The one-of-a-kind 2023 Ram 2500 'Traveller' is a retro truck all about celebrating the brand's golden past, right down to the mighty ovine monument on the hood.
Built on a Ram 2500 Heavy Duty base, the truck is a collaboration with singer-songwriter Chris Stapleton. It will be displayed at the Chris Stapleton: Since 1978 exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Stapleton has a long association with the brand dating back to 2016's Ram Nation concert. He also performed a cover version of country classic I'm a Ram for the company's commercials.
Ram
The truck leans heavily into a Malaise era aesthetic, inspired by the style of the 1979 Ram Palomino truck. The two-tone coffee-and-cream paint job features a rich brown stripe down the side of the vehicle, three colors that automakers have largely abandoned in the last thirty years. Lashings of chrome adorn the front bumper and grille, as well as the side steps down the length of the cab.
The retro touches don't stop with the paint, either. The wheels are a modern 18-inch reimagining of the Turbo Fin design of the 1980s that look surprisingly good with the throwback paint job. Ram paid attention to the finer details, too, producing Ram and Traveller badges in the era-appropriate font to match.
Ram
There's even a big chunky ram's head hood ornament taking center stage up front. The design has been modernized to suit the current truck's design. it's a beautifully crafted piece, but it would quickly unravel your favorite Christmas sweater if you caught it on the horns.
Inside, the interior gets a healthy treatment of brown, too, with walnut burlwood accents. Pops of color come courtesy of red plaid headrests, matching the Stapleton's jacket from his Traveller album cover in 2015. Door handles and the column shifter also get a rugged-looking leather wrap. The speaker grilles are modeled after guitar amps, another nod to Stapleton's work, and his signature adorns the interior, too. There's even a custom bench seat up front for riding around with your pals.
Modern trucks have gone hard on flashy paint and ever-more-aggressive designs over the years. While this truck is still 12 yards long and two lanes wide, the lashings of chrome and brown do a lot to sweeten the overall look. It's a handsome truck, to be sure, and we're kind of shocked Ram isn't getting this trim package on lots post-haste.
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