Posted Sunday, Aug 22, 2021
Going on two years since Ram introduced its latest 1500 pickup, the truckmaker will continue to offer the old 1500 to customers alongside the more modern one, according to Cars Direct. The Ram 1500 Classic will live to see the 2021 model year, when it will once again serve as the Ram’s low-cost model and erstwhile competitor (at least in terms of price) to the midsize pickups sold by Chevy, Ford, and Toyota.
The previous-generation 1500 Classic does more than just fill in for the midsize truck Ram doesn’t sell, however. It’s the only current Ram pickup variant offered with a regular cab—the new 1500 is only available in four-door Quad and larger Crew Cab arrangements—and therefore also doubles as the 1500 family’s low-cost, commercial-grade option in base Tradesman trim. Confusingly, the new Ram 1500 is also available in Tradesman guise, but, again, only in pricier Quad and Crew Cab body styles.
Beyond the Tradesman, the Ram 1500 Classic offers limited choices. We’ve reached out to Fiat Chrysler for confirmation of the Classic’s return, as well as the trim lineup if that is indeed the case, but the 2020 Classic can be had in Express and Warlock trim levels in addition to Tradesman. All three are affordable by modern full-size pickup standards, with the Tradesman starting at $29,895 in regular-cab form, the Express at $31,395 (also regular cab), and the Warlock at $38,040 as a Quad Cab. The 2020 Ram 1500—the new one, which won our 2019 Truck of the Year award—starts at $33,840 for a Quad Cab Tradesman.
More details on the 2021 Ram 1500 Classic are forthcoming, such as which trim levels survive, as well as which powertrain options and body styles will be offered. We’ll update this space as soon as Ram confirms those particulars. In the meantime, what’s old really is new again—or at least, what’s old remains available new.
Ram continues to work on its true mid-size competitor, a pickup which may revive the Dakota nameplate that was used on a smaller Dodge truck from 1987 through 2011.