back into the 150 range for 1990, helped by the sales success of the Dakota.
After the split from Dodge
The first-generation trucks sold poorly against the Ford F-Series and the GM C/K trucks, rarely breaking 100,000 units in most years, partly because their cab and chassis dated from 1972, because there was no powerful diesel until 1989 and because there was no big-block petrol V8. The line nevertheless survived and grew: Ram trucks have been named Motor Trend Truck of the Year eight times, with the second-generation Ram winning in 1994, the fourth-generation Ram 1500 in 2013 and 2014, and the fifth-generation Ram, which debuted at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January 2018, winning in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2025. Since 2010 the Ram name has stood on its own, with the pickups marketed by Ram Trucks rather than by Dodge.
Design and features
- A half-ton class: the 150 of 1981, like the 1500 of today, was the lightest truck in the range, below the three-quarter-ton 250 and the one-ton 350.
- Three cab styles: the first-generation line offered a standard cab, a Club extended cab and a four-door crew cab.
- Electronic fuel injection from 1988: the 3.9 L V6 and the 5.2 L V8 moved to computer-controlled injection, ignition and ABS, with a new message centre in the cab.
- Award-winning: the fourth-generation Ram 1500 took Motor Trend Truck of the Year in 2013 and 2014.
Ram 1500 versions
- Ram 150 (from 1981): the half-ton version of the first-generation D/W Ram.
- Ram 100 (1984–1989): a basic model that replaced the Miser trim, folded back into the 150 range for 1990.
- Club Cab (from the 1990 models): the extended cab brought back after an eight-year break, with fold-out jump seats on the 1991–1993 trucks.
- Fourth-generation Ram 1500: the truck that won Motor Trend Truck of the Year in 2013 and 2014.
- Fifth-generation Ram: presented in Detroit in January 2018.
The 1500 is the lightest of the three Ram classes; the heavier trucks are described in the Ram 2500 and Ram 3500 articles. More pickups are in the Ram collection.
Video: Watch This Truck Review: 2014 RAM 1500 on Everyman Driver
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Ram pickup, English Wikipedia: name history, first generation, cab styles, engines, awards
