The Ram 1500 Classic Is Dying and So Is Its Hemi V8

It’s not often that a car company sells an old model alongside a new one, especially for more than five years. That’s what makes the Ram 1500 Classic such an interesting truck. The current “DT” generation Ram 1500 hit the road in 2019, but the automaker has continued selling the previous “DS” version all the while, labeling it as the Classic. It’s been an impressive run for the pickup, which entered production back in 2009, but Ram has confirmed that it will stop selling the 1500 Classic in 2025.

That’s right: The Ram 1500 Classic is on its way out. Now, you might be thinking, “I’ve heard this before.” And you have—sorta. We ran a story near the end of 2023 saying that the truck might finally be dead, because at the time Ram hadn’t yet listed the 2024 model-year Classic on its site even though the current DT generation had already been updated. When I asked Ram if the Classic was canceled (before publishing the blog), a spokesperson cryptically said, “We haven’t announced anything yet but will let you know when we do.” Weeks later, they added it to the site.

This time around, Ram PR was a little more direct:

“The Ram 1500 Classic has been a great entry point pickup for Ram and the Tradesman model has certainly represented the needs of our commercial truck customers,” a Ram spokesperson told The Drive. “With the introduction of the Tradesman trim on the new Ram 1500 for 2024 model year, we bid farewell to the previous generation and remind customers that the Hemi-powered Ram 1500 Classic will sell into 2025.”

So there you have it—Ram has “bid farewell” to the DS 1500 and its Hemi. An Automotive News report makes it seem like they’re already finished building the trucks, as a seat supplier unfortunately had to adjust its workforce accordingly following the pickup’s discontinuation. From the sound of it, Ram has enough of a stockpile to continue selling 2024 model-year Classics into 2025.

In turn, the cheapest Ram truck you can buy will get a little more expensive. The 2024 Ram 1500 Classic starts at $40,700 after destination charges and the DT 2025 Ram 1500 Tradesman bottoms out at $42,270. Both come with the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 as standard, though the optional engines are different as the Classic is still offered with the 5.7-liter Hemi while the new Ram drops the V8 in favor of a twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six. Truly a sign of the times.

We can finally say after all these years, and for the first time for real, that it’s time to pour one out for this old truck.

Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: [email protected]