Return Of The Dodge Ram? Here’s What The CEO Of Both Brands Has To Say
Not everyone got the message.
In 2009, what was then called Chrysler Group began splitting the Dodge and Ram brands into two separate companies, in an effort to better unlock the value of both.
But old habits die hard an you still hear many people refer to the pickups as “Dodge Rams.”
Even the Dodge website has a link to Ram‘s, but they are otherwise operated independently.
It’s part of what now Stellantis refers to as a House of Brands concept, where Dodge, Ram, Jeep and Chrysler can all live together in the same dealerships while serving different customer bases.
But there’s a new link between Dodge and Ram that’s had some wondering if they’re getting the band back together.
On July 1, Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis was named Ram CEO and charged with running both companies simultaneously, but he says that’s as far as the marriage will go.
“I believe there are some synergies. That doesn’t mean that I have any intention of putting them together, running them as one,” Kuniskis recently told Muscle Cars and Trucks.
“No, they’re completely stand-alone; the only person that touches both is me. There’s a completely separate team at Dodge and a completely separate team at Ram, and I just kinda split my brain down the middle and hope for the best.â€
Both brands are on the verge of significant transformations. Dodge is discontinuing its V8-powered muscle cars at the end of this year and launching an all-electric model, while Ram is adding the battery-powered 1500 REV pickup to the lineup in 2025.
In an editorial written for American Cars And Racing, Kuniskis said Dodge fans shouldn’t be worried about the change:
“I always tell everybody, this is our first shot. We’re going to get better and better and better at this. I ask everybody, “what is your favorite performance car from the 1920s and 30s?†Blank stares. You can’t name one. Everyone fast forwards and says, “well, I like the ’60 this and the ’70 that.†It took a long time to get there. Well, right now is 1920 of the electric era. Give us a little bit of time. Let us accelerate the learnings of this technology and we’re going to bring you, not just fast, but cool and engaging cars that are going to make performance live on forever. The technology will change, but the spirit and the passion behind going fast and having fun is not going away.”
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