I came across a particular piece of schlock in your March/April 2009 issue that is truly aggravating. Marc Cook made the statement "Kenworth wannabe Dodges" in reference to the 1994-2001 Ram. This misconception about the body style of those model years of Dodge trucks has been perpetuated by automotive journalists for over 15 years. Somebody somewhere made the observation that these trucks kind of looked like a semi coming toward you down the highway, which started the "big-rig styling" hoopla that every writer, loving it or hating it, seemed to be stuck on. And stick it did, because I have never read any other descriptive regarding these trucks....
However, anyone with only a little imagination can clearly see that this was not Chrysler's intent for the body design. Since the truck was popular and was selling well, why should they bother to mess with those who wanted a piece of that "big-rig image" and therefore correct this misconception? The real inspiration for this body style was not big rigs, as every writer I have ever read has stated, but actually a chapter from Dodge's own past. The styling is retro. The 1994 Ram took its styling cues from the 1954-1956 Dodge pickups. Find some pictures of the Dodge or Fargo trucks of this era and compare them to the 1994-2001 models. Then compare the 1994-and-newer models with any pictures of Kenworths, Petes, Internationals, Macks, Freightliners, or any other big rig and see where the similarities lie. Granted, big rigs have obvious fenders to the side of the engine compartment, so I suppose this comparison could go either way. However, the shape of the hood is all wrong. If the Dodge designers really wanted to emulate a semi, why wouldn't they have made the hood tall and narrow with the fat fenders beginning at least a foot below the top of the hood? Another similarity: the 1994-plus has two V-grooves running down the center of the hood from the top down to the front, ending with the Ram badge placed front and center. The 1954-56 models had a gull-wing hood opening from either side and hinged to a center column. The grooves on the hood of the 1994-plus models are the vestigial remnants of the center column and seam between it and the two gull-wings. I'm not sure whether it is a lack of creativity or just a bandwagon mentality among commercial journalists, because I notice this in numerous media, but I think there is a serious lack of originality when the only descriptor used for the 1994-and-newer Dodge Ram in 15 years is "big-rig styling" when the retro comparison is so obvious.
Terry Osko
Vegreville, Alberta, Canada
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Reader,
We definitely see the family resemblance to the 1954-56 half-tons. However, take a look at the front end of a big rig. From the tall, flat face to the rectangular headlights that sit low on each side in front of pronounced fender flares, we see why the "big-rig styling" term was coined. Perhaps Dodge has done the best job of explaining that the Ram's styling is a mix of retro and big-rig. According to Ralph Gilles, vice president of design, "We brought some of the best design cues from our Dodge Ram 1500 to the new 2010 Dodge Ram Heavy Duty, yet we set the 2500 and 3500 pickups apart from our light-duty trucks. The 'big-rig' styling is even more pronounced, with the classic Dodge look that conveys [something] bold, powerful, and capable."
--Truck Trend
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you have a question or comment about any thing you've seen on TruckTrend.com, please email us at TruckTrend@sourceinterlink.com.