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U.S. News & World Report Ranks Ram 1500 as the Number One Full-Size Truck!

The editors at U.S New & World Report have named our 2011 Ram 1500 the best full-size truck in America. This ranking was based on their analysis More

Guts and Glory: Ram Trucks Live by the Code of the West

Strength, integrity, reliability, and honesty – these are the foundations of the Ram brand. As Ram truck owners know, when a Ram truck is called More

Mossy Oak’s “Cuz” Gets Up Close and Personal with Ram CEO Fred Diaz

Ronnie “Cuz” Strickland of well-known hunting outfitters Mossy Oak has been a long time fan of Ram Trucks, and more recently, Ram Trucks CEO Fred Diaz. Cuz had the opportunity to treat Diaz and a few of the Ram guys to a turkey hunting trip. The following is an excerpt from his personal account of the outing:

“I’ve been hosting hunting camps for Mossy Oak for over 20 years because after all, there’s no better setting to get to know someone in than hunting camp. This spring, turkey camp was certainly different than those of the past as two Mossy Oak field producers and I were about to spend a quick 36 hours with Fred Diaz, CEO of Ram Trucks and a new hero of mine. Since ‘hero’ is a strong term, let me elaborate.

First, I have had four Ram trucks over the years and have always been a fan of the Ram brand. For anyone that ever wondered; no, they have never asked me to endorse the trucks or paid me anything even though I keep mine in front of thousands of TV viewers each week on our Mossy Oak television productions. I just love the trucks and depend on mine heavily – more so than the average truck buyer, I suspect. My current 2007 Ram Mega Cab has 158,000 miles behind it, much of it from hauling ATV’s on unpaved roads and such. As far as my relationship with Fred Diaz goes, I was lucky enough to meet him on a visit to Ram in Detroit and during our visit he talked to us about Ram trucks. He talked to us about what they are doing to address the true sportsman in the country how to meet their needs and budgets, but more than that he talked about the people that are behind Ram. I could see the passion in his eyes when he talked about the people that build them, sell them, market them, and work on them and it was clear that the TEAM at Ram is on a mission. People like Fred Diaz who pass along the praise and give props to the people that make it happen fire me up, so you can understand why this particular turkey camp was more important than most. As impressed as I was with Fred and his team, I wanted him to be equally impressed with the Mossy Oak crew. Problem was we didn’t have much time – only about a day and a half.”

To read the rest of Cuz’s story, check out it at Mossy Oak’s Perspectives.

Fred Diaz Talks of “Turning the Industry Upside Down”

The Ram display at Detroit’s North American International Auto Show doesn’t just have the best trucks and the most jaw-dropping display — it also has Ram President and CEO Fred Diaz, eager to talk about the new brand’s offerings. “From top-to-bottom, we are serious truck contenders with a serious world-class product,” Diaz says in the video. “I also want people to understand that although we will market and brand our Ram trucks as Ram trucks, they will always and forever be Dodges,” he adds. “They’ll always be VINed as a Dodge, and somewhere either on the exterior or the interior of the truck, you’ll always be able to see the Dodge logo and the Dodge name.”

Ram Turns NAIAS Upside Down

Sure, it’s an obvious gag, but the early reaction on the first press preview day at the North American International Auto Show has been one of stunned amazement — pretty much the same reaction reviewers have had when they first sink their teeth into the Ram Heavy Duty, the 2010 Motor Trend Truck of the year. “Ram Trucks continue to break the rules with big-rig styling, improved quality, durability and capability,” Fred Diaz, Ram President and CEO, said last week. “Starting with the most award-winning light-duty pickup – our Ram 1500, our all-new ultimate towing machine and Motor Trend’s Truck of the Year, the 2010 Ram 2500/3500 Heavy Duty, our best-in-class towing Dakota and the all-new 2011 Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cabs, our trucks are the best on the planet.” The press is getting a full look at the entire line today and tomorrow in Detroit — apologies for any stiff necks.

Watch the 2010 Motor Trend Truck of the Year Highlights

If you missed our coverage last week of the Ram Heavy Duty being named Motor Trend‘s 2010 Truck of the Year, here’s a quick video recap. Among the highlights: Motor Trend Senior Editor Edward Loh discusses how Ram HD was a “unanimous decision” among the judges, Ram CEO Fred Diaz talks about the team effort to show the world that Ram makes the best trucks around, and Chrysler Vice President – Product Planning Joe Veltri speaks to the Chrysler revolution in design and quality. To get more in-depth coverage, visit RamZone.com/RamHD.

Watch Ram CEO Fred Diaz Talk about What this Award Means for Ram

Part 1: After the awards ceremony, Ram CEO Fred Diaz talked a bit about what the 2010 Motor Trend Truck of the Year Award means for the Ram brand, especially barely a month after becoming its own brand. “It’s incredible for the brand, and more importantly for the corporation, because it signals to the world that we are serious, and we are capable,” Diaz said. “We have the courage, the teamwork, and the passion to build a world-class truck on a world-class stage.”

Fred Diaz’s Acceptance Speech (Part 2): This One’s for the Team

“I think it’s critical that we acknowledge the true heroes behind this beautiful truck,” Ram CEO Fred Diaz continued in his speech accepting the 2010 Motor Trend Truck of the Year award on behalf of the Ram team. “The true heroes are the folks in product planning, the folks in design, the folks in engineering, the folks in manufacturing. All I have to do now is take this beautiful creation that you see behind me and sell it. And it’s with great pride that we also share this award with our dealers — you are going to be huge benefactors from this truck of the Year award for our Heavy Duty.” Thanking the entire team, Diaz went on to further emphasize how important this award was to show the world that “as a corporation we have what it takes to build world class vehicles.”

Watch Fred Diaz’s Acceptance Speech

After he received the award, Ram CEO Fred Diaz said a few words about its significance: “This is, in my opinion, the first leaf that we have turned over, the key milestone to show the world that our corporation has the ability, the capability, the courage the passion, and most importantly — if I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times — the teamwork to build a world-class truck on a world-class stage. Truly something for all of us to be proud of.”

Watch Fred Diaz Receive the Award

This video shows the moment of triumph, as Motor Trend Publisher/SVP Source Interlink Media Ira Gabriel presents Motor Trend’s 2010 Truck of the Year award to Ram CEO Fred Diaz, as Senior Editor Edward Loh looks on. And there was, obviously, much rejoicing.