The world has changed a lot in the past 16 years, yet the Ram 1500 Classic has stayed largely the same since it entered production on Sept. 12, 2008. We’re talking about a truck that’s seen at least part of four different United States presidencies—and Obama served two terms! We’re talking about a truck that’s been around since T.I. had the number one song with “Whatever You Like” and America’s favorite movie was “Burn After Reading.” We’re talking about a truck that launched when I was in fifth grade. Now I’m 26 with a family!
Alas, the Ram 1500 Classic is actually, finally dead. For real this time.
Production of the “DS” fourth-generation Ram 1500 ended on Friday, Oct. 4, without any public announcement from the automaker. A few UAW Local 140 members from the Warren Truck Assembly Plant posted the pickup’s farewell on social media, showing a Tradesman trim painted in Delmonico Red wearing a banner on the hood. Mopar Insiders spotted it first, and now, I’m paying my respects as a longtime Ram 1500 Classic admirer.
I’ve written about this truck throughout my car blogging career. At first, it was just the new Ram 1500—it didn’t become the Classic until Ram launched the fifth-generation model for 2019. A while after, it became the only way to get a Hemi V8 in a newly built Ram as the “DT” truck dropped the 5.7-liter for the 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six. And now, after all this time, I’m writing about its formal discontinuation. It’s almost surreal.
I say that because it looked like the Ram 1500 Classic would meet its end several times in the past. We wondered out loud more than once if Ram was quietly killing the truck, only for it to pop back up on its site a little bit later. Ram itself hasn’t always been forthcoming about the 1500 Classic’s future, either. When rumors swirled that production was ending in 2023, a spokesperson told me, “We haven’t announced anything yet but will let you know when we do.”
But back in August of this year, they were more direct:
“The Ram 1500 Classic has been a great entry point pickup for Ram and the Tradesman model has certainly represented the needs of our commercial truck customers,” a Ram spokesperson told The Drive. “With the introduction of the Tradesman trim on the new Ram 1500 for 2024 model year, we bid farewell to the previous generation and remind customers that the Hemi-powered Ram 1500 Classic will sell into 2025.”
That last line requires some decoding. Now that we know Ram 1500 Classic production has ended, we can safely assume they’ll be stocked on dealer lots into next year. Still, they aren’t making any more of ’em so get one while you can (if you want one).
In its honor, here’s a clip from the truck’s production kick off that’s filled with pride and machismo:
I’ll always remember you, Ram 1500 Classic. Thank you for being a friend.
Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: caleb@thedrive.com