Zombie Previous-Generation Ram 1500 Classic Pickup Finally Fully Dead
One more Hemi V-8 application bites the dust, and no Ram is available with one anymore.
Despite all the pageantry and spectacle of Stellantis’ “Last Call” campaign to send off the Hemi V-8 across its brands last year, the iconic V-8 didn’t actually go anywhere. While it’s true you can’t buy a new Charger or Challenger with a Hemi anymore, let alone a 2025-onward Ram 1500 pickup, the engine is still floating around in various Dodge and Ram products.
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The Hemi was, for example, still hiding out under the hood of the Ram 1500 Classic. For those who don’t know what we're talking about, the Classic model is basically just the previous-generation Ram 1500 that originally came out in 2009, which Ram sells as a lower-cost alternative to the newer DT-generation model that dates back to 2018.
Even though we kind of get the idea of selling a cheaper, older model alongside the new one (it's not a new idea, and has been tried before by Chevy and Jeep, among others), we're still scratching our heads at how long the Ram 1500 Classic lasted. Past Classic-type oldies have run for maybe a model year or two; the Ram Classic has been around for years. No more; according to Car and Driver, that trend is coming to an end. An official from Ram told them that the 1500 Classic will be discontinued after the 2024 model year.
With the Classic model gone, so is any way of getting a new Ram with a Hemi V-8, as all 2025 model-year DT models are powered by the new 3.0-liter Hurricane twin-turbo I-6 or the long-serving 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6. Though, if you think the Hemi could be killed off that easily, think again.
You can also still buy a Dodge Durango with the Hemi, as well as Jeep's Grand Cherokee and Wagoneer models with one. It also is returning to the second Final Edition Wrangler 392 Rubicon—yes, that means there are two Final Editions, released consecutively. We suppose the second one is the more final of the two, but with Jeep having already reversed itself on ending production after 2024, who knows if it'll do so again next year. Either way, the Hemi V-8 is still burbling along in Stellantis' U.S. lineups, even if it's gone from some of the more visible products it's been associated with over the years. The Ram 1500 Classic is not one of those, of course, but it is finally dead.
Andrew Beckford’s passion for cars started as a middle schooler when his friend Richie explained how an internal combustion engine works. He was bitten by the bug and the rest, as they say, is history. He dug deep into the tuner scene and eventually wrote for Turbo Magazine, Import Tuner, Super Street. He covered car shows, feature builds, and reviewed racing games for those magazines in addition to covering motorsports including Formula Drift, Indy Car, and F1 for his personal blog. Eventually Beckford joined MotorTrend to cover the daily automotive news beat. Besides being a gearhead, Beckford has been a gamer since the ’80s and is a huge fan of the arcade racing games of the ’90s like Daytona USA, SEGA Rally, and Ridge Racer. Beckford’s a movie buff as well, especially comic book films from DC and Marvel. When car culture crosses over with gaming and entertainment, rest assured Beckford is aware of it. In addition to serving as a consultant on a “triple A” racing titles, he’s reviewed major racing games such as Forza Motorsport, Need for Speed, Gran Turismo, F1, and more. He’s also interviewed blockbuster directors including Steven Caple Jr. (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts) and Neill Blomkamp (Gran Turismo). His biggest profile to date was with Robert Downey Jr. on his love affair with cars and his show Downey’s Dream Cars on MAX. Beckford’s profile of Downey Jr. was the first print cover story written by an African American in MotorTrend’s history. Along with KJ Jones, Andrew Beckford also heads up MotorTrend’s celebration of Black History Month by spotlighting diverse voices in the automotive industry and motorsports. Beckford’s first car was a 1982 Nissan Stanza affectionately named “Stanley” by his late mother.
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