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Dodge Ram SS/T: The 'Wake Your Neighbors' Ram

24 July 1997

Dodge Ram SS/T: The 'Wake Your Neighbors' Ram

    AUBURN HILLS, Mich., July 24 -- When the 1994 Dodge Ram burst
on the scene, it was the bold look that caught attention.  With the new Ram
SS/T, you'll probably hear it before your see it.  The throaty, head-turning
exhaust note on the Ram SS/T lets everyone know about the newest truck in the
Dodge stable.
    The Ram SS/T takes the sport truck image to a new level for full-size
pick-ups.  A specially-tuned 250-horsepower 5.9-liter V8 engine, chrome-tipped
sport-tuned exhaust, a muscular 17-inch aluminum wheel and performance tire
package, and Viper-like racing stripes set this truck apart from the pack.
    "The Ram's design gave us a great opportunity to take the truck in a
sportier direction," said Dodge General Manager Ray Fisher.  "Its bold,
in-your-face design already had a sporty demeanor.  So by tuning the
5.9 engine, adding the exhaust modifications and the other exterior changes,
we created a unique street version of our very successful Ram."
    The Ram SS/T evolved from Dodge's success with the special edition Indy
Ram, the official truck for the 1996 Indianapolis 500 that was produced in a
limited run of just 5,000 vehicles.
    "We produced a limited amount of the Indy Rams to support our role as
Official Pace Car with the 1996 Viper GTS," Fisher said.  "When demand far
outweighed supply for the truck, we realized we had a hit on our hands.  And
when we looked into it further, we found out the appeal wasn't just in the
tie-in to the race, but in the inherent performance characteristics of the
truck."
    Careful attention was paid to maximizing content on the truck without
pricing it out of the customer's reach.
    "A truck like this can't be so extreme that you move away from your core
buyers," Fisher said.  "We made sure we added the right performance
characteristics that added value, rather than building an 'extreme' truck that
no one could afford. We wanted a truck that reached out, not one that was out
of reach."
    The Ram SS/T includes all the standard features on the Ram SLT.  The SS/T
package includes the engine and exhaust modifications, the racing stripes,
color-keyed bumper, grille, lower fascia and rear valance panel, tachometer,
dual-note horn and fog lights.  Exterior color choices include black, emerald
green and flame red, all with silver stripes, or bright white with blue
stripes.

SOURCE  Chrysler Corporation