Ram Unveils Texas Ranger Concept Truck

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Mar 25, 2015, 10:30 ET

DALLAS, March 25, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Ram Texas Ranger concept follows 2014 partnership announcement
Iconic Texas Ranger badges highlight Ram's interior and exterior design
Western-themed trucks dominate Ram lineup in Lone Star State

2015 Ram 1500 Texas Ranger Concept Truck

The Ram Truck brand today unveiled a one-of-a-kind Texas Ranger concept truck to commemorate and promote the brand's partnership with the renowned law-enforcement agency and the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum.

Introduced by Ram Truck Brand President and CEO Bob Hegbloom at the 2015 Dallas Auto Show, the Ram Texas Ranger concept truck brings the legendary spirit of the Rangers to the road.

"The Ram team developed this commemorative concept truck in order to further highlight our relationship with the Texas Rangers and the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum," said Bob Hegbloom, President and CEO – Ram Truck, FCA US LLC. "Although Rangers are well-known horsemen, today Texans drive more pickups than drivers in any other state in the country."

Both inside and out, the Ram Texas Ranger edition celebrates the Rangers and the iconic silver Lone Star Ranger badge.

Exterior
The Ram Texas Ranger edition concept truck is identified by unique Texas Ranger badging designed to represent the Mexican five-peso coins from which Ranger badges are tooled.

The coin was minted from 1947 through 1948 and was the basis for the first official Texas Ranger star badges. The coin was re-tooled to the star-and-wheel shape worn by today's Rangers.

Representative of those star-and-wheel badges, large five-pointed milled-aluminum emblems are mounted to front driver and passenger-side fenders. A third milled-aluminum Texas Ranger badge adorns the concept truck's tailgate.

Each of the four polished-aluminum 20-inch wheels also gets a milled-aluminum Texas Ranger center cap.

The Texas Ranger edition is painted in a Bright White and Bright Silver Metallic two-tone color scheme that embodies the white hats and silver badges that the good guys always wear.

Interior
Of course, the Ram Texas Ranger concept's interior is loaded with Ranger design cues as well.

Starting with the etched Canyon Brown and Tan leather and tooled-metal details that distinguish Ram's luxurious Laramie Longhorn edition, Ram's designers have loaded the concept truck with unique Texas Ranger edition accents.

Among the most notable are four real Mexican five-peso silver coins inlaid within the wooden portions of the door bolsters. Front doors have the obverse or "heads" side and rear doors contain the reverse or "tails" side of the coin.

A host of other custom features include:

A milled-aluminum Texas Ranger instrument panel badge, noting the founding year of the Texas Rangers, 1823
New center stack, center console, door spears and seat trim bezels with simulated galvanized metal decorative finish
New Canyon Brown-stained open-pore walnut wood trim pieces throughout the cabin, including the all-new console tambour door
Texas Ranger console lid badge, which is drawn into the premium Natura Plus leather
Underneath the console lid is a vault with a combination lock to hold items of value
Texas Ranger sewn-on and etched leather seat badges
Texas Ranger badging on the gauge cluster splash screen
Texas Ranger edition graphic themes in the 8.4-inch UConnect center console stack
Leather-wrapped front and rear grab handles
New door trim panels with tan accent stitching
New steering wheel with milled-aluminum, distressed-finish Ram badge and tan accent "X" stitching
Premium speckled accent color floor mats with accent color surging

Although the Ram Texas Ranger edition was designed as a one-of-a-kind concept that will tour Texas and help build awareness for the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame and Museum, officials have not ruled out a possible production run. No timing or pricing for a possible future Texas Ranger edition was announced.

Texas Trucks
More Texans drive pickup trucks than drivers in any other state; 20 percent of motor vehicle registrations versus 12 percent national average. In fact, Ram sells nearly two-and-a-half times as many pickup trucks in Texas as it does in the next-highest volume state.

In 2002, Ram Truck was the first manufacturer to recognize the strength of the pickup truck market in Texas and to offer an exclusive edition for the state. The Ram Lone Star edition was the first pickup truck designed by Texans and built specifically for Texans.

The Ram Lone Star edition is by far the brand's best-selling model in Texas, accounting for nearly 40 percent of the half-ton mix. Since the Lone Star's debut, Ram has sold more than 230,000 of the Texas-only models.

Ram introduced the Ram Laramie Longhorn edition to State Fair of Texas audiences in September 2010. It was the most luxurious truck ever produced by the company. The Laramie Longhorn is layered with southwestern design iconography. Inside and out, Laramie Longhorn is loaded with remarkable features and design cues from traditionally handcrafted, time-tested wares, such as the antique pocket watch, a fine pair of hand-tooled leather cowboy boots, a collector's-grade shotgun or a horseman's saddle. The Ram Laramie Longhorn's metal work and leather work are second to none.

Ram is the fastest-growing truck brand in Texas. Its share is up 2.52 points over the last five years, in no small part owing to its ability to deliver the hard-working trucks that Texans demand.

Ram / Texas Rangers Partnership
At the 2014 State Fair of Texas, Ram Truck announced a new partnership with the Texas Rangers, aiding the preservation of the history of the renowned law-enforcement organization.

Ram Truck Brand President and CEO Bob Hegbloom marked the event by presenting the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum with a check for $100,000.

In partnership with the FCA Foundation, Ram's support is helping to perpetuate and promote the heritage of the Texas Rangers via the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum in Waco.

The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum is the official historical center of the Rangers and is preparing for the Texas Ranger Bicentennial in 2023.

The Texas Rangers, America's oldest state law enforcement agency, are gearing up for their landmark 200th anniversary. Today's elite Rangers trace their founding to 1823. The first Rangers were minutemen and scouts protecting farms, ranches and settlements on a hostile frontier. Remarkably, Rangers have upheld the law over the span of three centuries; they are the only American lawmen to have served under five flags: Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the United States, Confederate Texas and the U.S. again.

The Texas Ranger is one of the most cherished symbols of the Lone Star State, a positive and enduring icon of Texas and America. Many families take immense pride in having a relative who was, or is, a Texas Ranger. Past and present ranks include Texans of Hispanic, Anglo-European, African, American Indian and Asian ancestry.

The Texas Ranger Division is a major division within the Texas Department of Public Safety, with lead criminal investigative responsibility for the following: major incident crime investigations, unsolved crime/serial crime investigations, public corruption investigations, officer involved shooting investigations and border security operations.

The Texas Ranger Division is comprised of 213 full-time employees, including 150 commissioned Rangers and 63 support personnel, as well as administrative staff, Border Security Operations Center, Joint Operations and Intelligence Centers and the Special Weapons and Tactics team.

About the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum
The museum was established as the official historical center of the Texas Rangers in 1964. Since its founding, the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame has grown to include a museum, Texas Ranger company headquarters, State Hall of Fame, library and archives, an educational center serving nonprofits and a banquet facility.

Today, the site has more galleries and the land holds buildings for a variety of services: more galleries, more research, more education and community involvement among them.

An educational center not only hosts student groups (students in fourth and seventh grades in the state study Texas history), but is a place to help community organizations with training or conferences.

Efforts are underway to renovate and expand the exhibits and educational facilities of the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame in Waco. The goal is to leave a Bicentennial legacy by supporting efforts of the museum to further preserve the Texas Ranger heritage for future generations.

In preparation for the 200th anniversary of the Texas Rangers, the Texas Public Safety Commission has appointed the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum as their representative and steward for the Texas Ranger Bicentennial™.

Follow the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum on:

Museum website: www.texasranger.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/txrangermuseum
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/txrangermuseum
Twitter: www.twitter.com/txrangermuseum
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/txrangermuseum
Foursquare: https://foursquare.com/v/texas-ranger-museum/5366a380498ed0b01e9e8b7b

About Ram Truck Brand
Since its launch as a stand-alone division in 2009, the Ram Truck Brand has steadily emerged as an industry leader with one goal: to build the best pickup trucks and commercial vehicles in the industry.

Creating a distinct identity for Ram Trucks has allowed the brand to concentrate on core customers and features they find valuable. Whether focusing on a family that uses a Ram 1500 day in and day out, a hard-working Ram 3500 Heavy Duty owner or a business that depends on its Ram ProMaster commercial van every day for deliveries, Ram has the truck market covered.

In order to be the best, it takes a commitment to innovation, capability, efficiency and durability. Ram Truck invests substantially in its products, infusing them with great looks, refined interiors, durable engines and exclusive features that further enhance their capabilities.

Moving into the 2015 model year, Ram continues to beat the competition in the two most sought-after titles, fuel economy and towing capacity:

Best-in-class fuel economy with exclusive EcoDiesel – 29 mpg with Ram 1500
Best-in-class towing capability – 30,000 pounds with Ram 3500
Best-in-class payload – 7,390 pounds with Ram 3500
Best-in-class torque – 865 lb.-ft. with Ram 3500 equipped with Cummins

Truck customers, from half-ton to commercial, have a demanding range of needs and require their vehicles to provide high levels of capability. Ram trucks are designed to deliver a total package.

Follow Ram and FCA US news and video on:
FCA Content On Demand (COD): www.fcacod.com
Company blog: http://blog.fcanorthamerica.com
Company website: www.fcanorthamerica.com
Media website: http://media.fcanorthamerica.com
FCA360: www.fca360.com
Ram Trucks brand: www.ramtrucks.com
Ram Zone blog: www.ramzone.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/RamTrucks or www.facebook.com/ChryslerGroup
Flickr: www.flickr.com/RamTrucks or www.flickr.com/ChryslerGroup
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/ramtrucks or www.pinterest.com/FCAcorporate
Instagram: www.instagram.com/ramtrucks or www.instagram.com/FCAcorporate
Streetfire: www.streetfire.net/uploaded/chryslervideo.htm
Twitter: www.twitter.com/RamTrucks or www.twitter.com/FCAcorporate
YouTube: www.youtube.com/RamTrucks or www.youtube.com/pentastarvideo