Ram is bringing back the Dude package from the 1970s for its trucks
Published on Nov 03, 2025 at 1:46 AM (UTC+4)
by Molly Davidson
Last updated on Oct 31, 2025 at 4:02 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Ram didn’t just show up to the Specialty Equipment Market Association’s 2025 Vegas show – it showed off.
Amid the sea of performance builds and chrome-heavy concepts, one bright-green pickup instantly pulled focus.
This was no futuristic EV, it was a tribute.
A modern Ram 1500 dressed in a nameplate pulled straight out of Dodge’s 1970s archives: the Dude.
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What is The Dude package?
Back in the early 1970s, the Dude Sport Trim Package was Dodge’s answer to making work trucks look good.
Sold on the Sweptline pickup, it was marketed with actor Don Knotts, who promised buyers ‘another Tough Truck from Dodge.’
The ads leaned on charm, with a tagline that read ‘Works like a wrangler. Looks like a Dude.’
It was a mix of brawn and personality that stuck.
More than 50 years later, Ram’s revived the idea for SEMA.
Starting with a 1500 Big Horn, the new Dude concept trades subtlety for Sublime Green paint with black graphics running down the body.
The hood, roof, mirrors, and tailgate are all finished in black, with the RAM lettering popping in green.
It sits lower than standard, wears 20-inch black wheels, and exhales through side-exit pipes.
Under the hood is the returning 5.7-liter HEMI V8, paired with a cold-air intake.
And inside, Ram kept the green theme alive with cabin accents and a console-mounted safe for valuables.
It’s a faithful blend of old attitude and new hardware.
Exactly the kind of nostalgia SEMA was built for.
There’s a good reason why Ram is bringing it back
SEMA isn’t about quiet engineering updates, it’s where brands show who they are.
By resurrecting the Dude package, Ram’s tapping into its roots.
Back when trucks sold on personality as much as power.
Those 1970s ads weren’t just selling metal, they were selling character.
And that spirit still clicks with today’s buyers.
Ram hasn’t confirmed production plans, but unveiling the Dude in Las Vegas sends a clear message: heritage still sells, and style still matters.
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Molly Davidson is a Junior Content Writer at Supercar Blondie. Based in Melbourne, she holds a double Bachelor’s degree in Arts/Law from Swinburne University and a Master’s of Writing and Publishing from RMIT. Molly has contributed to a range of magazines and journals, developing a strong interest in lifestyle and car news content. When she’s not writing, she’s spending quality time with her rescue English staffy, Boof.
