What was Dodges version of the Ranchero?
The short answer: Dodge’s version of the Ranchero was the Rampage, a small car-based pickup produced in the early 1980s. This article explains what it was, why it was created, and how it fit into Chrysler’s lineup.
Origins and concept
In the wake of the classic coupe utility trend sparked by Ford’s Ranchero and Chevrolet’s El Camino, Dodge sought a similar niche. The Rampage was Dodge’s answer to that market—an unconventional blend of passenger-car comfort and light-duty cargo capability designed to appeal to buyers who wanted versatility without opting for a full-size pickup.
Technically, the Rampage leaned on the front-wheel-drive underpinnings of Dodge’s small-car family, rather than a traditional body-on-frame pickup chassis. That choice reflected a shift in the early 1980s toward car-based utility vehicles that delivered a more car-like ride and handling while offering some cargo flexibility.
Key design and market details include:
- Based on the front-wheel-drive Dodge Omni/Horizon platform
- Car-like coupe profile with a short cargo bed behind the cab and a hatchback-style rear end
- Produced for the 1982 and 1983 model years
- Engine options centered on a 2.2-liter inline-four with either a manual or automatic transmission
- Intended to fill Dodge’s niche in the car-based pickup segment, mirroring the Ranchero/El Camino concept
In summary, the Rampage represented Dodge’s tactical foray into the coupe-utility segment—an ambitious, compact experiment that highlighted Chrysler’s willingness to blur lines between passenger cars and light trucks. It was short-lived but remains a notable chapter in American automotive history.
Design and specifications
The Rampage’s design emphasized a practical yet stylish approach: a two-door, front-wheel-drive car wearing a small pickup bed. It was marketed as a versatile vehicle for light hauling, outdoor hobbies, and everyday tasks, all while maintaining a compact footprint and a relatively approachable price point for its era.
Additional considerations about its specs and market position:
- Short-wheelbase, unibody construction borrowed from Dodge’s compact car lineup
- Hatchback-style rear opening to the cargo area, enabling easier access
- Turbocharged variants were not part of the Rampage lineup; it focused on mainstream, economical powertrains
- Marketing positioned it as a sporty alternative to traditional pickups, not a heavy-duty work vehicle
Overall, the Rampage aimed to combine stylish design with practical capability, offering a distinct option in a market that largely favored larger, traditional pickups.
Legacy and context
Despite its novelty, the Rampage did not achieve lasting sales momentum and was discontinued after a brief run. It sits today as a curiosity among collectors and enthusiasts, illustrating a brief era when automakers experimented with car-based pickups to capture a niche audience.
Comparisons to the Ranchero and El Camino
Compared with Ford’s Ranchero and GM’s El Camino, the Rampage was smaller, more car-like in its dynamics, and less focused on heavy-duty hauling. Its short production span reflects the market’s limited appetite for this particular blend of features in the early 1980s, despite the nostalgia such vehicles later garnered.
Aftermath and historical note
After the Rampage, Dodge did not revive a direct car-based pickup in the same form. The era’s shift toward more conventional pickups and SUVs led automakers to focus on other configurations, while the Rampage remains a niche footnote in Dodge’s history.
Summary
The Rampage stands as Dodge’s club-footed yet memorable attempt at a coupe utility, positioned as the brand’s answer to the Ranchero/El Camino concept. Introduced for 1982 and 1983, it offered a car-based alternative with a small cargo bed and a hatchback rear, riding on the Omni/Horizon platform. Its brief lifespan underscored the market’s preference for different configurations, but its unique design continues to attract interest from enthusiasts and historians of American autos.
Why was the Dodge Ramcharger discontinued?
The company says the decision was based on slowing demand in North America for full-size electric trucks. Along with that decision, Ram says it is renaming the forthcoming plug-in hybrid truck from Ramcharger to REV.
What was Dodge's version of El Camino?
Dodge Rampage
Turns out it was a Dodge Rampage, a subcompact pickup truck produced from 1982–1984. It was designed to be a car-like truck that combined the handling of a passenger car with the load capacity of a small pickup truck – Dodge's answer to the Chevy El Camino.
Why did Dodge discontinue the journey?
Dodge discontinued the Journey to focus on its performance brand image, as the model was outdated compared to newer competitors and did not align with the company's shift toward muscle cars and performance SUVs like the Charger, Challenger, and Durango. The aging platform, lack of modern updates, and declining sales, partly due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the rental car market, also contributed to its discontinuation after the 2020 model year.
- Shift to performance: Dodge transitioned to a performance-focused brand, and the economical, family-oriented Journey no longer fit the new strategy, which emphasized muscle cars and powerful SUVs.
- Outdated platform: The Journey's platform was old, and the vehicle's design and technology lagged significantly behind competitors that received more frequent updates.
- Declining sales: While it had been a strong seller at times, sales figures had fallen by the end of its run, exacerbated by the pandemic's effect on the rental car market, which was a major customer for such vehicles.
- Resource allocation: Discontinuing the Journey freed up resources to be reallocated to developing and producing the brand's more profitable and performance-oriented vehicles.
How many Dodge M4S were made?
A total of nine Dodge M4S Turbo Interceptor units were built: four functional, driving cars and five non-functional units. The functional cars were used as pace cars for the PPG IndyCar series, while some were also used in the movie The Wraith.
- Functional units: Four were built as working prototypes for pacing races.
- Non-functional units: Five non-running versions were also built, with some used as movie props for The Wraith.
- Total production: Nine units in total were created for the project between 1981 and 1987.
