Ram 1500 Classic soon a thing of the past, production ends next month
On August 1, in a bit about impending Stellantis layoffs at the Warren Truck Plant that builds the Jeep Wagoneer, Grand Wagoneer, and Ram 1500 Classic, AutoForecast Solutions wrote “The Ram 1500 Classic is scheduled to end production in September, leaving just the large Jeep SUVs at the facility.” The next day, Automotive News followed up with more layoff news, writing that a seating supplier for the new-old-stock pickup would permanently shed 63 workers, adding that Ram CEO Christine Feuell confirmed the end of the 15-year-old truck. A Ram spokesperson put the period at the end with, “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. 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.”
The truck brand canceled the 1500 Classic for Canada in April of this year.
At the time of writing, Ram still offers two 2024 1500 Classic grades, base Tradesman and off-road Warlock. The Tradesman starts at $40,700 after the $1,995 destination charge, the Warlock at $45,430. Both come with a veteran 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 that makes 305 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque, and both offer the option of the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 making 395 hp and 410 lb-ft, hooked up to a stouter eight-speed transmission for an additional $3,045. A 2024 1500 Tradesman with the V6 starts at $41,415 and offers the V8 engine option for the same price, the 2025 1500 Tradesman with the V6 is $42,270 but offers the twin-turbo 3.0-liter Hurricane inline-six as the upgraded mill, no V8.
The good news for 1500 Classic fans is that it sounds like Ram’s running enough down the Warren Truck line to soak up at least six more months of demand. At the time of writing, Ram’s E-Shop shows 3,643 units of the 2024 1500 Classic in dealer inventory nationwide, another 737 units of the 2023 model.
