Aging Ram 1500 Classic still plays big role for brand

The Ram 1500 Classic has been around so long that it used to be called a Dodge.

The pickup launched in 2008 with a cattle drive on the streets of downtown Detroit, carried Ram through its 2009 separation from Dodge, weathered its parent company's bankruptcy and the COVID-19 pandemic, and is still kicking 16 years later as the brand enters the electric vehicle era.

The Classic — the fourth-generation 1500 known internally as the DS — has held down a spot in Ram's lineup by catering to entry-level buyers and commercial customers alongside the current DT that debuted for the 2019 model year.

However, its long run, which included being named 2013 North American Truck of the Year, could be coming to an end.

Ram owner Stellantis, in the contract it signed with the UAW last fall, agreed to keep building the Classic in Warren, Mich., only through 2024. Ram officials won't say whether the truck has a future beyond that.

Though lacking some of the bells and whistles offered in the current 1500, it has found a niche as a capable truck with a respected pedigree. Stellantis has added its newest infotainment system, UConnect 5, as an option to help the Classic keep up with the times.

Warren Truck Assembly churned out 48,000 Classics last year, according to AutoForecast Solutions.

"It brings all of the factors that someone who uses a truck as a truck needs," Brant Combs, brand manager for the Ram 1500, said in an interview. "It still has all the size with crew cab, has all the capability with 5.7-liter Hemi, still four-wheel drive, still dual-exhaust, it's still got payload up close to 2,000 pounds, it can still tow well over 10,000 pounds, and you can hold the crew comfortably."

Combs said the fifth-generation 1500 covers much of the segment, from the work-oriented base model all the way up to the $89,150 Tungsten, but the Classic still has a role to fill.

The Classic doesn’t sacrifice capability and is available “in a very competitive price point with a really nice value proposition,” Combs said. He believes that’s why it has remained popular enough to keep building after all these years.

The 2023 Classic starts at nearly $9,000 less than the lowest-priced version of the freshened 1500, which is rolling out now as a 2025 model. The Classic’s Tradesman trim, with 4x2 capability, a regular cab, a V-6 engine and an eight-foot bed, is $34,340, versus $42,270 for the closest 2025 model, with a quad cab and a 20-inch-shorter bed. All prices include shipping.

For 2024, Ram bumped up the Classic Tradesman to $40,700. The Classic also has a sportier off-road version, the Warlock, which starts at $45,430 for both 2023 and 2024.

Stellantis dealer Brandon Moreland said the Classic continued to attract buyers even after the fifth generation came out because some prefer its body style. People also turn to it for the lower price.

If the Classic is discontinued, Moreland wonders where entry-level buyers will go. The brand is expected to offer a midsize pickup down the road, he said, but some might still need a full-size pickup at a more accessible price.

“I don’t know how people afford buying a car these days because interest rates are killing everybody, too,” said Moreland, vice president of the Moreland Auto Group, which has Ram stores in Colorado and Wyoming.

The Classic was part of a three-truck strategy, along with the fifth-generation 1500 and the brand’s heavy-duty line, that helped Ram finish No. 2 in U.S. pickup sales in 2019, topping the Chevrolet Silverado.

Dealer Josh Towbin, who owns Towbin Dodge-Ram in Henderson, Nev., said a friend recently bought a fleet of Classic pickups for his business.

“That Classic gives us an affordable option for the guests, which keeps customers in the fold that might end up buying a used vehicle or something like that,” Towbin said. “It gives us a nice option to keep them in the family.”

Kevin Farrish, who chairs the Stellantis National Dealer Council, said he’s excited about the freshened 2025 1500, but he also enjoys having the Classic around to give consumers more options.

“Value never goes out of style,” said Farrish, who owns Farrish Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge-Ram in Fairfax, Va. “It’s our value leader, when you can get an MSRP of under $40,000. Trucks are getting up there in price.”