Although the RAM Trucks brand capitalizes its name on its pickup grilles, the letters are not an acronym. Ram now refers to the male longhorn sheep that have become the automaker’s mascot. But the word actually has its origins in a unique technology invented by a Mopar drag racing team in the 1950s.
The Ram Chargers were a drag racing team
In 1959, Chevy cars dominated the drag strip with their big V8 engines. Then, over Chrysler Engineering Institute (CEI) luncheon, 20 students challenged each other to design a Mopar that could beat the Chevies at the races. They threw in $30 each, bought a 1949 Plymouth coupe, and got to work building a race car in their spare time.
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The students knew they had the advantage of a HEMI engine. They began experimenting with special “long horn” inlets to better mix the air and fuel.
Ram was an advertising term for some first-generation HEMI high-performance Chrysler engines in the 1950s. The racing team built on this technology to invent a new type of “Ram” air intake. This also gave their club a name, the “Ramchargers,” according to AllPar.com.
The Ramchargers race team used science to dominate the drag strip throughout the 1960s. They developed such advanced speed technology that the HEMI V8 is still used in drag racing today. Although the team was never officially part of Chrysler Corporation, the company capitalized on its notoriety by including the words Ram and Charger in its vehicle lineup.
The Dodge Ramcharger was also an SUV nameplate
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In 1974, Dodge launched an all-new truck-based SUV. The full-size 2-door was available with high-performance V8s from Dodge muscle cars and 4WD. The Plymouth version was called the “Trail Duster” (a pun on the name of the Plymouth Duster). And the Dodge version was called the “Ramcharger” (a pun on the name of the Dodge Charger). The automaker continued to build some form of the Ramcharger through the 1993 model year.
What was the first Ram truck?
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Dodge has been building pickups for over 100 years. In 1981, it renamed its pickup line the Dodge Ram Series. In 2009, Chrysler Corporation split Dodge and Ram into separate, parallel brands.
Today, Ram Trucks – alongside Dodge – is one of the many brands that make up Stellantis. It shares technology with Dodge as well as Chrysler and Jeep. Ram products include the half-ton 1500, the heavy-duty Ram 2500 and 3500, professional chassis cab trucks, and the ProMaster vans.
What is a RAM?
A ram is a male sheep. Although the Dodge Ram was originally named for a powerful air intake, Ram Trucks adopted a terrifying bighorn sheep as its logo.
This capable, ferocious and outspoken American animal is a perfect symbol for the truck brand. Bighorn sheep deftly scale the mountains of Yosemite and the Grand Tetons. When the Rams fight, the sound of their headbutts echoes for miles.
Some trims of the Ramcharger SUV even sported a fearsome Bighorn Ram hood ornament. When Dodge established its Ram truck lineup, it adopted this hood ornament. These days you can even find a modern version of the longhorn Ram ornament on rare, special edition trucks.
Then discover the military acronym that led to the name JEEP or learn more about the history of Dodge trucks in the video below:
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