Last month I competed in the 2022 Tour De Course Rally which was run out of Shepparton in Northern Victoria. There were speed events at Winton and Wilby Raceways, skid pan motorkhana’s at DECA driver training facility and the mandatory navigation stages which saw us travel throughout the surrounding countryside.
The range of cars competing was wide and varied and included a Porsche GT3 RS, Corvette Z06, Cateram Seven 485, Mustangs, Holden ute, Mercedes AMG GTR and 1992 Nissan Sylvia. Although we didn’t feature on the podium, we certainly had a great time.
The highlight of my weekend though was when one of the competitors had a fire in his Mitsubishi EVO 10 which burned the wiring loom and rather than going to the pub, for the final two days Justin decided to use his tow vehicle – a Dodge RAM. To see the RAM ripping around Winton Raceway and weaving through witches’ hats in motorkhana’s was very funny, but to his credit he finished the event and under the circumstance did very well.
The reason I mention this, is that there was another RAM tow car in the event and over the weekend I would have seen at least a dozen RAM’s and Chevrolet Silverado’s on the road and their numbers are quickly growing, which lead me to ask, if I bought one of these Yank Tanks, which would it be?
Motoring journalist Bruce Newton is a mate of mine and a person whose opinion I trust, so I was pleased to see this comparison between the two over-sized utes on Carsales. Click on this link to see his verdict.
Chevrolet Silverado LTZ vs Dodge RAM Laramie – Carsales
I must confess that I’m a big fan of the RAM truck for several reasons, one being that I reckon they look good and go well, but more so the back story of RAM Trucks Australia is such a great story. If you’re not aware of it, this is an excerpt from the RAM Truck Australia website:
“This is truly an Australian automotive success story,” says Neville Crichton CNZM, Executive Chairman of the Ateco Group and originator of the idea to convert left-hand drive RAM Trucks to right-hand drive at the bespoke Melbourne Manufacturing Facility (MMF).
The RAM Trucks Australia success story began back in 2013, when the Ateco Group became New Zealand distributor for FCA, which included the RAM Trucks brand.
With circa 50,000 RAMs sold per month in the US, and Australian’s love of American products, Crichton realised there was an opportunity to demonstrate Australia could manufacture and produce a world-class quality product despite the closure of other local manufacturing facilities.
A deep dive of the conversion industry in 2013 discovered some 46 different RAM convertors operating, with differing standards, qualities, and expense. Consumers were being taken advantage of and the RAM brand was not professionally represented.
RAM Trucks decided they were ready to enter the market with the Ateco Group and a worldwide search for an effective remanufacturing partner began. Four potential companies were identified, including the Walkinshaw Group, with whom Crichton has a long-standing relationship, having raced for Tom Walkinshaw back in the 1980s. The Walkinshaw Group proved they were the most competitive and were awarded the contract in 2015.
The Ateco Group has since invested over $100m in tools, equipment, inventory, and stock to enable product development, quality, and conformity with the overseas requirements of RAM Trucks International, the locally stringent ADR regulations, and high consumer expectations.
RAM Trucks Australia began converting left-hand drive heavy duty 2500 and 3500 models into right-hand drive vehicles in late 2015, before they went on sale in early 2016. The volume selling 1500 light duty model came on stream in July 2018.
Each nameplate undergoes a thorough re-engineering process which designs and produces right-hand drive trucks for Australia and New Zealand, including 400 locally sourced remanufacture parts.
As a result, RAM Trucks Australia is the world’s only factory-authorised RHD manufacturer of RAM Trucks and, from June 2019, Australia’s only 24-hour vehicle manufacturing facility.
RAM Trucks Australia is also a major source of employment of more than 250 people directly in automotive engineering, design, and production excellence for both RAM Trucks Australia and New Zealand, and the Australian component companies that keep the factory supplied with Australian made parts
Fully factory-supported and backed by 45 RAM dealers across Australia and 13 in New Zealand, the RAM range sets new benchmarks for performance and ability.