Who made the Dodge Rampage?
The Dodge Rampage was built by Dodge, the American brand of Chrysler, in the early 1980s. It debuted in 1982 as a compact two‑door coupe with a pickup bed and was produced through 1984.
Origins and Production
To understand who made it and what it was, here are the essential facts about the Rampage’s origins, platform, and production timeline.
- Manufacturer: Dodge (Chrysler Corporation)
- Production years: 1982–1984 model years
- Platform: L-body platform, shared with the Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon
- Body style: 2‑door coupe pickup
- Engines: 2.2‑liter inline‑four or 2.6‑liter inline‑four
In short, the Rampage was Dodge’s attempt to blend car-like ride quality with light truck utility on the L‑body platform during the early 1980s.
Design and Market Context
The Rampage emerged as part of a broader Dodge effort in the early 1980s to attract buyers to car-based alternatives in the small pickup segment. It shared components with contemporary front‑wheel‑drive Dodge models and was intended to offer a sportier, more aerodynamic option within Chrysler’s lineup.
- Objective: provide car-like ride and styling with a small cargo bed
- Construction: primarily a unibody design sharing parts with Horizon/Omni family cars
- Market outcome: modest sales, making it a niche offering
- Legacy: now regarded as a distinctive, limited‑run Mopar oddity
Although its production was brief, the Rampage stands as an example of Chrysler’s experimentation in the compact-pickup field during the early 1980s.
Summary
The Dodge Rampage was produced by Dodge, a division of Chrysler Corporation (now Stellantis). Introduced in 1982, it was a compact two‑door coupe pickup built on the L‑body platform with 2.2‑L and 2.6‑L inline‑four engines, and it remained in production through 1984. It remains a notable, divisive chapter in Dodge’s truck and car crossover history.
