Chrysler will end production of the Ram Dakota (nee Dodge) on Tuesday,The Detroit Newsis reporting. The move doesn't come as a surprise to most, as the Ram Dakota has long played second fiddle to its bigger, more successful Ram 1500 stable mate.
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The Warren Truck Plant where the Dakota is built also builds the Ram 1500. So far 39 temporary workers have been let go due to the end of Dakota production. The UAW expects the number could reach 150 or more.
As we reported last year, Chrysler has been mulling over the Dakotas replacement for some time now. The consensus seems to be that the slow-selling Dakota will eventually be replaced by a unibody compact pickup truck, aimed more at customers who buy trucks for their looks, not their utility. Think Dodge M-80 concept, or Rampage concept, as the Dakota's replacement will be more show than go when it debuts within the next few years.
No decision has yet been made about where to build the Dakota's replacement. What would you like to see replace the Dakota?
Source: The Detroit News
I generally like writing—especially when it’s about cars—but I hate writing about myself. So instead of blathering on about where I was born (New York City, in case you were wondering) or what type of cars I like (all of ’em, as long as it has a certain sense of soul or purpose), I’ll answer the one question I probably get most, right after what’s your favorite car (see above): How’d you get that job? Luck. Well, mostly. Hard work, too. Lots of it. I sort of fell into my major of journalism/mass communication at St. Bonaventure University and generally liked it a lot. In order to complete my degree senior year, we had to spend our last two semesters on some sort of project. Seeing as I loved cars and already spent a good portion of my time reading about cars on sites such as Motor Trend, I opted to create a car blog. I started a Tumblr, came up with a car-related name (The Stig’s American Cousin), signed up for media access on a bunch of manufacturer’s websites, and started writing. I did everything from cover new trim levels to reviewing my friends’ cars. I even wrote a really bad April Fool’s Day post about the next Subaru Impreza WRX being Toyota-Corolla-based. It was fun, and because it was fun, it never felt like work. Sometime after my blog had gotten off the ground, I noticed that Motor Trend was hiring for what’s now our Daily News Team. I sent in my résumé and a link to my blog. I got the job, and two weeks after graduation I made the move from New York to California. I’ve been happily plugging away at a keyboard—and driving some seriously awesome hardware—ever since.
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