When did they stop calling it a Dodge Ram?
The official branding changed around the 2010 model year, when the truck lineup was reorganized under the Ram Trucks brand instead of using the Dodge Ram name.
The shift was part of a broader branding realignment announced in the late 2000s. Starting with the 2010 Ram 1500, the trucks were marketed and badgeed as RAM, dropping the Dodge prefix from the lineup. While the term “Dodge Ram” is still heard in casual speech, the manufacturer’s official branding moved to Ram Trucks.
Branding shift: How it happened
A timeline of the branding transition helps explain when the Dodge Ram name ceased in official use for the trucks.
- 2009: Chrysler announces a brand restructuring that would separate Ram trucks from the Dodge brand, creating the Ram Trucks identity for the pickup lineup.
- 2010: The Ram brand is launched for trucks; the 2010 Ram 1500 and other models carry RAM branding, with “Dodge” largely absent from official marketing and badges.
- 2010s onward: Ram Trucks continues as the dedicated brand for pickups and commercial vans, while Dodge remains associated with passenger cars and some SUVs.
In sum, the official stop to calling it “Dodge Ram” happened with the 2010 model year as the lineup transitioned to the Ram Trucks brand.
Current branding and model naming
Today, Ram Trucks is the official brand for the lineup, and the common model names reflect that branding. The core pickups use RAM in their names rather than Dodge Ram.
- Ram 1500 — light-duty pickup
- Ram 2500 — heavy-duty pickup
- Ram 3500 — heavy-duty pickup
The Ram brand also encompasses other commercial offerings such as the ProMaster van family, but the core pickup models are marketed under RAM, not Dodge RAM. This branding remains in place as part of Stellantis’ brand structure.
Summary
Officially, the Dodge Ram naming ended with the 2010 model year as Chrysler reorganized its truck lineup under the Ram Trucks brand. Since then, the trucks have been marketed as RAM (Ram 1500, Ram 2500, Ram 3500, etc.), while Dodge has continued to exist for other vehicle lines. Despite persistent colloquial use of "Dodge Ram" by some fans, the manufacturer’s branding has been RAM for trucks since 2010.
