2021 Ram Promaster Ext High Roof on 2040-cars

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Some Ram truck buyer is about to get the 3 millionth Cummins diesel engine

Dodge made a Cummins-built turbodiesel engine available in one of its trucks for the first time during the 1989 model year. Over three decades and a name change later, the company announced it ordered the 3 millionth engine from Cummins, and it's about to drop it in a truck. The 3 millionth engine is patiently waiting on a pallet until it's needed on the assembly line. Ram noted the oil-burning six will be installed in a 2019 3500 Longhorn Crew Cab Dually, a model built for both towing and cruising. While the firm knows who ordered the truck, it chose not to release the owner's name to maintain an element of surprise. The dealership that sold it is planning to host a celebration, so the buyer will only find out that he or she purchased a piece of Ram and Cummins history when arriving to pick it up. The Longhorn isn't the kind of truck you're likely to see on a construction site. Priced in the vicinity of $60,000, it's an upmarket variant of Ram's tow-it-all Heavy Duty pickup decked out with leather upholstery, an eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat, two rows of heated seats, and an 8.4-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system. The high-output Cummins 6.7-liter six adds $11,795 to its base price, meaning the truck receiving the 3 millionth engine costs around $75,000.  Cummins has made several different engines for Dodge- and Ram-branded trucks since 1988. It crossed the 200-horsepower mark for the first time in 1996, and built its first engine with over 500 pound-feet of torque in 2001. The current Cummins, the variant going into the milestone truck, is a mighty, 6.7-liter straight-six that serves 400 horsepower and 1,000 pound-feet of torque.  

Ram forced to build and hold 1500 Classic trucks due to chip shortage

DETROIT — The impact of the global semiconductor shortage on the auto industry spread on Saturday, as Stellantis warned its highly profitable pickup trucks were hit, while Ford said it would cut more U.S. production. Stellantis, the world's fourth largest automaker, said it will build and hold for final assembly its Ram 1500 Classic trucks at its Warren, Michigan, and Saltillo, Mexico, assembly plants. When chips become available, the vehicles will be completed and shipped to dealers. The action will last "a number of weeks," a Stellantis spokeswoman said, declining to reveal how many trucks would be affected. The chip shortage, which has hit automakers globally, stems from a confluence of factors. Carmakers shut North American plants for two months during the COVID-19 pandemic last year and canceled chip orders. Meanwhile, demand for chips surged from the consumer electronics industry as people worked from home and played video games. Now carmakers must compete for chips. Carmakers have repeatedly said they will prioritize chips for their most profitable vehicles, but the impact on the Ram, as well as previous reports by Ford and General Motors of lost or impacted production of their full-size trucks, shows the shortage is hitting companies where it hurts. Stellantis Chief Executive Carlos Tavares said earlier this month the problems might not be fully resolved by the second half of 2021, as some auto rivals have flagged, describing supplies as the "big unknown" for revenues in 2021. Ford said Saturday it will idle its Ohio assembly plant next week, while its Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville will only work two of three shifts. Both plants will return to full production the week of March 29. The U.S. automaker said the latest action is part of a prior forecast it made that the shortage could hit 2021 profits by $1 billion to $2.5 billion. On Thursday, Ford said it would assemble its flagship, highly profitable F-150 pickup truck as well as Edge SUVs in North America without certain parts and then hold them "for a number of weeks" until they can be completed and shipped, affecting "thousands" of vehicles. It also said it would idle production at plants in Louisville, Kentucky, and Cologne, Germany. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Deep discounts — $12K, $13K, $16K — are fueling a pickup price war

Heavy discounts of up to $16,000 per vehicle are fueling a "truck war" among full-size pickups sold in the United States by the Detroit Three, a Reuters analysis shows. Strong U.S. sales this year of the highly profitable big trucks have helped offset lagging passenger car sales. But it is not clear how much of the truck demand is linked directly to ample factory incentives and dealer discounts, or how far sales might decline without those subsidies. A Reuters survey of Ford, General Motors Co's Chevrolet and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles's Ram truck dealers across the United States indicates stores are offering deep discounts the country's bestselling full-size pickup trucks. "The walls are not crashing down on full-size trucks," said Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania. Detroit-based automakers want to keep cranking out their high-margin trucks, he added, and "giving up a little of the profit is the cheapest way to do it." Stores are offering discounts of up to $12,000 on the 2018 Ford F-150, which remains the best-selling vehicle in the country, recording more than 80,000 sales in May. Discounts run up to $13,000 on the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado and as high as $16,000 on the Ram 1500. Average transaction prices for full-size pick-ups range from around $42,000 to $45,000, industry analysts and automakers say. All three companies are spending furiously - GM and Fiat Chrysler to help sell off carryover 2018 trucks to prepare for redesigned 2019 models, and Ford to sustain its long-held sales crown. A supplier fire that temporarily shut down production of the F-150 last month "changed the game," said Jeff Schuster, senior vice president of forecasting at LMC Automotive in Troy, Michigan said. The supply halt nudged Ford's crosstown rivals "to ratchet up incentives on the current models to go after weakness at Ford," he said. Deals advertised on the companies' official websites range from rebates and low-interest loans to ultra-cheap lease rates, but they are not telling the whole story. Ford, for instance, advertises a $2,000 rebate and a $500 financing credit on sales of certain F-150 models. But James Collins Ford in Louisville, Kentucky, is offering discounts of up to $12,215 on the 2018 F-150 XLT SuperCrew 4x4. The price cuts are even steeper at a number of GM and Fiat Chrysler dealers. Quirk Chevrolet is selling the 2018 Silverado 1500 Double Cab at $13,000 off sticker.