D Series - The Trucks that Sired the Ram
The Ram of today is a more than capable full-size truck that had it's origins in the D Series trucks, as well as the B Series of vans. Check out the family tree of these award-winning trucks and some of the variations it had over the years.
1. First Gen 1961-65
Built on the AD platform, the truck sported a sleek sweptline bed and a unique Cro-Magnon-esque brow front facade to the truck. One innovation the D100 had was it used an alternator in place of a generator to make electrical power for the truck, several years before the competition. The automatic transmission option was a three-speed push button automatic, which was an improvement over the two-speed that was offered just a decade previously.
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2. The Dude 1970-71
If you were around in the early 1970's and had your eye on a Dodge Sweptline, you had the option to bump that up to get your hands on The Dude. I'm not really sure what the marketing department was going after when they decided to pick actor Don Knotts out as the spokesperson for the truck model but they did. The truck came with new body panels, wheels, new taillight bezels, and multiple "Dude" decals to show the public that you ponied up the extra money for this tough truck.
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3. Macho Power Wagon 1977
Chrome bumpers, tape stripe, graphics on the tailgate and the shocking orange paint job signaled to the public that the Macho Power Wagon had arrived. The front axle was a Dana 44 with the rear being a Dana 60 with a tall 3.55 gears in them. The truck has an NP203 transfer case that allows it to be a full-time 4WD unit that will act as basic AWD in case there is wheel slippage. The truck can do this by changing from lo-lock to hi-lock to whatever the situation calls for so you can get moving again.
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4. The Warlock 1976
In 1976 Dodge put out the Warlock package, that included spiffy wheels, fat tires. bucket seats, real oak sideboards in the bed, and special unique styling on the inside and outside. The truck was supposed to just be a show vehicle but the public outcry was so great for it that Dodge wasted no time in bringing the truck to showrooms as a limited edition run. Due to the great sales numbers, Dodge decided to make it a regular production vehicle a year later. The Warlock could be had in one of just four color choices; green, red, orange, or black.
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5. Midnight Express 1978
The very rare truck that was dubbed the Midnite Express was available only for the 1978 year. The truck was almost like it's close brother The Lil' Red Express but had exhaust stacks, wheels, and nice gold pinstriping to accent the body lines. Also, this truck only came in black and featured the "Midnite Express" name emblazoned on the doors of the truck. The Lil Red Express truck came with a 360 engine but the Midnight Express carried a 440, because everything that comes in black is way cooler.
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6. The Dodge Ram 1980-93
The D Series petered out in the early 80's, becoming the Ram pickup around the same time as when the famed automotive executive Lee Iacocca came in to steer the ship at Chrysler. The range of engines was cut down to save money, but corrosion resistant steel was used in the construction to increase durability. Many body parts were carried from this time until the mid 90's, with some of the body panels being interchangeable from 1972 to 1994. If one wished to do so you could create a Frankenstein Dodge truck with parts spanning generations.
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And, for information on maintenance and repairs for your Ram, take a stroll through our How-To section by clicking here.