Ram may expand

[RamRider]

http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article...

[Mexico Made]

So most of these will be made in Mexico then? Why? The sales number are going to take a big hit.

Do you they want to sell off the Ram brand?

[Iamfedup2]

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/04/ram-brand-...

Ram brand may enter heavy-duty 18-wheeler market

by Jeremy Korzeniewski (RSS feed) on Nov 4th 2009 at 2:39PM
2007 Dodge Ram BFT Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

In addition to the passing note about considering a unibody replacement for the slow-selling Dodge Dakota, Ram CEO Fred Diaz said (with conviction...!) that they are strongly considering entering the heavy-duty 18-wheeler market with the Ram brand.

Interesting, no? The consumer-grade pickup that popularized the big rig styling on a smaller scale might make the jump up the ranks and into the heavy-hauler market. In the past, Dodge has teamed up with both Sterling and Freightliner – both of which are big players in the large truck marketplace – and the Ram brand is sure to keep up its current partnership with heavy truck engine maker Cummins. In other words, it might not be as big a leap as you may at first think to see a Ram-badged 18-wheeler rolling down a highway near you within the next few years.

[Iamfedup2]

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/04/ram-consid...

Ram considering new mid-size unibody pickup to replace Dakota

by Sam Abuelsamid (RSS feed) on Nov 4th 2009 at 1:20PM

2008 Dodge Dakota - Click above for high-res image gallery

In a rambling presentation that presented almost nothing of any value, Fred Diaz, CEO of Chrysler's newly-created Ram brand, did drop at least one little tidbit in passing. Currently the Dodge truck offerings consist of only two vehicles, the full-size Ram and the mid-size Dakota. The long-term fate of the Dakota has been the subject of much speculation but one of Diaz's slides did mention that Ram was considering a replacement. The key word was "considering."

Interestingly, the possible replacement would be based on a unibody platform which in all likelihood would be derived from the new Grand Cherokee/Durango architecture. That would be a big departure for Chrysler – jumping into a vehicle type that currently consists of only the slow selling Honda Ridgeline. If Chrysler were to build this vehicle, it would make sense to do something to differentiate it from the big Ram, and perhaps with the right styling and powertrain – perhaps something like the Rampage concept from 2006 – it could be more successful than the Honda.

The current Durango will remain in production until mid-2011 and the new truck, if approved, would not launch until at least then.