The end has finally come for the Ram Classic pickup truck, at least for our friends up north. Stellantis announced that production of the Ram Classic has ended for Canada, but will continue for the United States and Mexico. Whether it will survive in the United States beyond 2024 remains to be seen.
As for Canadian buyers, the current inventory of Ram Classic trucks, all 2023 models, will be sold throughout the year. Standard Rams in 1500, 2500 and 3500 trims are also available as 2024 models. In the United States, production of the Ram Classic is already confirmed for the 2024 model year, where it will be sold alongside 2025 trucks refreshed later this year.
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Could this mark the beginning of the end for the Ram Classic? Only two trim levels of the 16-year-old truck are offered, namely a work-oriented Tradesman and the off-road-themed Warlock. Both offer buyers a choice of cabin size, bed size, and V6 or V8 power under the hood. Therein lies the Ram Classic’s potential death sentence, namely the V-8.
The Hemi is dead after 2024, so unless Ram sees fit to update the old truck with a new twin-turbo inline-six – a move that seems counterintuitive to something called Classic– buyers can only get the 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6. With 305 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque, it’s certainly capable of propelling a full-size pickup. But towing capacity drops to 7,540 pounds compared to more than 11,000 for the new inline-six and outgoing Hemi.
The bones of the Ram Classic date back to 2008, when Ram was still part of Dodge. A Ram spokesperson declined to comment on future Classic production for the United States, but with the Hemi gone and production for Canada already reduced, it’s likely only a matter of time before the old truck makes its final bow before heading into the sunset.
