Dodge Ram
It's from 1994, before you were born.
- Iconic generation
- 1994 Dodge Ram (2nd gen)
- Origin
- USA (Dodge)
- Signature look
- Big-rig hood & crosshair grille
- Legendary engine
- 5.9L Cummins turbo-diesel I6
- Power (Cummins)
- 175 hp / 420 lb-ft (manual)
- Gas option
- 5.9L & 8.0L V10 Magnum
- Production
- 2nd gen: 1994–2002
- Cult nickname
- '12-valve' / '24-valve' Cummins
About
As of 2026, it's 32 years old.
For years, the Dodge Ram was the truck nobody talked about — a perpetual third-place finisher quietly losing to Ford and Chevy. Then 1994 happened, and Dodge changed the entire conversation by giving its truck the face of an 18-wheeler.
The second-generation Ram's big-rig styling was a bombshell: a towering hood, a massive crosshair grille, and fenders that dropped away below, making every other pickup look meek by comparison. It was audacious, polarizing, and a runaway hit — sales rocketed and the look defined Ram trucks for the next two decades.
But the real legend lived under that giant hood: the available 5.9-liter Cummins turbo-diesel inline-six, a mechanical-injection brute making big torque and a cult following to match. Diesel faithful still hunt down these '12-valve' and '24-valve' trucks like treasure, prizing their stump-pulling grunt and refusal to die.
Tough, loud, and unapologetically huge, the '94 Ram turned an also-ran into an icon. It's the underdog story of American trucks — the one that walked in looking like a semi and walked out a heavyweight.
Dodge Ram through the years
First Ram badge
Dodge revives the Ram name on its full-size pickup, building a loyal but small following.
Big-rig revolution
The radical second-gen debuts with semi-truck styling and changes the segment overnight.
Cummins legend
The 5.9L Cummins turbo-diesel cements a diesel cult that endures to this day.
24-valve era
An updated 24-valve Cummins arrives, adding refinement to the torque monster.
Third-gen handoff
The big-rig Ram retires, its bold face having reshaped the entire pickup market.
