I had a 1983 Dodge Ramcharger and it was, without a doubt, one of the toughest vehicles that I ever owned. However, this week’s Flashback Friday video features an advertisement for the 1993 Ramcharger which is clearly not looking to show off the toughness of the truck-based sport utility vehicle. Perhaps this commercial was released at a point in time where the popularity of large SUVs was growing among female buyers, as this commercial definitely seems like it was made to cater to the female crowd.
The video starts off showing a 1993 Dodge Ramcharger parked next to a couple having a picnic out in the woods, but when a sudden rainstorm puts a stop to their casual dancing, the lovebirds are forced to quickly load their picnic items into the roomy SUV in a hurry. Fortunately, the two are easy to pack their stuff into the Ramcharger and before he can get in, she jumps into the driver’s seat, adjusts the steering wheel to fit her and she begins driving in circles around the guy while he stands in the pouring rain.
She goes to the trouble to put a CD in the high tech in-dash stereo head unit of the 93 Dodge Ramcharger while the guy stands in the rain and just when you think that she is going to let him into the Ramcharger, she stops and joins him in the rain. It is like a chick-flick in SUV ad form, even though the Ramcharger is one of the best and toughest Dodge vehicles of all time.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
