CAUGHT: Fully-Camouflaged Ram 1500 Classic In Brazil!

The Ram 1500 Classic (DS) continues to prove itself as an integral part of the Ram Truck lineup in the North American marketplace, thanks to its affordability. But outside of North America, the Ram 1500 Classic is offered in several markets globally, from Australia to Argentina, and continues to sell fairly well.

One of the biggest markets outside the U.S. for the Ram Truck brand is Brazil. Over the past year, Ram Brazil has continued to grow its lineup beyond its solo offering of the Ram 2500 Laramie (DJ). Ram has added the Ram 1500 Rebel (DT) and recently announced that it would be adding yet another model with the Ram 3500 Limited Longhorn (D2) as well.

In the past few weeks, our good friends at the Brazilian automotive publication Autos Segredos (Auto Secrets) have spotted Ram engineers testing camouflaged Ram 1500 Classic pickups on the public roads of Brazil. And while Ram continues to sell the Ram 1500 Classic in nearby Argentina, there really isn’t a reason why the Ram 1500 Classic would need to be camouflaged unless it’s being considered to the market it is tested in. It is something we saw, just before the Ram 1500 Rebel’s introduction, with two fully-camouflaged Ram 1500 Rebels were spotted at a Brazilian truck stop off of an expressway.

Of the two trucks spotted by Autos Segredos, both look to be similar to the Ram 1500 Laramie-spec trucks found in Argentina with a few exceptions. The Argentine-spec models feature standard halogen headlamps from the 2009 to 2012 Ram 1500 entry-level models, these trucks spotted in Brazil feature different units (one with quad-halogens and the other one with halogen projector with LED daytime running lights (DRLs).

Both models feature 20-inch wheels from the older North American-spec Big Horn models (used on the Argentine Laramie) and the R-A-M text grille rather than the crosshair grille the North American models continue with. The truck with the projector headlamps also features the optional Sport Performance Hood found on models like the Ram 1500 Classic Warlock.

These test trucks also appear to be fitted with the 5.7-liter HEMI V8 producing 395 horsepower and 410 lb.-ft. (55,9 kgfm) of torque, judging by their rear-mounted exhaust. The HEMI is mated to the same 8HP75 8-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission found in the newer 5th generation Ram 1500. 

MoparInsiders.com believes that Ram engineers could be testing these trucks to bring them to the Brazilian marketplace as a cheaper alternative to the recently released 5th generation Rebel. It would help the brand continue to grow in the region, a region in which Stellantis completely dominates with its other brands.

Most of the Ram 1500 Classic models produced for the U.S. and Canada are produced at the Warren Truck Assembly Plant in Warren, Michigan. That is with the exception of Regular Cab models, which are built alongside the Ram Heavy Duty trucks at the Saltillo Truck Assembly Plant in Saltillo, Mexico. Besides building the Heavy Duty models, Saltillo also manufacturers all global export variants of the Ram 1500 Classic.

It is expected that the Ram 1500 Classic will end production at the Warren Truck Assembly Plant within the next year. The plant currently also produces the all-new Jeep® Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer and will also adopt another all-new vehicle in 2024. That leaves Saltillo to continue to build the Ram 1500 Classic for the global market, as the truck continues to meet safety regulations in many countries. It is also due to the fact that the current 4th generation Ram Heavy Duty will continue production for a few more years, as we have seen in recent spy photos of the 2023 Ram 2500 models.

Source: Autos Segredos