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Zac Brown Band & Ram Trucks Launch “Letters for Lyrics”

If you tuned in to catch the 36th annual Academy of Country Music Awards last night, you may have caught the 30-second “Letters for Lyrics” spot announcing Zac Brown Band’s most recent plan to give back to the troops. Sponsored by Ram Trucks, Letters for Lyrics aims to deliver one million letters to U.S. soldiers stationed abroad to remind them that although they may be out of sight, they certainly aren’t out of mind. “Performing with the USO for the men and women in uniform has been a great experience for us,” said Zac Brown. “We wanted to find a bigger way to thank them, a way to mobilize people nationwide to show their support for these incredible individuals. Ram Truck Brand was the perfect partner to realize this dream; not only do they share our commitment to recognize the troops’ service and sacrifice, but they are determined to ensure this program helps to send a little piece of home to our service members abroad.”

“We believe that ‘Letters for Lyrics’ will spark the public’s interest in contributing to our troops abroad and to their families here at home,” explained Ram Trucks CEO Fred Diaz. “This goodwill gesture embodies one of the main pillars in the Ram Truck Brand’s DNA and demonstrates our continued support for the nation’s men and women in the military.” The ‘Letters for Lyrics’ program officially begins May 10th. Simply visit your local Ram dealership to pen and mail a letter to our troops. Each person who submits a letter will receive a complimentary copy of “Breaking Southern Ground,” a special compilation album featuring music from Zac Brown Band, Sonia Leigh, Nic Cowan and Levi Lowrey

In addition to Letters for Lyrics, Ram Trucks has also teamed up with ZBB to provide exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from their USO tour and a free download of ZBB’s newest single, “Free.” Accessible only at RamTrucks.com, “Free” is only available to the first 100,000 fans and for every song downloaded, Ram Trucks will make a donation to a designated charity on behalf of the Zac Brown Band.

For more information, be sure to check out RamTrucks.com and don’t forget to check back here at RamZone for official updates and download info.

Dodge Rams into History

Although the name “Ram” was not used in conjunction with a specific model until the early ‘80s, the iconic charging Ram has been around for decades. The first Ram radiator cap appeared at the helm of Dodge vehicles in 1932 as the brainchild of noted sculptor Avard Fairbanks. According to several sources, Walter P. Chrysler was initially confused by Fairbanks’ decision to sculpt a Ram, purportedly expressing doubt in the logo’s relevance to the brand. Earnestly believing that the sure-footed Ram was the perfect symbol for Dodge, Fairbanks asked Chrysler what a person’s first thought would be upon encountering a Ram in the wild. Chrysler’s enthusiastic response was “DODGE!” followed immediately by “That’s what I want – go with it.”

After Chrysler’s excited approval, the Ram logo was proudly displayed on every Dodge vehicle produced from 1932 to 1954, before it was unceremoniously retired. In 1974 the Ram was briefly resurrected to adorn the Dodge RamCharger, but it wasn’t until 1981 that it made a full resurgence at the behest of revered Chrysler chairman Lee Iacocca. Wishing to mark the inaugural launch of the Dodge Ram pick-up trucks in a way befitting Dodge’s rich history, Iacocca called upon the masterful imagery Fairbanks’ original design invoked to lead the trucks into a new generation. Today, the Ram is still menacingly displayed in all of its 21st century glory above the grill on all Ram Trucks – smaller but no less awe-inspiring.

2011 Ram Chassis Cab Pricing Officially Set as Lowest in Industry

More good news for you hard working Ram Truck loyalists: not only is the Ram Chassis Cab one of the most upfitter-friendly rigs in the industry, it’s also one of the least expensive. Officially announced just yesterday, pricing for the 2011 Ram 3500, 4500, and 5500 will begin at $28,550, $37,265 and $38,975, respectively, making the Ram Chassis Cabs the most affordable in the market. What’s more, the commercial-grade 6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel is included as standard equipment on both 4500 and 5500 models, meaning you won’t be paying extra for serious performance.

In addition to the Cummins Turbo Diesel, the Ram Chassis Cab offers a host of other standard features designed to shoulder a heavy workload with ease, including increased axle ratings and gross vehicle ratings, upfitter-friendly integrated auxiliary switches and generous interior storage capability. A standard 6-speed manual transmission is also standard equipment on all diesel models, making the 2011 Ram Chassis Cab the only vehicle in the segment that can make such a claim.

“When Chassis Cab buyers are shopping for proven reliability, they should put the Ram — and the dependability and hard-working reputation of its Cummins Turbo Diesel — at the top of their list,” said Fred Diaz, President and CEO – Ram Truck Brand, Chrysler Group LLC. “Ram Chassis Cab models offer a higher level of value and durability for the customer who relies on their truck everyday to make a living. Our class 3, 4, and 5 trucks can handle everything from utility service to tow-truck applications to feed hauling.”

Check out or NTEA Work Truck Show coverage for more details on the 2011 Ram Chassis Cabs:

2010 NTEA Work Truck Show Day 1

2010 NTEA Work Truck Show Day 2

2010 NTEA Work Truck Show Video Showcases Ram’s New Features

RamZone Returns from Moab Giddy, Gritty, and Full of High-Res Pics

After spending a couple days in the rugged hills of Utah scraping dust out of every unprotected orifice, we’ve managed to clean off our USB ports (among other things) and upload most of the footage from our awesome experience.

Although the Moab Easter Safari is usually thought of as a “Jeep® thing,” the Mopar Underground team hauled out some serious Ram power especially for the event, including the Ram Power Wagon and a modified Ram 1500 dubbed Ram Runner. Both trucks were outfitted with genuine Mopar accessories and both did such a terrifying phenomenal job of dominating the desert that our shorts were way past the help of any consumer-grade stain removers. First to hit the trail was the 5.7L HEMI® -equipped Power Wagon, tuned by Mopar to handle the rigors of Moab with a 4-inch suspension lift, 40-14.5R/17 BF Goodrich KM2 Mud Terrain tires, Rock-Slide Engineering sill guards, and custom front and rear bumpers. Coasting the dunes right beside it was the Ram Runner, sporting a prototype of the heavy-duty off-road suspension that Mopar plans to offer later this year. Designed specifically for crawling the desert, Ram Runner’s custom Mopar suspension featured front and rear 3″ diameter internal bypass Fox shocks, 6061 T6 billet aluminum upper A-arms with high-angle ball joints that allow for 14″ of wheel travel, high-angle CV joints combined with splined axles made of 300 M tool steel and 1.00-inch diameter high-angle tie rods, and 4130 chromed moly steel lower control arms. For body reinforcement, Mopar also added a custom tubular Baja bumper, aluminum skid plate combination that housed four high-powered, LED off-road lights, and a six-point roll cage.

Since we have the sweetest jobs in the world, we were able to log serious hours behind the respective wheels of these behemoths and captured most of the action on camera. Hit the jump to check out our first round of coverage and stay tuned for some raw video footage (we have to edit out the expletives). More

Ram Celebrates Big Win In A Big Way

In commemoration of Ram Trucks’ newest honor as Motor Trend’s 2010 Truck of the Year, Chrysler covered their Auburn Hills headquarters with a 140′ tall, 120′ wide building wrap. Covering a staggering 14 stories of the Pentastar’s tower, the building wrap is as much a celebratory gesture as it is an attempt to pay homage to all those that made the success of Ram Trucks a possibility.

“We are proud of the numerous awards given to the 2010 Ram Heavy Duty, especially the Motor Trend ‘Truck of the Year’ award,” said Fred Diaz, President and CEO of the Ram Truck Brand. “The purpose of the wrap is to share our pride in the Ram Heavy Duty as well as the Ram 1500 with our employees that work hard each day to support this company as well as the communities that surround Chrysler Group. This display will be seen by approximately 200,000 drivers and passengers along the Interstate-75 in Auburn Hills, Michigan each day.”

Ram Trucks Partners With ACM to Help You Honor Country’s Brightest Stars

As many of you may already know, the 45th Academy of Country Music® Awards will be televised live on Sunday, April 18th and pay homage to the best and brightest in the business. What some of you may not know is that this year, Ram Trucks will be giving you the opportunity to get involved in the voting process. We’ve teamed up with the ACM Awards to sponsor www.voteACM.com to let all you fans of country music to vote for whomever you think is most deserving of the Entertainer of the Year and Top New Artist title. The nominees for Top New Artist include some pretty serious talent, including newcomers Luke Bryan, Gloriana and Joey + Rory while the Entertainer of the Year contenders are sprinkled with both seasoned pros and fresh new voices alike. With some names you may recognize from your “Greatest Hits” CD’s, Entertainer of the Year contenders include Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, George Strait, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Zac Brown Band and that girl whose records you pretend you’re buying for your old lady, Taylor Swift.

Voting officially opened yesterday and the winners will be announced live onstage at the ACM Award’s April 18th so be sure to cast your vote now and visit ramtrucks.com often to get all the latest scoop on this year’s ACM awards.