This week’s featured Question of the Week is as simple as that – what is your favorite generation Dodge Ram pickup?
The first generation Dodge Ram (shown above) was introduced in 1981 and ran through the 1993 model year when the “rules were changed”. These trucks relied on old school carbureted V8 engines for power but more importantly, it was during this first generation of the Ram when the first Cummins diesel engine was found under the hood of a Dodge truck.
The second generation Dodge Ram (above in red) ran from 1994 through 2002 with the curvy look that has paved the way for all of the Ram styling since then. It was during the second generation when the Magnum engine architecture was introduced along with the first factory V10 Ram.
The third generation Dodge Ram (below in metallic red) was introduced in 2003 and while it ran through the 2008 model year, the 3rd gen Ram received a fairly significant facelift for the 2006 model year that gave the final three years of that generation a distinct look compared to the first three years. During this generation, the modern 5.7L Hemi V8 was introduced along with the SRT10, which called upon the Viper’s V10 to be one of the fastest production trucks ever.
The fourth generation Dodge Ram was introduced in 2009 with a bigger, bolder design that has continued on through the (current) 2014 model year. During the fourth generation, we have seen the Pentastar V6 make the Ram the most fuel efficient full sized truck in America – only to be trumped by the new EcoDiesel. All the while, the 5.7L Hemi and the Cummins Turbo Diesel are joined by the new hard working 6.4L Hemi in the Ram HD.
"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.
