- Joined
- Mar 16, 2012
- Posts
- 2,177
- Reaction score
- 3,565
- Location
- Midwest
- Ram Year
- 2012, 2021
- Engine
- 5.7, 6.4
I think the Stellantis group decided to drop the word Dodge so the people who always wanted a Dodge but didn't because they were worried what their friends would think of them so they changed it to Ram only and make them think they was buying a different brand, seems to have worked!
Dodge was dropped prior to Stellantis and RAM became it's own brand so dealers could have a truck to sell with a franchise without having to carry Dodge cars. Lesser, but also important, was the issue of marketing and narrative building. Jeep has it's own narrative and history to build on, but the others needed to be manufactured or refreshed pretty badly.
On the dealership front, many Chrysler dealers wanted a truck to sell but didn't want to carry an extra line of sedans. Not every dealer is a CDJR franchise, especially smaller lots without the physical space. Existing Dodge dealerships were also often close enough to Chrysler dealerships that contractual issues prevented the Chrysler dealership from buying a Dodge franchise. Nothing prohibited either from buying a RAM franchise, though, since RAM didn't exist when the minimum distance contracts were written (when you buy a franchise, you get a guarantee there won't be another granted within so many miles of yours).
RAM and Jeep are much more profitable lines, especially pre-Dodge muscle car revival. Chrysler is an albatross, and one that got heavier as the minivan died. Once it was sacrificed to the SUV/crossover gods, Chrysler's franchise holders were not nearly as profitable as their corporate buddies with Dodge and Jeep franchises.
On the marketing front, it allowed more focused branding. Dodge was/is marketed as the performance brand, Chrysler the luxury oriented brand, etc.