Loading

Where is the Dodge Rampage made?

The Dodge Rampage was built in the United States, at Chrysler's Newark Assembly Plant in Newark, Delaware.


Launched in the early 1980s, the Rampage was a two‑door, unibody pickup built on the Horizon/Omni-based L‑platform and produced for the 1982–1984 model years as part of Dodge's car‑leaning approach to small trucks.


Primary manufacturing site


To understand where the Rampage came from, it helps to know its production home and the North American manufacturing strategy of the era.



  • Production years: 1982–1984 model years

  • Primary assembly plant: Newark Assembly Plant, Newark, Delaware, United States

  • Platform/body: L-body platform (Horizon/Omni lineage), unibody two‑door pickup

  • Drive layout: Front-wheel drive

  • Engine options: 2.2-liter inline-four standard; 2.6-liter inline-four optional


These points highlight the Rampage’s manufacturing footprint: a U.S.-built, front‑drive, unibody pickup tied to Chrysler’s North American L‑platform strategy of the early 1980s.


Context within Chrysler's North American lineup


The Rampage sat at the intersection of passenger-car engineering and light-truck utility, reflecting Chrysler’s approach to small vehicles during the early 1980s. Built on the same general platform as other horizon-based models, it shared components and engineering with multiple North American products, while being marketed as a sportier, two‑door pickup option.


Design and engineering notes


Characterized by a coupe-like silhouette, a compact cargo bed, and a focus on handling akin to a car rather than a traditional pickup, the Rampage leveraged the Horizon/Omni’s unibody construction to achieve a lower ride height and more car-like dynamics than some of its rivals.


Ultimately, the Rampage was a relatively short-lived chapter in Dodge’s history—an early-1980s experiment that paired compact-car underpinnings with a small pickup bed, produced at a single primary site in the United States.


Summary


The Dodge Rampage was manufactured in the United States at the Newark Assembly Plant in Newark, Delaware, serving as a brief, car‑like two‑door pickup on the L‑body platform from 1982 to 1984. Its creation reflected Chrysler’s North American production strategy of the era, balancing shared engineering with a distinctively sportier take on a small pickup.

Kevin's Auto

Kevin Bennett

Company Owner

Kevin Bennet is the founder and owner of Kevin's Autos, a leading automotive service provider in Australia. With a deep commitment to customer satisfaction and years of industry expertise, Kevin uses his blog to answer the most common questions posed by his customers. From maintenance tips to troubleshooting advice, Kevin's articles are designed to empower drivers with the knowledge they need to keep their vehicles running smoothly and safely.