Does Dodge Own Ram Trucks?
Older pickup buyers may remember the legendary Dodge Ram pickup trucks. Today, Ram and Dodge still share dealerships and technology, but Ram is no longer a subdivision of Dodge. Instead, the two brands are part of a third, larger company.
Are Ram trucks still owned by Dodge?
Since the 2010 model year, Ram trucks has been its own brand. Ram trucks shares a parent company, and thus lots of technology, with Dodge. But Dodge does not own Ram
Chrysler corporation, also called MOPAR, is a major American auto manufacturer. Along with General Motors and Ford Motor Company, it is considered one of the “Big Three” or “Detroit Three” auto manufacturers.
Dodge merged with Chrysler corporation way back in 1928. The new company pioneered reliable 4WD for allied forces during World War Two. After the war, Dodge introduced the first factory-equipped 4WD truck: the Power Wagon. The company used the Ram name for several vehicles. Then, in 1981 began to badge every 2WD pickup as a Dodge Ram, and every 4WD a Dodge Power Ram.
For decades, Chrysler corporation competed with Chevy and Ford by building capable Dodge Ram pickup trucks. But overall, Chrysler’s total vehicle sales usually came in third place. The financial crisis of 2009 hit the company harder than either of its rivals.
Who owns Dodge and Ram?
After a series of corporate mergers, both the Dodge and Ram brands are part of a multinational named Stellantis.
The 2009 financial crisis left Chrysler automotive nearly broke. The company’s solution was to merge with Fiat automotive, forming a car company large enough to compete with Ford and Chevy. The result was Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA). The new company merged Dodge, Chrysler, and their Jeep Brand with Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Maserati, and Ferrari.
This new company realized that Dodge Ram trucks were different vehicles with a different market than Dodge’s muscle cars and SUVs. FCA chose to split Dodge and Ram into separate, technology-sharing brands for the 2010 model year.
In 2021, FCA merged with the Peugeot PSA Group. The resulting company is called Stellantis and it’s the world’s sixth-largest automobile manufacturer. It is even larger than Ford. Stellantis includes 15 separate brands. Dodge and Ram are rolling forward as separate brands within Stellantis.
Who builds Ram trucks?
Though Ram trucks is part of the Stellantis multinational corporation, the 2022 Ram 1500 pickup is still built in Michigan out of mostly US/Canadian parts. Some of the Ram 1500 Classic trucks are built in Michigan, others in Mexico.
After Fiat and Chrysler merged, FCA retained a headquarters in Michigan. Most of Dodge, Ram, Chrysler, and Jeep’s engineering, development, and advertising continued to happen there.
Though these brands are now part of an even larger company, Stellantis, the company is not signaling a move out of Michigan. The worl Stellantis headquarters is in Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
