Big pickup trucks are a common sight on roads in the U.S., but there remains a fond place in many enthusiasts’ hearts for the mini-trucks of yesteryear.
Reportedly, a midsize pickup truck from Chrysler (now Stellantis) offshoot Ram has been in the advanced development phase since at least 2021. Resurrecting the Dakota nameplate would certainly be a welcome addition since Ram is the only one of the Big Three domestic truck manufacturers not to have a smallish pickup in its lineup. Apparently, history is repeating because Chrysler found itself in the same position way back in the 1970s, playing catch-up to Ford’s Courier and Chevy’s LUV compact pickups, both unveiled in 1972.
Dodge finally joined the party in 1979 with the D-50, later renamed the Ram 50. At the time, Chrysler’s financial strength was questionable and its engineering teams were tied up in developing the K-car platform and minivans that would eventually rescue the company. As such, the tried and true formula of importing and rebadging a Japanese truck — called a captive import — was employed. In the case of the D-50, it was a rebadged Mitsubishi Triton (a.k.a., Forte and L200), which made sense because Dodge was already rebranding another Mitsubishi as its Colt compact car.
