The Ram 1500 Classic Is Being Discontinued After 17 Years And Taking The V8 With It
It’s a living legend that’s finally retiring.
The Ram 1500 Classic is the last-generation version of the light duty pickup that’s been on sale since 2009.
Ram continued offering it as a budget model alongside the all-new Ram 1500 that launched in 2019, but the end of the road has arrived.
Automotive News this week reported on layoffs at one of the Classic’s suppliers that uncovered production was ending, which Ram has now confirmed.
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“The Ram 1500 Classic has been a great entry point pickup for Ram and the Tradesman model has certainly represented the needs of our commercial truck customers. With the introduction of the Tradesman trim on the new Ram 1500 for 2024 model year, we bid farewell to the previous generation and remind customers that the Hemi-powered Ram 1500 Classic will sell into 2025,” the company said in a statement provided to American Cars And Racing.
Dodge did the same thing when the Charger and Challenger were discontinued in 2023, providing its dealers with a healthy amount of stock to tide them over until the next generation models arrived. Ram didn’t confirm a date for the end of production, but the supplier’s layoffs are scheduled for September 30.
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With the new Ram 1500 replacing its V8 engines with turbocharged inline-six-cylinder engines for 2025, the Ram 1500 Classic was the last of the brand’s light duty trucks to offer the Hemi V8. The six-cylinder engines are more powerful than the V8s, but some traditional customers prefer the naturally aspirated V8s for both their performance characteristics and established maintenance support.
Ram continues to use V8 engines in the heavy duty 2500 HD and 3500 HD along with diesels, which are no longer available in its light duty lineup.
With the Ram 1500 Classic going away, that leaves the Stellantis brands with just two V8-powered light-duty models left. The Dodge Durango SUV is scheduled to be discontinued at the end of 2024, but the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 just got a stay of execution. It was initially meant to go out of production after this summer after a limited run, but Jeep will continue making it at least into the 2025 calendar year.
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