Ram Says Goodbye to 1500 Classic Pickup as Hemi V8 Engine Dies

The «classic» truck of the 2024 model year will be released in the Tradesman version, which will be the farewell for the previous generation.

The history of the pickup truck of the American brand, which now belongs to the auto giant Stellantis, began back in 1980. The production of the second-generation model started in 1993, and the third — in 2001. In 2008, the fourth generation truck appeared, and for the first couple of years, like all of its predecessors listed above, it was sold under the name Dodge Ram, but in 2010, the pickup was renamed Ram 1500. Later, in 2018, the model changed generations again, but the company decided to keep both generations in service — both the fourth and fifth.

In the photo: Ram 1500 Classic

At the same time, the fourth generation pickup truck received the addition of Classic to its name. Initially, it was assumed that the “classic” Ram 1500 would remain in the lineup for about a couple of years, but the model found its buyer: obviously, it also helped that its price tag was significantly lower compared to the fifth generation truck.

It is known that Stellantis is retiring the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 engine, this has already affected models of the Chrysler and Dodge brands, which previously presented farewell special versions of cars with this engine. Now Motor1.com, citing a representative of the brand, reports that the Ram 1500 Classic is also retiring.

It was previously reported that the 2024 model year would be the last for this truck, now the company has officially confirmed the imminent retirement of the 1500 Classic. The farewell version is a pickup in the Tradesman version, which, as the company explained, «reflects the needs of customers buying commercial trucks.»

The company believed that upgrading the 15-year-old platform of the «classic» pickup, which would allow installing a new inline six-cylinder Hurricane engine under the hood, would be too expensive.

In the photo: the interior of the Ram 1500 Classic

Recall that the fifth-generation Ram 1500 underwent an update at the end of last year. This pickup truck was equipped with a 3.0-liter inline twin-turbo Hurricane six-cylinder engine, which is offered in two boost options — 426 hp for the starting versions (623 Nm), and 548 hp (706 Nm) for more expensive options. In addition, the range also includes the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 starting engine (309 hp and 367 Nm).

In addition, the restyled pickup has a Ramcharger modification, which is equipped with a traction battery with a capacity of 92 kW * h and a two-motor power plant (one electric motor on each axle), its total output is 672 hp, and the maximum torque is 833 Nm. The system also includes a 3.6-liter V6 engine, which helps the generator in its operation, while it has no mechanical connection with the wheels. The power reserve of the Ram 1500 Ramcharger according to the passport is 1110 km.