The Dodge Ram 1500 4WD has become a staple in the American truck market. Since 1981, Dodge has produced the ideal truck for an ever widening audience. The American consumer has consistently put the Dodge Ram 1500 at the top in model year sales. Over the years, the Dodge 1500 4WD has undergone many changes, both in the exterior design and under the hood. However, none have been quite as monumental as the total overhaul of the design in 2002. Those changes led many consumers and critics to question Dodge's motivations being that the truck was already well-liked among buyers.
In 1981 Dodge introduced its Ram 150 available with 4WD. Originally, Dodge named its Ram sizes 150, 250, and 350. The Ram 150 used a sheet metal body that made it one of the lightest trucks on the market during that time. Also, Dodge realized that buyers were not just looking for a powerful truck, they also wanted it to look good. The Ram 150 4WD sported interesting angles and more exterior embellishments than most trucks. The first engine was a 3.7L slant six engine that produced only 95 horsepower. However, an upgrade was available to a 5.9L V8 that reached 140 horsepower.
The 1986 Dodge Ram 150 featured a new grille that resembled four rectangular boxes. Also in 1986 Dodge stopped production of the Crew Cab version of the Ram 150. It seemed that buyers simply weren't interested in the larger cab size, and sales had been dwindling for several years. 1989 brought out some major engine upgrades. A fuel-injected 3.9L V6 that produced 125 horsepower was mounted under the hood. Also available was a 5.9L V8 that reached 190 horsepower. Dodge was on the cutting edge of engine design and power at that time.
In 1991 Dodge gave the Ram 150 a makeover. The grille transformed into a crosshatch style, while the interior received newly designed upholstery. It wasn't until 1994 that Dodge made the name change. The Rams became 1500, 2500, and 3500 and had the largest cabs available of any full-size truck. The Ram Work Truck and Laramie were also introduced in 1994. A year later the Club Cab became available to the public. When the V10 engine was released in 1996, Americans were impressed with the superior power of the Ram 1500, and it showed in the sales numbers.
The latest generation of the Dodge Ram 1500 4WD began in 2001 when an exterior redesign took the forefront. However, many buyers were put off by the change and insisted that Dodge had made a mistake by giving the truck a more muscular build. Nevertheless, once the initial shock wore off, buyers were back on the sales lots clamoring for the Ram 1500, desiring a more aggressive design than that offered in models like the Chevrolet Colorado. The latest Ram 1500 comes standard with massive 5.7L HEMI V8 that reaches 345 horsepower. Dodge seems to have realized that the older body style was what really got people talking and has reinvented the style from the 90s. Rather than bulging muscles, the latest Ram 1500 appears more lean and healthy.
