Should Dodge And Ram Ever Reunite? I Asked Tim Kuniskis Directly

[themoparjunkie]

Should Dodge And Ram Ever Reunite? I Asked Tim Kuniskis Directly​

A Straight Answer From Ram’s Boss On A Question Fans Won’t Let Go​

In 2009, Chrysler Group made one of the boldest brand decisions in modern automotive history. Under the leadership of then-CEO Sergio Marchionne, the company split Dodge into two distinct paths. Dodge would become a car-focused brand, while Ram would stand on its own as a dedicated truck and van brand. At the time, the move caught much of the industry off guard. Trucks had worn Dodge badges for almost a century, and the idea of separating them felt unnecessary—if not confusing.

I had the chance to sit down with Tim Kuniskis at the Detroit Auto Show last week, and I asked him directly what so many fans have been asking online.

Should Dodge And Ram Ever Reunite? I Asked Tim Kuniskis Directly - MoparInsiders

Explore the question: Should Dodge and Ram ever reunite? Insights from an exclusive conversation with Tim Kuniskis.

moparinsiders.com

 

[themoparjunkie]

Make sure to leave your opinion below or in the comments of the video. Tim is interested in hearing what the people think.

 

[Ready Go]

I've owned a Dodge Dakota 5.9 R/T, a Dodge Challenger SRT392, a Dodge Durango SRT392, and a Ram Laramie 5.7 G/T...I don't really care if they call a Ram a Ram or a Dodge Ram...but if they want to make a Dodge Ram SRT392, I'm ready to break out my checkbook!

 

[HemiDude]

It’s funny, for some reason my five-year-old grandson, who is really into vehicles, calls it a Dodge Ram. I don’t know where he got it from, he’s never heard it from me, but that identity is obviously not inseparable

 

[bigdodge]

will always be a dodge ram to me.

 

[go-ram]

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Leave it Ram. It's one of the best things about Ram - its uniqueness in the American auto industry in that it's the only brand that is just trucks. That's a wonderful distinction that anyone who owns a Ram should be proud of.
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Dodge is Dodge, Ram is Ram, they are both very strong brands. Let them each be themselves and coexist nicely as very successful brands for Chrysler/FCA/Stellantis.
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Frankly, it annoys the heck out of me that people still call these trucks "Dodge Ram" given that Ram has been an independent, truck-only brand for AT LEAST SIXTEEN YEARS!
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Heck, in that time we've all experienced hellacious changes in our lives and in American society, technology, etc. and adapted quickly, why is it that people hang onto "Dodge Ram" when that is now effectively the ancient past? I just don't get it.
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But if you really want an important opinion, I suggest that Kuniskis poll the people that actually work for Ram.
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[mdmford93]

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Leave it Ram. It's one of the best things about Ram - its uniqueness in the American auto industry in that it's the only brand that is just trucks. That's a wonderful distinction that anyone who owns a Ram should be proud of.
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Dodge is Dodge, Ram is Ram, they are both very strong brands. Let them each be themselves and coexist nicely as very successful brands for Chrysler/FCA/Stellantis.
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Frankly, it annoys the heck out of me that people still call these trucks "Dodge Ram" given that Ram has been an independent, truck-only brand for AT LEAST SIXTEEN YEARS!
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Heck, in that time we've all experienced hellacious changes in our lives and in American society, technology, etc. and adapted quickly, why is it that people hang onto "Dodge Ram" when that is now effectively the ancient past? I just don't get it.
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But if you really want an important opinion, I suggest that Kuniskis poll the people that actually work for Ram.
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Except Ram isn’t exclusively trucks…. They also make the work vans as well…. Small point but valid nonetheless. Why change the name of something that everyone knows and loves? Makes no sense to me personally.

 

[SD Rebel]

Not that long ago, like last year, they had RAM trucks on the Dodge official website. Probably because having just a Charger/Challenger and Voyager on the vehicle section looked too little.

Just check now, they aren't there anymore, they have the Charger 2-Door, Charger 4-Door, Durango and Hornet.

I'm a Gen-X, I would love them to go back to being "Dodge Rams" again.

 

[Biga]

I don't see the point of the separate name. Other then Dodge was associated with poor quality in the 80's and 90's and Ram separating itself from that may have helped a little as sales increased about the same time.

 

[go-ram]

Except Ram isn’t exclusively trucks…. They also make the work vans as well…. Small point but valid nonetheless. Why change the name of something that everyone knows and loves? Makes no sense to me personally.

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The Promaster vans are all work vehicles, or sold to RV upfitters - no one buys Ram Promasters for personal use. They're effectively trucks.
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[CHeYeNNe71]

Leave it as RAM. I don't see the issue. If people want to call them Dodge Ram, so be it. Doesn't effect my life.

 

[SD Rebel]

For me, adding the RAM to the Dodge lineup helps solidify the Dodge and Ram 1500 branding under a more recognizable and familiar name "Dodge Ram". It's essentially marketing as they are sold under the same store, but I think strengthens both of them in name recognition. Especially with Dodge practically having no popular models right now.

It's been 16 years that RAM has been it's own brand, and it's still something I have to explain to people who ask me about my Dodge. Clearly, that's not good name recognition, there is a disconnect there and that doesn't help your brand.

I'm not honestly passionate about it, but if I had to go one direction, that's the one I would go with. I think if Tim K. announces it today that RAM is going back to Dodge, there would be more positive remarks from the public than negative.

 

[go-ram]

...
I'm not honestly passionate about it, but if I had to go one direction, that's the one I would go with. I think if Tim K. announces it today that RAM is going back to Dodge, there would be more positive remarks from the public than negative.

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I think you're right, there likely would be very little negative pushback on the part of the buying public if Kuniskis puts Ram back in the Dodge fold, it's effectively a matter of semantics. But for FCA/Stellantis, I just don't see any huge positive to make the switch back to Ram being under Dodge - it would cost a lot of money to make the switch, and as Kuniskis said, it's not going to change sales much, so why bother? And it runs the risk of causing more confusion in terms of brand recognition because any time you backtrack you lose ground due to people wondering "What are they doing?"
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Interestingly, in Lancaster, CA there has been a standalone Ram dealership for years called "Ram of the West", an offshoot from Hunter CDJR in Lancaster, a long-established dealership in that area. I'm betting they would campaign pretty hard against putting the Ram line back under the Dodge nameplate.
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[wegasque]

The only benefit I can see to putting Ram back under the Dodge nameplate is to cement the viability of keeping Dodge around. Let's face it, with European ownership and the small number of models that Dodge has, there is a possibility that Dodge could one day be cancelled by their European overlords. With Ram underneath Dodge, that wouldn't happen.